ChrisPBacon

If all that's left are middle and aisle, I guess it's fine? But it's definitely their policy that you can't book a middle and aisle on a set of three, if the window seat isn't already taken.

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Yes, they do as far as I know? I get the feeling that the money they would deduct (by not using their flight) is much less than your own flight would cost? Might be a false economy ultimately? But if money isn't an issue, then yes, you could go with Virgin, or similar who do have business class flights.

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And from my calls to P&O, they charter the plane and it's P&O who decide what to charge to pick your seats.

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This is my issue really. If I'm paying for seats, I should be able to choose any. Those who don't pay, take pot luck and if they're split up......tough!

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Ha ha.....I meant to say 'those people at the very top of the loyalty tree' [emoji3]

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Perhaps the seats are greyed out for children or disabled people.

 

 

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Those stupid the very top of the loyalty tree, have seats held for them. I have no issues with that.

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If there are more than three centre seats, you can book any you like. But they won't let you book an aisle and centre. I know this because I always book on the first morning they are released, and on a Med cruise in September, customer services had to book to book an aisle and middle, after I made my case to them.

These most recent seats, I went on minutes after they were released. ALL the window seats were gone. There were two seats on a centre three, and at the back of Premium Economy, three rows of three centre seats. It wouldn't allow me to book ANY combination on those three rows. All it would let me do is to take those two seats on the bank of three.

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You've lost me Chris ! We are flying from Glasgow with Thomson on a Dreamliner whose seating layout is 3-3-3. I have booked two seats in a row of three, row 20 seats d and e, those were the seats I selected and the booking was accepted.

Was the other seat already taken? Were they window and middle? In the last 3-4 cruises on P&O, I've never been able to book two seats (I stress here....middle and aisle seats) in an empty row of three. You can book window and middle, but not middle and aisle. Their reasoning is that this would leave a single window seat that nobody wants. But isn't that why we pay for seats, so we get what we want, and those who don't, should be taking the scraps.

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I'm afraid when you pay you DON'T get what you want. You can't book two seats in a row of three. You can't book those that are greyed out and actually, there are some blue 'selectable' seats that you can't book. I paid £20 each and had to select the only two seats it would allow.

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Matters to us because the wife is a nervous flyer. The cruise line and airlines too, don't care. They pile on the pressure and tell you they can't promise anything. Yet after pressure last September, they gave me two seats, aisle and middle, when the online booking system wouldn't allow it. They won't let you book those because it leaves an empty seat at the window. But hang on.....on a full plane, that odd seat will be taken by someone who doesn't want to pay. So the suckers that pay don't get a real choice at all.

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Like it Zap. [emoji1]

An update after I contacted them on Twitter. They said it was 'company-wide policy' to charge for the seats. So nothing to do with the airline. And obviously, there was nothing they can do. So £300 for premium seats and due to the policy of not allowing you to book two seats on a row of three, I had no choice of seats.

So as always with P&O, 'customer service was there none'. I've told them that their cruises are good, but so are everybody else's....and that people will therefore choose based on customer service.

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No probs with paying extra for exit seats. There are very few, and people want them. But I e pact most people do end up sitting together, but airlines almost scare people into doing it, because they will tell you they can't guarantee you will sit together unless you pay extra.

In this case, pando charter the plane and can do as they please. It's theirs to administer however they like and you select your seats via the cruise personaliser, not Thomsons. There is a scenario that might be true though. Pando may charter the plane, but get a discount for allowing Thomsons to sell the seats? Either way, pando benefit from the sale of the seats.

I know it's standard practice. I don't like it, but there's nothing anyone can do to stop it. But I still think they have a cheek, asking for another £20 each when you have already paid £300 for the upgrade.

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I can understand a token cost to cover administration. The system of allocating them at the airport caused many problems with those who arrived late and couldn't get their seat of choice, made even worse when they found out that they would be returning with the same seat allocation. Many whinged and complained for the whole cruise because of this However what is happening now is rampant profiteering, which despite a dramatic drop in airline fuel cost, seat reservation 'fees' rose 23% for this Caribbean season, disgusting

 

Cb

Spot on CB. I know they have to try and compete and maybe they are using these add-ones to sub the cruise discounts, but it's just a bandwagon and they are jumping right up on top!

