Mele20
Premium
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI
1 edit | reply to grobinette
Re: [Rant] Airlines charging for seat selection
said by grobinette  :They didn't give up their seats willingly. The people at the check in just rearranged the seating and gave us the exit aisle seats without asking them. And what airline is this? I don't ever want to fly on them. They sound horrible. What did they tell the couple who had reserved those seats? That airline needs to be sued for what they did. You reserve a seat you should get that seat no if ands or buts. The only exception would be since those were exit row seats if the couple who had reserved them would be unable to perform their duties in an emergency.
I would be furious if Hawaiian Air pulled crap like that on me. I'd be suing them. I have checked in via the web and have my boarding pass printed out with my seat number on it and some idiot (whom you must have passed a lot of $ to as a bribe) changes my seat...nah...no way that is legal. The seat printed on my boarding pass is my seat and cannot be willy nilly changed because of a bribe given to some crooked employee.
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When governments fear people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. Thomas Jefferson |
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grobinette
Premium,Mod
join:2001-01-27
Springfield, VA
clubs:
 ·Verizon FIOS
Host:
Home Repair & Impr..
Millenicom
| LOL, it was American airlines and I certainly did not pass them any kind of bribe to change them. If I was willing to pay more I would have asked about an upgrade to first class.
When we checked in we asked. They just took our boarding passes, tore them up and issued new ones with different seats. It is possible that if you didn't pick your seats and took whatever random seats the computer threw out at you they are free to do that.
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Team Discovery |
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dave
Premium,MVM
join:2000-05-04
not in ohio
 ·Verizon Online DSL
·Verizon FIOS
| reply to grobinette
said by grobinette :You can also ask at the gate how much it will be to upgrade to first class. Transatlantic?
The amount is $more-than-I-want-to-pay.
(Though I did consider the oxymoronic 'premium economy' option...) |
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Mele20
Premium
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI
| reply to grobinette
American....that is the airline I fly when I go to the Mainland. I didn't really think you bribed them, but I bet if you take what is assigned then they feel free to change it as you suggested. That makes sense but American, last I flew them, was not requiring you to decide on a seat. Hawaiian will not let you purchase a ticket online until you choose your seat both ways. You are free later to login to your account and change the seat if you wish. This is much better than during the over 30 years of travel I have done here where seats were a free for all ...none ever reserved and everyone pushing and shoving to be among the first on board to get the "best" seats. Now, seating is orderly, by row, and I think is one reason Hawaiian has the best on time record of all airlines, whereas, they used to have a terrible on time record.
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When governments fear people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. Thomas Jefferson |
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cmaenginsb
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-19
Palmdale, CA
1 edit | said by Mele20 :American....that is the airline I fly when I go to the Mainland. I didn't really think you bribed them, but I bet if you take what is assigned then they feel free to change it as you suggested. That makes sense but American, last I flew them, was not requiring you to decide on a seat. Hawaiian will not let you purchase a ticket online until you choose your seat both ways. You are free later to login to your account and change the seat if you wish. This is much better than during the over 30 years of travel I have done here where seats were a free for all ...none ever reserved and everyone pushing and shoving to be among the first on board to get the "best" seats. Now, seating is orderly, by row, and I think is one reason Hawaiian has the best on time record of all airlines, whereas, they used to have a terrible on time record. It's really amazing how a bit of courtesy can get you better seats. On most national carriers like American the exit row seats are only able to be booked by either "premier" members of the airlines milage clubs or by paying an additional fee, as a result those seats generally aren't taken by check in time and can be filled by by the gate agents as they wish. If I'm unhappy with a seat assignment I usually approach a gate agent early on when they aren't busy and can generally get a better seat.
You're right American, like most carriers, does not require you to decide on a seat when booking your flight. If you do not choose a seat however one is randomly chosen for you so it's to your benefit to choose something if you can.
