Annabel ... re: buying a third airline seat
Mar 30th, 2008, 04:43 PM
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Annabel ... re: buying a third airline seat
Elsewhere you said,
"The only solution we have found to this problem (which is not fair) is we now have the "two and a half hour rule" Any flight over 2.5 hrs we fly first. Anything under that, if we can't get exit row or extended legroom seats, we just buy the third seat. I also have to add that I have had words with FAs about that as well. We pay full fare for the third seat, we have had FAs try to put passengers in our paid for empty seat. It is quite uncomfortable as the passenger is standing there with bags and you are sitting there with the seat's ticket in your hand and explain that is why we bought the third seat in the first place. "
I was just wondering how you would check in with two people using three tickets. Do you use one name for two of the tickets? Do the airlines ever give you any grief when you're checking in? Just curious.
"The only solution we have found to this problem (which is not fair) is we now have the "two and a half hour rule" Any flight over 2.5 hrs we fly first. Anything under that, if we can't get exit row or extended legroom seats, we just buy the third seat. I also have to add that I have had words with FAs about that as well. We pay full fare for the third seat, we have had FAs try to put passengers in our paid for empty seat. It is quite uncomfortable as the passenger is standing there with bags and you are sitting there with the seat's ticket in your hand and explain that is why we bought the third seat in the first place. "
I was just wondering how you would check in with two people using three tickets. Do you use one name for two of the tickets? Do the airlines ever give you any grief when you're checking in? Just curious.
Mar 30th, 2008, 04:53 PM
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Doesn't sound uncomfortable to me. You have the ticket with the assigned seat and they don't. Tell them the person is in the bathroom, spread stuff all over the seat and put the tray table down. "Sorry this seat is taken" I am guessing you have to use the same name for two seats, but I don't see that being a problem either, I am sure the airlines sees it all the time.
We do see a problem with some airlines when we buy a seat for our infant grandson and the kids try to carry the car seat onboard to put him in. They keep wanting to gate check the car seat assuming he is lap baby.
We do see a problem with some airlines when we buy a seat for our infant grandson and the kids try to carry the car seat onboard to put him in. They keep wanting to gate check the car seat assuming he is lap baby.
Mar 30th, 2008, 05:11 PM
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I had two friends who were both obese. They used to buy three seats for the two of them. One time they were on a flight (I think Delta) and it was oversold. The airline put someone in the seat between them. They argued and showed their ticket for the seat. The attendant got the gate agent and after a lot of argument, basically they were told that the "person" with the ticket for the middle seat was being bumped and could take the next flight. Of course that was silly, so they basically just lost the cost of the ticket.
Mar 30th, 2008, 05:20 PM
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I was just wondering how you would check in with two people using three tickets. Do you use one name for two of the tickets?
I'm not Annabel, but we just jumped thru this hoop on a lengthy cross-Atlantic flight, purchasing an extra seat so we had three seats for 2 people. Not because we were fat but because we wanted extra leg-room (I'm tall and it's hard to sleep overnight without spreading out my legs) and couldn't get a Business-class upgrade because we booked it fairly late.
Basically you tell the airline you want to buy an extra seat and they assign you the extra ticket with placeholder name "extraseat Smith" (or whatever your name is), at least on Continental. We had to give "extraseat" a passport # to check "him" in and the agent at check-in had to call a supervisor to figure this out (they just duplicated my passport # ... this was a flight to Amsterdam, which has very liberal entry requirements, could be more traumatic for countries with stricter rules or entry visa requirements, not sure).
Do the airlines ever give you any grief when you're checking in?
You have to tell them when boarding that you have the extra ticket so their body count is correct when they do the head-count and match it to the stubs (we handed them three tix for 2 people). To the airline it's win-win because it's one less mouth to feed and less weight to fly with so they wouldn't "give you any grief".
No one got the extra FF miles but we were told we could bring extra luggage for the extra ticket (but didn't need to).
On one leg the flight was full (minus one body in our empty seat) and because we were seated close to the front someone wanted to move into the extra seat. I told them no, we had paid for it and that I wouldn't let him sit there. He seemed miffed but was about 4" shorter and 20 lbs lighter than me so he didn't press the issue.
Worked out well, an extra $550 or so for 28 hours of round-trip flight time with extra legroom and space between us. A lot cheaper than business class.
Bill
I'm not Annabel, but we just jumped thru this hoop on a lengthy cross-Atlantic flight, purchasing an extra seat so we had three seats for 2 people. Not because we were fat but because we wanted extra leg-room (I'm tall and it's hard to sleep overnight without spreading out my legs) and couldn't get a Business-class upgrade because we booked it fairly late.
