By now we’ve all read or even experienced the travel-related disruptions happening this summer. Now more than ever it’s important to frequently check in with the airline to monitor your flights. Not only are flights cancelled and delayed, but there are other travel-related changes that can affect your travels – aircraft changes. And they can affect your travel selections – like your seat assignment!
Several months ago, we purchased seats on a long-haul flight to Europe. We compared flight departure and arrival times, connections, seat availability and aircraft types before choosing our flights – and ultimately, our seats. (To make more informed seat selections yourself, check out Seat Guru)
While it’s not unusual for the departure and/or connection times to shift slightly prior to the departure date, recently aircraft changes have become more and more common. Flight crew availability and seats sold are driving route consolidations and aircraft changes. In our case, the aircraft type changed from a Boeing 767 to a 737. Fortunately, our seat assignments in row one transferred to the new aircraft; however, our daughter’s seats had a less favorable move – changing from seats in an aisle/middle row to a middle plane section. On a recent flight with aircraft changes, our seat assignments changed, and we weren’t reseated together.
What are your seat change options?
Always monitor your flights regularly. Review flight departure times and aircraft assignments. If your aircraft changes and if affects your seat assignments act quickly to reassign seats, if necessary. Seat options will be limited or even unavailable if you wait to make changes closer to your departure date. Using the airline’s app or website will save you time instead of trying to reach congested airline customer service lines. In some cases, seat reselections are available. However, if you wait, or the flight is already mostly full, moving seats can be an issue.
Why Airline Status can Help Restore Your Seat Preferences
It’s in these instances that your loyalty program status can really help. (For more information on building your loyalty status be sure to follow The Points Guy.) My husband is a United MileagePlus Premier Platinum member so with a call to their dedicated customer service line they are often able to rearrange single seat assignments to provide better seating options together. Also, make sure your airline profile reflects your seat selection in general (i.e., aisle, window or middle). If changes need to be made, your profile will let the airline your re-seating preferences.
Finally, there has been a great deal of press lately about families being separated on flights. This happened to us on a flight we were taking with our grandchildren – ages 6 and 7. The airlines cancelled our original flight for an equipment failure. Fortunately, we were able to rebook seats on a flight the following day. The problem was there were only four single seats on that flight. Obviously, they were too young to sit alone on any flight. In this case, neither of the above options to move our seating was successful. So, we had to wait until the day of departure and work with a gate agent to rearrange our seating. Thankfully, the kids were able to be reseated on a row with one of us!
Airline disruptions don’t have to spoil your travel plans. Be an informed traveler. Download the airline’s mobile app. Knowing how to rebook or reseat using the app can save valuable time – and get ahead of others on hold with customer services representatives trying to do the same. Finally, remember to frequently check your itinerary. Being an informed traveler can often avoid potential departure-day surprises.