Not sitting with husband on plane

[Linda the Book Lover]

My DH wanted us to have a great vacation for my birthday and thought it would be nice to have everything arranged including the pre-cruise package with Princess. I am usually in charge of arrangements so I was very excited. We fully expected the flights would have lay overs and that's fine with us. We didn't mind the waste of an entire day in the air instead of paying the fee to select our flights and having the ability of at least 1 1/2 days in Florida. What really set our teeth on edge was Princess did not sit us together! We made the reservations in January 2005 for this cruise so you would think that would be taken into consideration. Has this happened to anyone else? I already talked to our TA on Friday when she gave us the news. If she doesn't have luck with changing our seats I will not be happy at all. Yes, I called the airline but they referred me to Princess. No, this will be ruin our vacation. :) I still think it was wonderful of my DH to do this but he is not happy not sitting next to his DW. We are an older couple not that this means anything...LOL

[S.S.Oceanlover]

sorry to hear of this. Unfortunately even if you booked last year you'd probably be in the same situation. The cruiselines wait until the last minute to book flights so there are not many seats together at that time.

Personally I'd never let the cruiseline book my air without the deviation.

 

Hopefully if you can't get it straightened out before you leave you might find a nice person willing to switch with either you or your husband so you can be together.

 

Bill

[Casshew]

When you check in at the airline, ask them to put you together. If they are unable, wait until you get to the gate and ask the gate/borarding agent to put you together. If that doesn't work, once on the flight ask the flight attendant to try and help, they can ask if anyone would mind switching so you can sit together.

 

That really sucks, considering you booked so far ahead... best of luck!

[98Charlie]

Totally agree with steps Casshew described.

 

DH & I have booked many flights together over the past few years and often find ourselves separated on seating on plane manifests. Have checked in at flight gate and asked to be seated together. Our requet was only denied once and that was on a small prop jet flight when we were separated for about 20 minutes or so.

 

Check in at the airport gate as soon as you can and explain the situation to the people behind the service desk. Relax and have a great vacation with each other!:)

 

Dianne

[sfvoyager]

I was told once that if you get to the ticket counter at the airport earlier than most passengers you have a better chance of improving your seat selection. I believe the airlines hold a small number of seats to solve issues like this. So if this were an international flight I would arrive three hours ahead instead of the usual two, and if it is a domestic flight I would get to the airport 2 hours instead of 1 to make this request.

[greatam]

My DH wanted us to have a great vacation for my birthday and thought it would be nice to have everything arranged including the pre-cruise package with Princess. I am usually in charge of arrangements so I was very excited. We fully expected the flights would have lay overs and that's fine with us. We didn't mind the waste of an entire day in the air instead of paying the fee to select our flights and having the ability of at least 1 1/2 days in Florida. What really set our teeth on edge was Princess did not sit us together! We made the reservations in January 2005 for this cruise so you would think that would be taken into consideration. Has this happened to anyone else? I already talked to our TA on Friday when she gave us the news. If she doesn't have luck with changing our seats I will not be happy at all. Yes, I called the airline but they referred me to Princess. No, this will be ruin our vacation. :) I still think it was wonderful of my DH to do this but he is not happy not sitting next to his DW. We are an older couple not that this means anything...LOL

 

Princess is not in charge of seating you together. They only book you a SEAT. That's all, NO MORE. It is the responsibility of your TA or yourself, whoever booked the cruise and air, to call the airline for seating. If your TA did not call for seating, the TA is not doing their job.

 

As others have posted, you can probably get your seating changed at checkin, at the gate, or by a FA.

 

Enjoy your cruise. Even if you don't sit with your DH on the plane, your trip is NOT ruined. You still have the cruise to be together 24/7.

[Sea-hawk]

First of all, the airlines do not hold a small number of seats to solve issues like this. They sell their seats as they are requested. They are in business to sell space. That's it. Very simple. How they do it may not make sense sometimes, but that's what they do. As mentioned earlier, and on many previous threads, the cruise lines themselves do the booking and wait until the last minute many times, when flights are already full.

Second, this seems to be an ongoing situation if you regularly read the threads on this board. Why does everyone wait until it happens to them to check out the info that is so readily available online now, especially right here at CC.