Basically you tell the airline you want to buy an extra seat and they assign you the extra ticket with placeholder name "extraseat Smith" (or whatever your name is), at least on Continental. We had to give "extraseat" a passport # to check "him" in and the agent at check-in had to call a supervisor to figure this out (they just duplicated my passport # ... this was a flight to Amsterdam, which has very liberal entry requirements, could be more traumatic for countries with stricter rules or entry visa requirements, not sure).
Do the airlines ever give you any grief when you're checking in?
You have to tell them when boarding that you have the extra ticket so their body count is correct when they do the head-count and match it to the stubs (we handed them three tix for 2 people). To the airline it's win-win because it's one less mouth to feed and less weight to fly with so they wouldn't "give you any grief".
No one got the extra FF miles but we were told we could bring extra luggage for the extra ticket (but didn't need to).
On one leg the flight was full (minus one body in our empty seat) and because we were seated close to the front someone wanted to move into the extra seat. I told them no, we had paid for it and that I wouldn't let him sit there. He seemed miffed but was about 4" shorter and 20 lbs lighter than me so he didn't press the issue.
Worked out well, an extra $550 or so for 28 hours of round-trip flight time with extra legroom and space between us. A lot cheaper than business class.
Bill
Mar 30th, 2008, 05:41 PM
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Bill, so how angry would you have been if like my friends, the agent came along and said they were taking that seat
Probably almost fighting mad, since we had just flown overnight from Tanzania to Amsterdam 11 hours, spent a few fun-filled hours at Schipol, then another 11 hour flight to Houston, then one more 3 hour flight home ...
I'm sure I would have vented loudly, hopefully not loudly enough to get arrested
We REALLY needed the extra seat on two legs, the over-night leg going across to AMS and the over-night out of Africa, so giving it up on one of the other legs would not have been traumatic, though I'd expect to get a freebie ticket out of it from the airline.
Bill
Probably almost fighting mad, since we had just flown overnight from Tanzania to Amsterdam 11 hours, spent a few fun-filled hours at Schipol, then another 11 hour flight to Houston, then one more 3 hour flight home ...
I'm sure I would have vented loudly, hopefully not loudly enough to get arrested
We REALLY needed the extra seat on two legs, the over-night leg going across to AMS and the over-night out of Africa, so giving it up on one of the other legs would not have been traumatic, though I'd expect to get a freebie ticket out of it from the airline.Bill
Mar 30th, 2008, 06:01 PM
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Bill, did you catch that my friends were told they would get a free ticket? Their "companion" in the third seat could have a seat on the next plane going to the same destination. It was said in a nasty and sarcastic way, since they knew that there was no such "companion" and there was no way it could be used. Meanwhile my friends decided soon after to always fly American which from Ft. Myers always uses those planes with two seats on one side of the plane -- not three and three.
Mar 30th, 2008, 06:23 PM
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Patrick, maybe I am not understanding something here, but if your friends paid for something that was removed from them, then they are entitled to a refund for the "merchandise" that was not delivered! If I buy a couch and the delivery men put it back on the truck and don't give it to me, I am certainly not paying for it. Their complaint is with the airlines who are the only people in a position of being able to return the purchase price. I would insist that the FA put into writing the fact that he/she took back the seat from the people who had paid for it and gave it to another passenger. This allows for the proper refund to be given to your friends.
Mar 30th, 2008, 06:38 PM
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Bill, did you catch that my friends were told they would get a free ticket?
Yeah, I caught that they got hosed by the airline ... but I think they could have complained and gotten a free ticket as a replacement (and not just for their 'imaginary' friend on the next flight). I know I would have expected some compensation and it's hard to understand why an airline wouldn't provide it.
When I was researching this entire "extra seat" scenario I read a few anecdotes about people assigned two non-adjacent seats or flights where the open seat was not honored and subsequently given away when the flight was overbooked, but we took a shot at it and it worked OK for us, though we were careful to book adjacent seats well in advance.
Whaddaya gonna do? If they didn't honor it on a leg I feel we'd get a refund and be no worse off than if we didn't spring for the extra seat in the first place. We have Gold Elite status because we fly so much on that airline and they tend to treat Elite cardholders well.
Bill
Yeah, I caught that they got hosed by the airline ... but I think they could have complained and gotten a free ticket as a replacement (and not just for their 'imaginary' friend on the next flight). I know I would have expected some compensation and it's hard to understand why an airline wouldn't provide it.
