Covid-19 has crushed the entire travel industry, particularly the airlines. In addition to the layoffs and schedule changes. airlines are taking this time to completely revamp their fleet. Many of the older, less fuel efficient models are being retired early, plane orders are being changed or cancelled with manufacturers, and they are shuffling their aircraft to hubs based upon customer demand. It is this shuffling that can pose a problem for passengers.
Typically, during the booking process, or immediately following, is the seat assignment. If you are anything like me the airplane seat is really important. I strongly prefer an isle seat–some like the window, and no one wants the middle. I go out of my way to choose a seat early to make sure I am in an isle seat in a position of the plane where I’m most comfortable.
When you choose your seat it is based upon the aircraft scheduled to fly at that moment. It is not uncommon for an airline to change the aircraft at some for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, this is far more common, for the foreseeable future, as airlines adapt to passenger demand.
What does this mean for you? If the aircraft changes after you select your seat you may, or may not, get an email notification of your ‘seat change’–depending on the airline. It is at the time of check-in that you will realize you have a new seat or will have to choose one that is left. Not cool.
The good news is that you can reduce the chances of becoming a victim of airline musical chairs, but you have to be a little proactive. Whether you use the airline app on your smartphone or use their webpage, make sure that you periodically check your reservation and seat assignment. This is particularly important and more likely to occur as the date approaches. The sooner you find out about a change, the sooner you can select a new seat before the good ones are taken.
Like I mentioned earlier, you may get an email notification prompting you to check, but not always. Don’t get caught off guard during the check-in process. Spending a few hours in an undesirable seat can make the flight absolutely miserable.
Has this happened to anyone?
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