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Well there aren't that many seats in premium economy, so no real preference. Just amazed they have the brass neck to charge extra when you've paid do much for the seat already.

But I'm not going to pay it.

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They all do it, but I didn't expect to have to pay extra, when I've already paid an extra £300 for a little more legroom and a couple of beers! The other thing is that my seats haven't been allocated yet. So I have no idea where I'll be sat......and that's part of the scam. If they allocated our seats and they're together, then I wouldn't pay to choose them. But by not allocating, it puts doubt in your mind and you end up paying.

You also have to remember that airline industry practice has no bearing on this. This us a charter flight, and P&O can do as they please.

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This has always been a bugbear of mine. Paying for a cruise that includes flights, then paying again, to guarantee you sit next to your wife. But I've had no choice but to do it, as my wife is a nervous flyer.

So I'm off to the Caribbean in March, but on the cruise that sails back to Southampton. Since it's a one-way flight, I decided to upgrade us to premium economy. £149 each for a one-way flight. Today, the flight is open on the cruise personaliser to book your seats. So I went in to do that, and was absolutely staggered to find that I will have to pay ANOTHER £20 each, if I want specific seats.

P&O might want to hang their heads in shame. Not just on this, but charging economy passengers extra for naturally wanting to sit together.

Every cruise I book with them, there's always something silly that sours the experience.

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That would be my luck caber. :-)

We shouldn't have to complain on social media to get a response....but it works!

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Thanks. All it needed was for someone to work through the problem. These are the little things (they can do) that mean a lot to customers.

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An update. P&O contacted me after I posted on their Twitter feed. They have sorted this out for us and we have our seats! Happy now.

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Already paid Barnum. But I can try? Re cruising from Southampton, I only have a week, so not possible if I want the med.

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You are spot on Pink. The aisle won't help much in reality, but it helps to relieve the impression of being trapped. But the cruise is booked and there isn't a lot I can do. I've made a comment on their Twitter feed, but I don't know if they actually monitor it? But I will keep plugging away with them.

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Not sure I'd want to cause a stink at check-in? [emoji3] half the battle is done, since we are at least say next to each other. My wife has flown loads of times, but it never gets any easier for her. We've been to the Caribbean in the last two February's, but that's never been a problem on the wide-bodied planes, because they could be 3-5-3, something like that.

The flights are with Thomson or Thomas Cook and it's a charter, so P&O should be able to dictate seating. As you say, they can rearrange to suit operational requirements. I'm an ex aircraft engineer, so I know they can do this.

But I think these companies are just too big to care these days? To them, it's a minor thing, but to us, it's a big issue. I don't suppose others are any different, but I've been looking for a reason to try other cruise lines, and I think I've just found a reason.

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This September will be our fourth cruise with P&O,. We are going to the Med for a week. I always book my seats on the flight, because my wife isn't a great flyer. She needs to sit next to me and needs an aisle seat......easier to get out in a crisis. :-)

So on the first morning the flights were available, I went on to book. First of all, some seats were 'greyed-out'. I'm used to that. So then I looked at the rest. The front seats with extra legroom were blue, indicating they were available, but they wouldn't let me book them. They are still 'blue' but unbooked.

Because the aircraft seating is 3x3, they won't let you book an aisle and middle seat. Only two aisles or a window and middle. So I had to book what I could get. So I mailed them about 10 days ago and today I got an email telling me to ring their support. So why have the email address? I ring them and explain why I want the seats and after being passed around, I'm put onto the lady who deals with flight bookings, and I think all she did was hover over the seats to see what was available...and then said no.

My issue is this. I went on when the seats were released. I'm willing to pay for the seats I want. But P&O say they can't have window seats empty!

Point 1. The seats won't be empty. Those who choose NOT to pay, take pot luck and may sit apart.

Point 2. I am paying for seats, whilst others who choose not to pay, will get those aisle seats.

Point 3. If P&O can block seats out, then they can organise specific seats in cases like this.

This wasn't a vanity request. It's based on my wife's fear of flying. Requests like these are just little things, that cruise companies can do to give good customer service, and they can't be bothered.

P&O are the initials of two words on my mind right now!

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