Choice Air

[Alamogirl]

Never Again!! We used RCCL's Choice Air for our Spring Break cruise out of Fort Lauderdale. After watching airfares for weeks and weeks decided to try them, they offered a much cheaper flight for the 4 of us.

 

Now this was not a last minute booking, I booked months in advance. Everything paid up front. Checked our seats weeks ahead and everything was good. The night before went to check in a seats were changed. We were not seated together. This cruise was a present to our teenage nephews and their first cruise. I called and was told our account would be flagged and the seats would be changed at the airport...wrong!! Each leg 3 of us were at the very back of the plane, different sides and rows. I blamed the airline but was told when you do not book direct with the airline your seat selections are not guaranteed. This happened going and coming each leg of the trip.

[6rugrats]

I blamed the airline but was told when you do not book direct with the airline your seat selections are not guaranteed.

That's nonsense. Your seat selections are NEVER guaranteed, no matter with whom you book.

 

Many things can cause the seat assignments to change. That's why I check my itineraries on a regular basis. Choice Air has nothing to do with it (not that I would use it).

[CruiserBruce]

Thanks for your post. There are some here who scream that the only important consideration for air fares is cost, and thus cruise airfares always is the best deal. Appreciate you illustrating other important considerations.

[Zach1213]

That's nonsense. Your seat selections are NEVER guaranteed, no matter with whom you book.

 

Many things can cause the seat assignments to change. That's why I check my itineraries on a regular basis. Choice Air has nothing to do with it (not that I would use it).

This is absolutely the case. It doesn't matter who you are, what class you are in, when you book...never guaranteed. For example - I am OneWorld Emerald frequent flier (highest tier in the OneWorld Alliance), and back in November I was flying Los Angeles to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific (a OneWorld airline). The day before, I went to check in and my pre-selected business class seat had been changed to one I didn't like as much. I was lucky to be able to get it back when I checked in at LAX Airport...very lucky.

 

If that can happen to a top tier frequent flier in business class, it can certainly happen to a low yielding, non-frequent flier in coach. Nothing is guaranteed with seats.

[turtlemichael]

This is absolutely the case. It doesn't matter who you are, what class you are in, when you book...never guaranteed. For example - I am OneWorld Emerald frequent flier (highest tier in the OneWorld Alliance), and back in November I was flying Los Angeles to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific (a OneWorld airline). The day before, I went to check in and my pre-selected business class seat had been changed to one I didn't like as much. I was lucky to be able to get it back when I checked in at LAX Airport...very lucky.

 

If that can happen to a top tier frequent flier in business class, it can certainly happen to a low yielding, non-frequent flier in coach. Nothing is guaranteed with seats.

 

As a fellow Emerald I never complain about Cathay moving me. It's usually an upgrade :)

[ghulett]

Never Again!! We used RCCL's Choice Air for our Spring Break cruise out of Fort Lauderdale. After watching airfares for weeks and weeks decided to try them, they offered a much cheaper flight for the 4 of us.

 

Now this was not a last minute booking, I booked months in advance. Everything paid up front. Checked our seats weeks ahead and everything was good. The night before went to check in a seats were changed. We were not seated together. This cruise was a present to our teenage nephews and their first cruise. I called and was told our account would be flagged and the seats would be changed at the airport...wrong!! Each leg 3 of us were at the very back of the plane, different sides and rows. I blamed the airline but was told when you do not book direct with the airline your seat selections are not guaranteed. This happened going and coming each leg of the trip.

I really don't think it was a Choice Air issue. Happens all the time when there is an aircraft swap (different seat configuration) or a flight is cancelled and people are moved to different flights. Also, back in the day, when my kids were tiny, I booked a flight to Florida over the phone directly with an airline. Thought I had confirmed seat assignments only to be told at the airport "Your seats were requested but not confirmed". How was I to know the agent didn't actually wait for confirmation? At the airport, they had to shuffle a few folks around to make sure there were seats together for myself and one small child and another pair of seats together for my husband and toddler.

[critterchick]

We've had a couple of involuntary seat changes - it happens. I doubt that booking with Choice Air was the cause.

[Zach1213]

As a fellow Emerald I never complain about Cathay moving me. It's usually an upgrade :)

Lucky you! For me, they moved me from a "good" seat to a "meh...not so great" seat. I mean, any seat in biz on CX is great...but some are better than others.

 

I've yet to be upgraded to F on CX...all my trips to China and nothing.

[FlyerTalker]

Nothing is guaranteed with seats.

I believe there are two things....you must have a working seatbelt and the seat will definitely be on the inside of the aircraft (barring decompression). :D

[waterbug123]

Thought I had confirmed seat assignments only to be told at the airport "Your seats were requested but not confirmed". How was I to know the agent didn't actually wait for confirmation?

 

You misunderstood. It likely wasn't a matter of the agent "not waiting for a confirmation." Even when a seat is "booked," it's technically considered only a seat "request," pretty much up until the time you board the aircraft.

[waterbug123]

We used RCCL's Choice Air..... they offered a much cheaper flight for the 4 of us.

 

The night before went to check in a seats were changed. We were not seated together.......Each leg 3 of us were at the very back of the plane, different sides and rows.

 

As others have said, seat assignments can always be changed, regardless of how or through whom the ticket was purchased. That said, if your choice air tickets were bottom of the barrel consolidator tickets (very possible if they were significantly cheaper than other sources) it's very possible that if an agent had to accommodate another party (i.e. an elite level frequent flyer, for example) you would be among the most likely candidates to be booted our of your requested seats. Not saying that is what happened, but it is definitely a possibility. In large part, you get what you pay for. Caveat emptor.

[silkismom]

In my experience, I always sign in to which ever airline and pick my own seats (hmm that doesn't sound right) and keep checking on them until we leave.

[Zach1213]

You misunderstood. It likely wasn't a matter of the agent "not waiting for a confirmation." Even when a seat is "booked," it's technically considered only a seat "request," pretty much up until the time you board the aircraft.

 

Very true as well. About 3 or 4 weeks ago, I was flying Delhi to London on BA. I requested my seat online, and at check-in they asked if I wouldn't mind changing to a different seat. Since it was basically the same, just on the other side of the aircraft, I agreed. When I got to the gate and went through the final boarding pass inspection, they said "your seat has been changed." It was the seat I originally had - they gave it back to me.

[ghulett]

You misunderstood...

I didn't realize you were there listening over my shoulder. Glad you could explain what she said to me.

[critterchick]

Well, this thread reminded me to check our upcoming flights, which were booked directly with AA. They changed the aircraft from a 757 to a 767 and reassigned our seats, without bothering to notify us (I guess that's not part of their email notification system).

 

However, unlike UA, which simply dumped us into window/middle seats after their aircraft change (from 2-5-2 to 3-4-3 configuration), AA actually managed to give us the exit row seats, which we had booked on the 757. Not quite as much legroom on the 767, but we're grateful for the inches...