# Flyer Rights when airline changes your seat assignment?



## Cathyb (Oct 22, 2009)

Just checked our reservations made 3 months ago and found American Airlines had changed one of our seats.  No plane change was involved.  Was curious what rights we have when we book early and try to request seats that work best for us.  

We requested/reserved two aisle seats opposite each other and was changed to one aisle, one middle seat and our original 'other aisle' seat has been reassigned to someone else.  Flight isn't until next June!

Experienced flyers -- why did this happen? :annoyed:


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Oct 22, 2009)

Cathyb said:


> Just checked our reservations made 3 months ago and found American Airlines had changed one of our seats.  No plane change was involved.  Was curious what rights we have when we book early and try to request seats that work best for us.
> 
> We requested/reserved two aisle seats opposite each other and was changed to one aisle, one middle seat and our original 'other aisle' seat has been reassigned to someone else.  Flight isn't until next June!
> 
> Experienced flyers -- why did this happen? :annoyed:


When you say "no plane change" do you mean no change in flight or no change in aircraft?

This usually happens when the airline changes the type of airplane that will fly the route.  With the altered seating configuration, seat assignments generally need to be reassigned.


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## Jimster (Oct 22, 2009)

*seats*

Call American and see if you can get your seats back.  These days changes like these occur often.  Their computer will go through and make a check periodically and may choose to reconfigure the seats.  This happens on all the airlines.  The truth is- all you are entitled to is a seat but the airlines are very good in letting people select their own.  You also need to check back periodically to see if anything has changed.  Being vigilent is part of flying these days.


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## Talent312 (Oct 22, 2009)

What prevents you from going online or calling AA and re-selecting seats?
BTW, seat selections are not guaranteed, only the class of seat your fare covers.


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## Cathyb (Oct 22, 2009)

Talent:  I did go and change to another row with us seated on aisles (luckily there were plenty of choices this early in the planning) -- but I wanted to know what, if any, rights we have.  From what I can tell, no change of plane type/configuration happened.  This is a daily flight AA has from LAX to Maui -- and has had for years.


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## PigsDad (Oct 22, 2009)

Cathyb said:


> but I wanted to know what, if any, rights we have.


Bottom line:  you have no guarantee of specific seats.  The Airline can move you anytime they feel like it.

Kurt


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## Talent312 (Oct 22, 2009)

Cathyb said:


> Talent:  I did go and change to another row with us seated on aisles (luckily there were plenty of choices this early in the planning) -- but I wanted to know what, if any, rights we have.  From what I can tell, no change of plane type/configuration happened.  This is a daily flight AA has from LAX to Maui -- and has had for years.



You may have been bumped by someone who had a group that was paying more for their seats.
"All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others." -- George Orwell's "Animal Farm"

I think that you do have a legitimate beef about them doing this, particularly since there was no notice to you. Imagnie how you would've felt if you didn't find out until you checked in, when the plane was full!

I'd prob'ly call and ask to speak with a supervisor or dash off a nice little e-mail. I've done that before -- once about construction at a Radisson and once about shuttle service at Universal -- and got a free night and a free day at each, respectively. But I suspect the airline will blow you off.


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## geekette (Oct 22, 2009)

I don't think there is such a thing as rights when it comes to flights.

But you could be a squeaky wheel and gain your objective.


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## Jimster (Oct 22, 2009)

*air marshal*

It could have been you were bumped by the air marshal.  As others have said, you have no right to a specific seat.  In fact, there is such a thing as IDB (Involuntarily denied boarding).  They can even sit you out even if you have a ticket if they really need to.


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## Courts (Oct 22, 2009)

Jimster said:


> Call American and see if you can get your seats back.  These days changes like these occur often.  Their computer will go through and make a check periodically and may choose to reconfigure the seats.  This happens on all the airlines.  The truth is- all you are entitled to is a seat but the airlines are very good in letting people select their own.  *You also need to check back periodically to see if anything has changed.  Being vigilent is part of flying these day*s.


This is very true. A couple years ago, United changed our change of planes airport from L.A. to Chicago when going from Philadelphia to Hawaii. When I found out I quickly called and had it changed back to L.A.

This past week we went to Las Vegas and our seats were changed almost immediately after I chose them last month. Because of past changes I checked every week until our flight to make sure our seats stayed the same.

When we got to the airport our flight was not sold out so they changed to a smaller plane leaving some without a seat at all. 

Flying these days is such a challenge.


.


