Airline Changed My Seat-Did I Get Hosed?
 

I haven't been here in a while. Wild new format.

Anyway, I have a roundtrip flight from Seattle to San Diego next month on Alaska. I got an e-mail from them yesterday saying the flight time had been changed. I didn't mind that, but the e-mail also said my seats may have changed.

I logged on to my confirmation to check my seats. The seats for my outgoing flight are the same, but on the flight back from San Diego, the seats that I picked were moved from 15A and 15B to 29E and 29F. I've never sat at the back of the plane, so my first instinct was to change the seats to something closer to the middle. However, the row is close to the lavatory and I will be travelling with my mobililty impaired mother. If she has to use the ladies room, the less she has to walk, the better.

So, if it were you, would you move the selected seats up a few rows, or leave it be? The plane is a 737-800, though I don't know if it's configuration 1 or 2.

The biggest determining factor for me is whether I have a nonstop flight - if I'm trying to make a connection, I want to be near the front. Otherwise, I think it's personal preference (window vs. aisle, whatever). It sounds as though you have one direct flight, and with your mother's situation, it might be handy to be near the lavatory. Just depends on whether you're OK with all the others walking by your seats to get there as well.

My only concern would be that the last row of seats usually doensn't recline (don't know if yours is the last row) and if the person in front of you does recline you can be trapped in a fairly tiny space.

If your mother is mobility impaired being close to the bathroom is a benefit. And being at the back might be better deplaning - since there won't be lot of people behind her rushing her so they can get off.

I would ask mom how important is this for her to be closer to the lavatory - maybe she prefers a longer walk to move around more?

Thanks for the advice.

My mom was pretty much on the fence when I told her, so I decided to get the opinion of fellow travelers and use that as the tiebreaker, if you will, before I did anything.

I went to Seat Guru and row 29 is the next to last row. I never recline my seat much, but I will be mindful of those behind me because they won't have as much recline.

And you're right about deplaning, nytraveler. When I travel with my mom, we always try to get off last because we don't want to slow people up, but just when we think it's clear, more and more people materialize coming down the aisle. In the back, we can see how empty it really is.

I'll just leave well enough alone and if we don't like it, it's only three hours out of our lives and a lesson learned.

Thanks again

This happened to me to recently. I wonder why they are switching seats if it's the same plane? I don't like it...

Check seatguru.com to see if these seats are comfortable. I've found it to be an invaluable resource for choosing seats on airplanes. Also, if your mother is mobility impaired, they should put her in the bulkhead where she can have access to the front lavatory and an easier time getting in/out of her seat.

I have experienced being on flights either the very last row on the plane or second to the last row. It was very loud and noisy being in the back, possibly due to the type of aircraft; my ears were buzzing after.

Yes, I would recommend seatguru which I found it very helpful,wish I found this sight before my trips. Another suggestion is to call your airlines and ask for advice with your situation. It maybe too late for any changes at this point in time.

Take advantage of early boarding for your mom. If possible, the front of the plane would be beneficial for her with less walking. I would hope the steward(ess) would allow her to use lavotories close by like the first class if necessary. Would a wheelchair help her at the airport? I would hate to see her have to stand and walk so much through all the security and all. Well, just some friendly thoughts. Enjoy your trip.

Most of the airlines that we have been on have kept bulk head seats open for people like your Mom. I also think you should call and inquire if that is available. There are usually lavatories nearby.

I agree that it is nice to be close to the lavatory. I too am no spring chicken, and I travel quite a bit with my elderly mother. Again, I agree that if you do not have to worry about a connecting flight your seat location won't matter. Let's face it, the back of the plane will arrive at the same time as the front. And, if your mom usually waits until all the other passengers are off the plane to disembark it really makes sense to sit towards the back of the plane. Also, if you are lucky enough to be on a plane that isn't completely full, the back of the plane usually has some empty seats, so you may not feel like a sardine. I have actually booked the last row seats before for the reasons listed above. I've never regretted it.