Please help.

[attitudeda]

We purchased tickets with United Airline back in October for our cruise to Alaska at the end of this month. The flight was booked with United but is operated by Air Canada. I’ve called United several time regarding seat assignment for the 3 of us. United puts the request in but gets no response back from Air Canada. I’ve even call Air Canada and was told the request has to come from United. We are flying from JFK to Vancouver the day before and our flight to depart JFK at 7:45 am and arrive in Vancouver at 10:51am. I’ve been told we could get out seat assignment at check in at the airport. My question is even though we have tickets for this flight is it possible for us to get bumped or placed on standby.

[LHT28]

Can you book your seat assignment online at UA?

I would check this out I know with AC and BA flights you can.

 

If you booked your air through the cruiseline you may already have seats assigned.

[DEL67]

Being bumped is always a possibility so I'd get there early if you do not have reserved seats.

[attitudeda]

No I am unable to reserve seats online. We book the air part of the trip ourselfs.

 

Was planning on arriving at JFK by 5:30 am fora 7:45 flight.

[LHT28]

No I am unable to reserve seats online. We book the air part of the trip ourselfs.

 

Was planning on arriving at JFK by 5:30 am fora 7:45 flight.

 

I checked the website for UA and you can check in online up to 24 hrs prior to departure and request seats at the same time, print your boarding passes as well

http://www.united.com/ go to "easy check-in" with your confirmation number.

[attitudeda]

I checked the website for UA and you can check in online up to 24 hrs prior to departure and request seats at the same time, print your boarding passes as well

http://www.united.com/ go to "easy check-in" with your confirmation number.

I just tried and I have to wait until 1 -24 hour prior to departure. One question the flight was bookedby United and operated by Air Canada. If I check in at the gate do I go to United or Air Canada. The girl on the phone said I go to Air Canada's terminal. I'm not able to use easy check insince we are flying into Canada. This is a non stop flight from Jfk to Vancouver.

[DanJ]

I'm not sure how advance seat selection works for AC code share flights, but you can't advance seat select on AC cheap fares without paying an additional fee. But as I'm sure is hte case with most airlines, even if you have advance seat assignments, you could get bumped from an oversold flight if you are the last to checkin.

 

Should you get bumped, it won't be a huge deal, since Air Canada (and United) have lots of flights from New York to Toronto and Montreal, and many from those 2 cities to Vancouver each day.

[Guest nhrich]

I just tried and I have to wait until 1 -24 hour prior to departure. One question the flight was bookedby United and operated by Air Canada. If I check in at the gate do I go to United or Air Canada. The girl on the phone said I go to Air Canada's terminal. I'm not able to use easy check insince we are flying into Canada. This is a non stop flight from Jfk to Vancouver.

She is correct. It's always based on who the flight is operated by.

 

Rich, ACC

Carefree Vacations

[DanJ]

After having a look at Air Canada's timetable, it appears this Vancouver flight is the only flight AC operates out of JFK. The rest of it's New York operation is from LGA and EWR. I can't say for sure, but I would guess the check-in is with United, since I can't imagine AC having a staff at JFK to deal with one flight a day.

[Globaliser]

I just tried and I have to wait until 1 -24 hour prior to departure. One question the flight was bookedby United and operated by Air Canada. If I check in at the gate do I go to United or Air Canada. The girl on the phone said I go to Air Canada's terminal. I'm not able to use easy check insince we are flying into Canada. This is a non stop flight from Jfk to Vancouver.

I'm afraid you've got a typical phone agent's duff answer.

 

It's technically correct, as nhrich says - you always go to the terminal of the operating carrier, not the marketing carrier. That's why you were told to go to the terminal for Air Canada rather than for United Airlines.

 

But it's also totally unhelpful. As it happens, Air Canada and United Airlines operate from the same terminal. It's actually British Airways' terminal (Terminal 7) - and that's really all you need to know.

 

And if you were to need any confirmation, Air Canada's website says:-

New York John F. Kennedy, NY Terminal 7 - UA counter

[attitudeda]

Thanks everyone for your help.

[joelmarj]

We are booked on the same flight for that Saturday 8/27, however I booked directly with Air Canada. I was able to book my seats at the time I booked the flight. Since I booked directly with Air Canada, I wouldn't have any reason to go to a United Gate. It is an Air Canada Flight and that is where you would go. (Even though as someone pointed out, they are both in the British Airways Terminal).

 

I would just wait until the day before and go online to print your boarding passes. That's when you can pick your seats. Once you do that, then you should be all set. If not, you can get to the gate at least 2 hours before and you should also be fine. I'd go the online check-route first.

(Oh, FYI - they also used to close out the seating assignments about 30 days out from a flight so that may also be why it can't be assigned. Usually airlines stop allowing you to select seats and they release them to the airports or now the on-line sites 24 hours before.)

[DanJ]

As Globaliser posted above, Air Canada JFK flights use United's counter. This is the one and only flight Air Canada operates out of JFK, so they wouldn't have a counter there.