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## dougp26364 (Oct 23, 2009)

About the only rights passnegers have these days are the right to buy a ticket, the right to expect to eventually leave from point A and arrive at point B, the right to expect your luggage to show up sometime in the future whether it's when you arrive or sometime later than that and the right to complain but not expect compenstation because they don't have to compensate you for your inconvenience. Of course, if you're actually bumped off a flight, then they have to provide some form of compensation. 

We routinely have flight numbers and/or equipement changed. Flight times and seats have been changed on nearly every flight for the last couple of years. At this point, all I'm assuming is that I have a flight booked and that it will leave on the day requested. We have a flight in January that's had some sort of change almost every other week. I quit looking at that flight because it's just not worth it. At least the last change has us flying from Fort Lauderdal to Memphis then home rather than Fort Lauderdale to Detroit to Memphis then home. I can't even recall the original flight times and aiports where we were to change planes let alone our original seat assignment requests.


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## Courts (Oct 23, 2009)

> At least the last change has us flying from Fort Lauderdal to Memphis then home rather than Fort Lauderdale to Detroit to Memphis then home.


I was looking at flights from Philadelphia to Myrtle Beach SC.

 The time I wanted to fly they only had a flight from Philadelphia PA to TAMPA FL THEN to Myrtle Beach SC.   

.


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## Cathyb (Oct 23, 2009)

Really!!!! Wow an air marshall, now that is scary.


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## Jimster (Oct 23, 2009)

*air marshal*

No it really isnt scary.  They are on many flights and we dont even notice them, but they do get priority on the seats they want.  Somewhere as i recall they often take seat 7 or 8 c.  I don't know if this was the one that was moved in the OP but I would consider it a possibliity.


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## JeffW (Oct 23, 2009)

Talent312 said:


> ...I'd prob'ly call and ask to speak with a supervisor or dash off a nice little e-mail. I've done that before -- once about construction at a Radisson and once about shuttle service at Universal -- and got a free night and a free day at each, respectively. But I suspect the airline will blow you off.



I'd second the email approach.  On my current flight trip to Hawaii, Continental charged the departure time of our return flight (made it earlier), which would have caused issues for us.  They said we could move to a later flight, but that would have caused us to arrive after the car rental place had closed (it was an off-airport site with limited weekend hours).  Calls to 2 different agents to move to nonstop return flight (perfect timing - left after / arrived before the original flight) were met with 'your fare class doesn't allow that flight."

I sent an email to continental.com, and they were able to move us to the n/s flight.

Jeff


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## Pat H (Oct 23, 2009)

Really doubt it was an air marshall this far in advance.


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## LisaRex (Oct 24, 2009)

In '08, I booked my tickets 331 days in advance for our party of 4 and spent a great deal of time picking the best seats, together.  From almost the day I booked my ticket to about a month prior to travel, I got continuous emails that the flight had changed.  One was a major change that threw us into a non-workable itinerary (a 20 minute layover) so I had to call and have it re-routed.  The others were minor changes to the arrival/departure time, but every time it changed, even by just a minute, we lost our seat assignments.  So I'd have to log onto Delta.com and put us back together.   

About a month prior, I stopped receiving these emails and I assumed all was okay.  It wasn't until I printed out my boarding passes that I realized that not only had we lost all of our coach class seat assignments, but we were all now scattered around the plane.  One was in 22E, the other was in 17C, etc.  

When we got to the airport, I asked them to put us back together, but they said it was impossible because the plane was full.  I have a sneaky feeling that those with status were able to throw their weight around and get whatever seat they wanted, and to hell with the rest of us.  I was finally able to get them to put my two daughters together (ages 16 and 14) and my husband and I together.  We ended up being about 5 rows away from each other -- not a huge deal because they were old enough to sit by themselves, but still annoying because I booked my ticket so far in advance and believe that first come should be first served on seating assignments. 

I've since learned that if you book your tickets separately (which I do if I'm pulling miles from two separate accounts for award tickets), your chances of being split up are greater than if you are all traveling on the same itinerary. So I now call the airline and have them add a note that itineraries x, y, and z are traveling together.  I've already booked my June 2010 tickets and will let you know if it helps.


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## Talent312 (Oct 24, 2009)

LisaRex said:


> ... I now call the airline and have them add a note that itineraries x, y, and z are traveling together.  I've already booked my June 2010 tickets and will let you know if it helps.



Don't hold your breath! 
BTW, I suspect that your kids appreciated not having to sit with mom+dad.