The only people without a seat assignment prior to the day of the flight are those unlucky few who are a part of the airline's statistics. You see the airlines keep excellent records and will allow flights to be overbooked by the percentage of no shows that flight usually receives. This is why occasionally the airline will tell you a certain flight is oversold, it's cheaper to reward a few on those flights then have more planes fly empty.
Regardless with the exception of Southwest you're not going to get on an airplane without a seat assignment in the US anymore.
You are right that Hawaiian has an excellent on time record but it's really not fair comparing it to airlines that have many flights having to go through places like JFK, O hare and LAX where due to weather there can be delays of hours or more.
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CCNA, Comtrain Certified Tower Climber |
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jwersan
R.I.P. Mom, Brian, Ziggy, and Max.
Premium
join:2004-12-20
Port Jefferson Station, NY
clubs:
 ·Optimum Online
| reply to Mele20
Exit row seats are RARELY assigned before a flight, they are day of flight seats, so I highly doubt anyone was bumped.
They have to be sure that the people sitting in them are capable of doing the "duties" they want them to do...
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RIAA/MPAA... Bite me!!!!
In constant search for intelligent life on Earth! |
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jwersan
R.I.P. Mom, Brian, Ziggy, and Max.
Premium
join:2004-12-20
Port Jefferson Station, NY
clubs:
·Optimum Online
| reply to dave
All these airline "fees" are the reason I don't fly any airline EXCEPT Southwest, and I now look at driving or the train.
Yes...
I said the TRAIN!!
If time is NOT an issue, the ride on a train is SUPERIOR to any flight except in first class...
NO SECURITY CHECK INS!!!
You can arrive at the station five minutes before boarding!!!
Power outlets at all the seats, you can get up and WALK AROUND, you can use the bathroom whenever you need to, they serve food, and drinks, the seats are far enough apart that a NORMAL size human can actually fit in them!
Fast they are NOT, but that right now is the only drawback...
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RIAA/MPAA... Bite me!!!!
In constant search for intelligent life on Earth! |
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Kearnstd
Elf Wizard
Premium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ
| for now they are not fast, if the US would build non grade tracks we to could have trains cruising at near 200mph. maglev could likely close on 350-400mph. then they would get slowed down the first time an idiot kid climbed the clearly marked fence and got bug splattered on a super high speed train.
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[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports |
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jwersan
R.I.P. Mom, Brian, Ziggy, and Max.
Premium
join:2004-12-20
Port Jefferson Station, NY
clubs:
·Optimum Online
| reply to dave
IMHO, the airlines are going to "fee" themselves right out of business! 
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RIAA/MPAA... Bite me!!!!
In constant search for intelligent life on Earth! |
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cmaenginsb
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-19
Palmdale, CA
| reply to jwersan
said by jwersan :All these airline "fees" are the reason I don't fly any airline EXCEPT Southwest, and I now look at driving or the train. Yes... I said the TRAIN!! If time is NOT an issue, the ride on a train is SUPERIOR to any flight except in first class... NO SECURITY CHECK INS!!! You can arrive at the station five minutes before boarding!!! Power outlets at all the seats, you can get up and WALK AROUND, you can use the bathroom whenever you need to, they serve food, and drinks, the seats are far enough apart that a NORMAL size human can actually fit in them! Fast they are NOT, but that right now is the only drawback... Virgin America has outlets at the seats. Even to go 350 miles is faster to fly or drive then take the train. Let's see 1 hour in a semi uncomfortable seat or 6-7 hours on a "comfortable" seat. That assumes they don't hit a truck at a crossing which happens about once a week going from LA to SF.
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CCNA, Comtrain Certified Tower Climber |
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cmaenginsb
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-19
Palmdale, CA
| reply to jwersan
While this might change, when you add the fees plus the lower fares the cost to fly right now is the same as before fees.
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CCNA, Comtrain Certified Tower Climber |
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capecoddah
join:2005-03-18
Yarmouth Port, MA | reply to dave
British Airways used to be the "Civilized way to fly"...
Still are if you have mega-$$$ |
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