When I was researching this entire "extra seat" scenario I read a few anecdotes about people assigned two non-adjacent seats or flights where the open seat was not honored and subsequently given away when the flight was overbooked, but we took a shot at it and it worked OK for us, though we were careful to book adjacent seats well in advance.
Whaddaya gonna do? If they didn't honor it on a leg I feel we'd get a refund and be no worse off than if we didn't spring for the extra seat in the first place. We have Gold Elite status because we fly so much on that airline and they tend to treat Elite cardholders well.
Bill
Mar 30th, 2008, 10:04 PM
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I bought two seats on a long flight BHM-ATL-JNB last year because two coach seats were about half the cost of one business class seat. I am not a large person, but I knew I just could not get comfortable for that long of a flight in one coach seat. I’ve been on that long flight before in BE, and even then it was difficult to sit still for that long. I would not have taken the flight if I couldn’t get the seats I wanted (aisle and window) and told the agent that when I booked. She told me that when an extra seat is booked on a single ticket it’s like two people booking together, and their seats should not be changed. But, I’d heard some of the same stories Bill heard about seats being changed, so I checked regularly just to make sure.
The only person who tried to sit in the “empty” seat next to me was a Delta flight attendant on the BHM-ATL leg, and I flat out told her no way. I paid for both seats, I was keeping both seats. She wasn’t happy with me, but she didn’t argue. I was in the exit row.
On the flight from ATL-JNB they came around to collect the extra pillows, and when I said I’d like to keep both of them they did actually give me a hard time. When I said I paid for both seats so I’d like two pillows, they actually made me show them both boarding passes. The flight attendent did not believe me even though the flight was 100% full except for my extra seat! She insisted somebody was going to board on our fuel stop in Dakar and that they needed the pillow for that person. I told them I was booked through to JNB and eventually they left me alone and let me keep the extra pillow.
When I called to book the flight (that's the only way you can book an extra seat, you can't do it on-line)I was told by the Delta rep that I’d get points for both and I did. The agent said it wouldn’t happen automatically, that I’d have to call when I returned in order to get the credit. Sure enough she was right, but I did get those extra 9,000 points. I just used them to book another trip to Africa for next year.
Delta’s code for an extra seat is “EXST” so if your name is John Smith, the second ticket is EXST Smith.
If my invisible seat mate had been bumped I’d be mad as hell. If it had happened on the original outbound I probably would not have gotten on the plane. But, if it happened in Dakar, I guess there’s nothing I could do. But, I’d sure as hell demand a refund.
There is another post, maybe two, on this subject that I responded to last fall. If you click on my name you can see if that thread has any additional information that might be useful.
As Bill said, you need to book your tickets properly, you need to make sure you give them both tickets so they have a proper head count, and you should check your seat assignment(s) regularly just to make sure they haven’t moved EXST to a non-adjacent seat. To this information I’ll add that you should be able to get FF points, at least on Delta. Unless they changed that with all the other changes they made on St. Patrick’s Day. Make sure you ask when you make the reservation. If they say no, keep calling back. If they say yes, make sure you get the person’s name.
The only person who tried to sit in the “empty” seat next to me was a Delta flight attendant on the BHM-ATL leg, and I flat out told her no way. I paid for both seats, I was keeping both seats. She wasn’t happy with me, but she didn’t argue. I was in the exit row.
On the flight from ATL-JNB they came around to collect the extra pillows, and when I said I’d like to keep both of them they did actually give me a hard time. When I said I paid for both seats so I’d like two pillows, they actually made me show them both boarding passes. The flight attendent did not believe me even though the flight was 100% full except for my extra seat! She insisted somebody was going to board on our fuel stop in Dakar and that they needed the pillow for that person. I told them I was booked through to JNB and eventually they left me alone and let me keep the extra pillow.
When I called to book the flight (that's the only way you can book an extra seat, you can't do it on-line)I was told by the Delta rep that I’d get points for both and I did. The agent said it wouldn’t happen automatically, that I’d have to call when I returned in order to get the credit. Sure enough she was right, but I did get those extra 9,000 points. I just used them to book another trip to Africa for next year.
Delta’s code for an extra seat is “EXST” so if your name is John Smith, the second ticket is EXST Smith.
If my invisible seat mate had been bumped I’d be mad as hell. If it had happened on the original outbound I probably would not have gotten on the plane. But, if it happened in Dakar, I guess there’s nothing I could do. But, I’d sure as hell demand a refund.
