Flight Seat Assignments--Any Tips?

[Mysteryreader]

When my dh went to pay the balance on our first cruise (NB Alaska, Summit, 8/13), I sent along a bunch of questions including some on our flight reservations. (We're getting air through X.) One was in regard to seat assignments. The TA indicated that we couldn't get seat assignments until mid-July, and yes, we could do cross-continent in middle seats rows away from each other.

Do any of you experienced cruisers/flyers have suggestions on how to get good seat assignments when we're not making our own air arrangements? It's not that I care about a middle seat b/c that's where I usually end up--dh will have aisle or window--but I'd prefer to sit next to him than next to two strangers.

M/R

[Carol/Houston]

Mysteryreader,
We booked our air with X also. The TA asked what our seating preference would be aisle, window, middle. We were given our flight number and seat assignments that same day. We booked in Feb. for our July 16, 2004 cruise. I would call the TA again and ask why seat assignment would take so long.
Good Luck!
Carol

[MSBYRDY]

Do you have your flight numbers? If so, just call the airline yourself and get those seats. I've done that. First tho, I would want to know why the TA couldn't get them for you.
Marilyn

[TWOFERTWO]

[img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]I agree with MSBYRDY. Once the cruise line has added your names to the airline manifest, you can call the airline(s) direct.

You have the same rights as the other passengers, regardless of who paid for the flight, and at what price. Your TA should know this and do the booking for you, but??? Just do it yourself. You may have to call several times, if they seats you would like do not show up on the seating charts at the time. [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]


SAILING TRANSATLANTIC ABOARD THE CONSTELLATION
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=006400&cdt=2004;09;07;17;00;00&timezone=GMT+0000[/img]

[sasset]

It may depend on the airline. Some, Northwest is one, won't assign seats more than 90 days before flight. I ran into this last year when my daughter went to Paris for her fall semester of college. She flew (Northwest) out on August 25 with a December 22 return. Northwest assigned her outbound seats, but not the return seats, I had to call or log in within 90 days of the return flight to get those seats assigned.

Regards

[Guest]

Another thing that we have done is requested Emergency Row or Bulkhead seats because our son is 6'6" tall. They have much more leg room and we find it advantageous. We recently did flights to London and had those seats and they were great.

Don

[alpal1993]

We got our seat assignments after we got our Docs 2 weeks ago,both comimng and going.Leaving June 20for land/cruise Alaska on Summit.Only 11 more days to go.We asked for and received window seats on all 4 flights through our TA with no problem.

[Mysteryreader]

Based on these answers, I have another question. Our TA says she won't know our flights until she gets our docs 30 days prior to our cruise. How did you learn your flights? Is there some method she doesn't know/won't tell us?

BTW, the TA we originally booked through has retired (which I only learned coincidentally)and that's why we're dealing with this TA. I'm really not comfortable with her for a couple of reasons--e.g., it's a good thing I remembered the date we had to pay our balance b/c we never heard from her--so I think I'm going to have to be assiduous in watching over things. Unfortunately, this is our first cruise so there are a lot of things that might escape me b/c I've never done this before.

M/R

[alpal1993]

Because we booked Celebrity Custom Air we didn't find out our flights till a few day before our Docs arrived.And after that is when we called back and received our seat assignments We asked for window seats and received them.

[nealberk]

Also, don't take the rows right in front of the emergency rows. The seats in those rows do not recline.

[MSBYRDY]

We used custom air and I had the flights and the seats all in 5 min. while the TA put me on hold as he spoke to Celebrity. Sounds to me like someone just doesn't want to bother. I'd be calling and getting some answers.
Marilyn

[Pammie]

When we booked our air through Celebrity our Travel Agent always made sure that they also did
our seat assignments. This way we got the seats we prefered then what the airline wanted to give.

Joe & Pammie