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## grest (Oct 24, 2009)

When we booked early several years ago and selected seats based on my husband's troubled hip, our seats were reassigned eleven times!  We didn't know about the last reassignment until we were at the airport, and were both assigned middle seats in different parts of the plane.  I explained to the agent that this was the eleventh change, and I would sit anywhere, but my husband needed an aisle seat because of hip issues.  The agent looked up our reservation, and saw that we had been switched many times...I don't know what I did right, but we ended up sitting together in first class.
Having said that, it's so common to have seats changed now...if I'm traveling with kids, I call ahead.  Otherwise, I personally just take what they give me.  Several times I've switched with someone who needed to sit with loved ones.
Connie


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## BevL (Oct 24, 2009)

grest said:


> When we booked early several years ago and selected seats based on my husband's troubled hip, our seats were reassigned eleven times!  We didn't know about the last reassignment until we were at the airport, and were both assigned middle seats in different parts of the plane.  I explained to the agent that this was the eleventh change, and I would sit anywhere, but my husband needed an aisle seat because of hip issues.  The agent looked up our reservation, and saw that we had been switched many times...I don't know what I did right, but we ended up sitting together in first class.
> Having said that, it's so common to have seats changed now...if I'm traveling with kids, I call ahead.  Otherwise, I personally just take what they give me.  Several times I've switched with someone who needed to sit with loved ones.
> Connie



We've had that experience - I won't fly on a flight where Greg can't have an aisle seat so his back doesn't hurt for three days when we get to where we're going.  We've usually ended up together in the exit row.  Not first class but a bit more leg room, which isn't a huge deal for me, but great for hubby.

It pays to be extremely polite and friendly when you check in, I think.


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## NWL (Oct 24, 2009)

Cathyb said:


> Just checked our reservations made 3 months ago and found American Airlines had changed one of our seats.  No plane change was involved.  Was curious what rights we have when we book early and try to request seats that work best for us.
> 
> We requested/reserved two aisle seats opposite each other and was changed to one aisle, one middle seat and our original 'other aisle' seat has been reassigned to someone else.  Flight isn't until next June!
> 
> Experienced flyers -- why did this happen? :annoyed:



Another possibility is an American Airlines Frequent Flyer wanted that one aisle seat, and, since they have priority, they were allowed to choose that seat and bump you to another seat.

Cheers!


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## lynne (Oct 24, 2009)

NWL said:


> Another possibility is an American Airlines Frequent Flyer wanted that one aisle seat, and, since they have priority, they were allowed to choose that seat and bump you to another seat.
> 
> Cheers!



That is very unlikely.  We are elite with American Airlines and have the ability to book seats that are blocked for non-elite members, however, we do not have the ability to take a seat that is already occupied.  If the airline changes the flight times (even by a minute or so), you could loose your seat as their computer reassigns the seats.  

The best defense in keeping your preferred seats is to check your reservations online frequently and be really quick to re-assign your desired seats.


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## Talent312 (Oct 24, 2009)

NWL said:


> Another possibility is an American Airlines Frequent Flyer wanted that one aisle seat, and, since they have priority, they were allowed to choose that seat and bump you to another seat.



Do you mean a _paying_-FF? Perhaps, but I still think it more likely that a _refuundable_-fare customer took it.  But those in the camp that says any minor change can cause the computer to dump seat selections may have a point.

BTW, no matter what your seat assignment, if you want to try to do better, check with those beneficent gods known as "gate agents." I was able to _improve_ my seats this way on a few occasions.


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## Jimster (Oct 24, 2009)

*seat*

As I read Pat's post and realized how far out we are talking, I agree it was probably not for the air marshal- if it had been closer then maybe.  The airlines do periodic sweeps.  If something happens in those sweeps the seat assignments will change.  Obviously, a change in aircraft will cause a seat change.  If you are not all on the same PNR, chances of a seat change are great.  If someone changes status, that can cause a seat change although I would be surprised if it caused a bump from a previously assigned seat. For example, let's say i am a 1p when i book a seat with United, so i choose an exit row.  If they do a sweep and I am no longer 1p, then the computer will have to put me somewhere else.  The point is you have to be diligent in maintaining your seat assignments.   When I was flying business class to asia on a 747, I would check every day because I wanted to keep my upper deck exit row seat.  When i was moved, I immediately called each time.  That is the best way to stay on top of it- but even then- no guarantees.


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## NWL (Oct 25, 2009)

Talent312 said:


> Do you mean a _paying_-FF? .




Yes, that is what I meant.  It was just a thought.   

Cheers!


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