Third, as a very frequent flyer on American, I know anyone can get online and check to see seat availability and make changes right online. I am sure the other legend carriers offer the same service. (With the exception of Southwest, and although a great airline, poses some different approaches to sitting together.)

I certainly encourage you to get on your airline's website and make the changes yourself if you can. Check it often, and don't wait until you get to the airport and hope for the best. That's a very pasive attitude and if you put off trying to the end, you might get a chance to move. Take the bull by the horns. But if all else fails, do ask nicely at the check in counter, then the gate, and finely when you board, ask your seatmates. If you don't both have middle seats, it should be no problem. Most aisle seat holders will change with other aisle seat holders, and likewise with the window people.

Good luck and have a good cruise.

Sea-hawk.

[BlueHerons]

I was told once that if you get to the ticket counter at the airport earlier than most passengers you have a better chance of improving your seat selection. I believe the airlines hold a small number of seats to solve issues like this. So if this were an international flight I would arrive three hours ahead instead of the usual two, and if it is a domestic flight I would get to the airport 2 hours instead of 1 to make this request.

 

Since the airlines have to fly with an 85% pax load in order to break even, doubtful they ever hold seats. If anything, they oversell.

[Linda the Book Lover]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I could not change the seats on one flight as it says there are no seats are unavailable. I did call Delta using the "I just wanted to make sure you had my frequent flyer number" move and I had no luck. My TA bless her heart emailed that we are sitting together on 3 of the 4 legs and she will continue to call Delta to try and get us together.

 

Sea-Hawk, The DH does not go on CC and he wanted this to be special for me. We wanted to give me a special vacation for my birthday and had it all arranged through our travel agent. It will still be a special birthday because I will be with him even if we can't sit together on the plane. We will ask at the check in as you and another poster suggested. I am always nice which is why I seem to always get free drinks on the plane ;)

 

The birthday gal and her DH thank you again!

[Globaliser]

Second, this seems to be an ongoing situation if you regularly read the threads on this board.

Unfortunately, this is the disadvantage of the system operated by most North American airlines of pre-allocating seats to everyone who books, at the time of booking. This seriously disadvantages those who book late, for whatever reason. Many sophisticated short-haul airlines outside North America do not allocate seats until just before check-in, specifically to avoid problems like this. By then, they have a pretty good idea how many pairs, triplets, quads etc. they need to arrange together, so seat allocation can be done to keep those groups together, in addition to giving appropriate priority to the preferences of all the higher-tier frequent flyers who have booked by then, etc. etc.

[Happy ks]

The one and only time we booked air through the cruise line, not only was I not seated with my husband, but we were also seperated from the kids, too. The flight attendant managed to get me seated next to my 6 year old daughter, my nine year old was in the row behind me. My husband was 3 or 4 rows ahead of me and had a woman sharing a box of candy with him:rolleyes: . It wasn't much fun until I got a good look at her, then, no problem.

 

The return flight wasn't much better. We now book our own flights and select our own seats.

[love2relax]

Wow! I have been really nervous about a flight we booked through the cruiseline for our HI trip this summer. We have always booked our own flights for cruises, but we got such a deal on the air from the cruiseline at the time, that we went ahead and did it. I have been nervous that they were going to make it as inconvenient as possible, since it was a special for the fall. To make a long story short, my TA fought for the cheap flight add-on, and the cruiseline said they would give it to me (but I couldn't add any pre or post stays). I figure they'll fly me there the morning of the cruise. I will follow all of your suggestions to solve whatever may happen. The savings was worth it this time...and I have already been to Hawaii on my own 3 times....so all I can do is hope for the best.

[SMILING IRISH EYES]

It doesn't only happen when you book thru the cruise line. Just got word this morning that my April flight-seating, booked last Oct. directly by me with the website (AA) has been changed. Looks like they changed the type of plane and moved our seats. We were once together and now are all seperated. What is upsetting is that my 10 yr old will be by himself. Called the airline asap and of course the flight is full! I will need to wait until check-in at the gate and or keep checking the webiste to see if any seats become available. :(

[cruiserssandr]

As of right now my husband and I are not sitting together for our flight to Miami on Sunday. We were told that the exit rows aren't assigned till the day of the flight. We plan to check in early and try and get two seats together.