There is another post, maybe two, on this subject that I responded to last fall. If you click on my name you can see if that thread has any additional information that might be useful.
As Bill said, you need to book your tickets properly, you need to make sure you give them both tickets so they have a proper head count, and you should check your seat assignment(s) regularly just to make sure they haven’t moved EXST to a non-adjacent seat. To this information I’ll add that you should be able to get FF points, at least on Delta. Unless they changed that with all the other changes they made on St. Patrick’s Day. Make sure you ask when you make the reservation. If they say no, keep calling back. If they say yes, make sure you get the person’s name.
Mar 31st, 2008, 03:55 AM
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xrae:
Interesting information about buying a third airline seat.
jamesr3939: When you purchase a seat for your grandson does the ticket come in his name? Is the ticket price the same?
On a recent trip from the U.K. on a flight I purposely booked myself and DH in separate rows with two empty seats next to each of us. When we went to check in (AA) I was asked why we were in separate rows and I explained we hoped it stayed that way so we could get a bit more rest etc. The agent promptly said "o.k. I'll block those seats then you'll have no worries". Could this be done when you purchase the extra seat i.e. have the agent block the seat so that no one else can get it?
Sandy
Interesting information about buying a third airline seat.
jamesr3939: When you purchase a seat for your grandson does the ticket come in his name? Is the ticket price the same?
On a recent trip from the U.K. on a flight I purposely booked myself and DH in separate rows with two empty seats next to each of us. When we went to check in (AA) I was asked why we were in separate rows and I explained we hoped it stayed that way so we could get a bit more rest etc. The agent promptly said "o.k. I'll block those seats then you'll have no worries". Could this be done when you purchase the extra seat i.e. have the agent block the seat so that no one else can get it?
Sandy
Mar 31st, 2008, 04:12 AM
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Sandy Brit- in response to your question about infants- the ticket has the child's name on it and it is the same price as an adult fare ticket. I heard that some airlines offer infant seating pricing that is lower, but we have never found it. I have come to believe it is an urban myth!
I would be FURIOUS if the airline ever "bumped" an extra seat that I purcahed! I admire all of you for fighting the issues- I mean it was certainly your right to do so. what a great idea though for a long flight- but not if the money is wasted.
I would be FURIOUS if the airline ever "bumped" an extra seat that I purcahed! I admire all of you for fighting the issues- I mean it was certainly your right to do so. what a great idea though for a long flight- but not if the money is wasted.
Mar 31st, 2008, 08:49 PM
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Thanks for all the information, it's very interesting.
I suppose we could add "not bumping my imaginary (paid for) seatmate" and forcing the obese to purchase an extra seat if necessary to the Passengers Bill of Rights. Shoot for the moon, eh?
I suppose we could add "not bumping my imaginary (paid for) seatmate" and forcing the obese to purchase an extra seat if necessary to the Passengers Bill of Rights. Shoot for the moon, eh?
Apr 1st, 2008, 03:37 AM
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Hi, Sorry I haven't been here for a few days and missed your post. My third ticket says Extra Seat (your last name) and is issued a seat assignment. When checking in they do look for the third person out of habit, but then read the ticket that states extra seat. The downside is that the Extra Seat is not eligible for points and those points cannot be applied to me either.
Apr 1st, 2008, 05:56 AM
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my husband and I have bought a 3rd seat on several trips now, maybe 5 or 6 times. Only one of these trips was overseas with a passport. Others were cross country. We've never had a problem yet, where they tried to give away the extra seat. I would be hopping mad if what happened to Patrick's friend happened to us. I would probably try to make a deal, where they could bump both of us, give all 3 seats away, if they put us in first class on the next available flight. I would argue, if its a flight longer than 5 hours, that my DH's health (he has circulatory issues) requires the extra legroom, and the lawsuit that would arise if they deprive us of it, and he had a DVT, would be quite dreadful for them.
I would never be uncomfortable about telling a passenger or FA that the seat is taken, although that has never happened either. (and frankly, nobody would WANT to sit in that seat.)
As others have said, our extra ticket always says "Extra Seat <our last name>". We always check it in. The first couple times the gate agents seem confused, but now they don't even bat an eye.
I would never be uncomfortable about telling a passenger or FA that the seat is taken, although that has never happened either. (and frankly, nobody would WANT to sit in that seat.)
As others have said, our extra ticket always says "Extra Seat <our last name>". We always check it in. The first couple times the gate agents seem confused, but now they don't even bat an eye.
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