Seat assignments - how soon before trip can I make?
 

Travelling from ABE to SFO through DTW on 4/17/05. ABE is a smallish airport, the plane we'll be on looks to be a 100-seater (although there's conflicting info; it might be an approx. 50 seater).

Anyway...I booked the tickets and just realized that it says on the itin that economy seats were not located or something along those lines.

My question: Since I don't have a seating assignment as yet, should I be concerned? I'm so used to booking flights for my boss at the last minute and him getting immediate seating that it hadn't dawned on me until now that this might be a problem.

So...is a seating assignment something for me to do online or at the airport kiosk? I'm assuming at this point that it's just too early to do that, or that maybe because we'll be on a smaller plane that it's not allowing us until the day before or whatever (it's a Northwest flight, BTW).

Thanks for your help! :-)

There's no reason you can't make seat assignments for April unless the airline has already reached the "maximum" for seat assigments on that particular flight. (Not all seats are eligible and, in fact, about half are reserved for airport check-in).

Have you tried calling your airline? Just give them your confirmation number and they should be able to provide you with your choice of seats.

I suggest call your airlines ASAP to ask this question.

If you do not have a seat assignment with the ticket, you may have to wait until airport check-in to get one assigned. This is only a problem because often the window and aisle seats may already be taken if this is important to you.

Sometimes you can get yourself a seat online within 48 hours of flight (or like that). Possibly on a small plane they do not assign at all, and just do a free boarding. Only the airline can answer your question for sure.

I always make seat assignments at the same time I buy the tickets. There's really no reason to wait - and that's your best chance of getting the seat you want. Why wait at all?