[dyslexic pirate]

Please correct me if I'm wrong but I don't believe you are legally bound to have to sit in the seat you are assigned to.

 

There might be 3 or 4 other couples on the plane that are in the same situation and between you maybe you could work it out.

 

My TA was excellent and booked 7 of us all together on our flights. One kid had to be the odd guy out and take turns having to sit by him/herself in the row behind mom and dad. But that's what headphones/ipods and mini dvd players are for!

 

But, we haven't always been so lucky. We always talk to the ticket agent when you check our luggage and make sure we are booked clear through to our destination and have decent seats.

[SMILING IRISH EYES]

Yes you are correct the airline only has to gaurentee you a seat. Doesn't matter where it is. And you are right about the exit rows-but the crazy part was that they had put my son in the exit row and were not even supposed to assign those yet let alone with a 10 yr old. Its just fustrating thats all-not the end of the world. Only time will tell.

[cruiserssandr]

Since we booked the cruise in July I was expecting there would be no problem sitting together. However American says we weren't ticketed until Dec 27! Just hope we can get into the exit row. If not we are seated just one row apart.

[surfklutz]

Princess is not in charge of seating you together. They only book you a SEAT. That's all, NO MORE. It is the responsibility of your TA or yourself, whoever booked the cruise and air, to call the airline for seating. If your TA did not call for seating, the TA is not doing their job.

 

As others have posted, you can probably get your seating changed at checkin, at the gate, or by a FA.

 

Enjoy your cruise. Even if you don't sit with your DH on the plane, your trip is NOT ruined. You still have the cruise to be together 24/7.

 

This is not necessarily correct. If Princess is holding blocked space - the agent probably does not have access to any of these seats - that is why the airline referred her directly to Princess. It is Princess and Princess alone that controls the seats.

[greatam]

It is my understanding that unless this cruise was booked on a "free air" basis, and the OP gave no indication it was, the cruiseline buys the seats on a contract basis individually. There is no blocked space. The airline merely sent the OP back to Princess, as that was the TA name on the reservation.

 

It is up to the TA, when the TA recieves docs from the cruiseline, to select seats for the customer.

 

The only thing that doesn't make sense is the OP states there is a pre-cruise package. It is also my understanding that those flights are booked by the cruiseline upon booking the package. If that is so, I think the TA let this one fall through the cracks.

[ciderapple]

I'm really not sure why this is such a big issue. On national flights I never "expect" to be seated next to my husband, I always got the impression it was virtually impossible to guarantee this, we try to get seats together on check-in and then again at the gate but never EXPECT it :confused:

 

There has to be a certain amount of flex and not everyone is going to be able to sit with who they want.

 

I do understand your disappointment though, especially with it being your birthday vacation, it's always better to sit with your companion and not have to worry about who you are going to sit next to! :)

 

I really hope you manage to get to sit together but I would imagine you won't know til at least you have checked in.

[Linda the Book Lover]

Hi! My DH and I always sit next to each other when we travel together. We have never including international flights had to sit away from each other. Let's just say so I don't give away my true age (LOL) it's been a very long time as we are parents of 30+ year olds kids. The joke in our house is I am always 38 every birthday. ;) In a few years I don't know how I am going to make that one fly! We have booked pre-cruise packages through NCL and Carnival and both times we had seats together and also asked our preference in seating (aisle/window). My TA is trying to take care of the last of our 4 legs and since she has done a good job for us in the past I trust she will continue to make all of our plans work. :) I have high hopes it will all work out. But just in case we will make attempts at the airport.

[DanJ]

The joke in our house is I am always 38 every birthday. ;) In a few years I don't know how I am going to make that one fly!

 

Simple. Say you are "38 with xx years of experience" LOL.

 

Here in Canada, we used to have a really bad exchange rate on our dollar for US dollars. One guy I know, when he turned 50, said he was "35 American" LOL.

[Linda the Book Lover]

Thanks Dan that made my day! I will use that one!

Linda