Celebrity Air - American Airlines

[RTR 21-0]

Has anyone booked a flight on American through Celebrity, been able to pick your seats prior to final payment and those seats actually be available on your travel date?  We cancelled our May 2022 Rome cruise and have booked for May 2023.  In 2021 I was able to select our seats on American through Celebrity and when I looked at the seat selections on the American website they were X'd out.  Obviously we don't know if the seats would have been ours since we didn't cruise this year.  I'm at the flight booking stage again and trying to decide between American, 1 stop, refundable w/$200 change fee or United, 2 stops, non refundable but says pre-reserved seat assignment.  Thanks in advance for all replies.  

[Arizona Wildcat]

Sometimes yes and sometimes no.  There are hundreds of posts about this.  Your choice.  Non refundable is ticketed now so you could reserve seats.  The other probably not ticketed till final.payment.

For May 2023 you do know it is very unlikely you will not have multiple changes in your flights.  That could be good or bad.

The airlines don't know what is happening next month.  For almost a year out it is more of a plan.  We have had multiple changes on a simple flight to Seattle we booked in January. 

Edited June 14, 2022 by Arizona Wildcat

[terrydtx]

Last year we had the same problem with AA going to FLL on flights booked by FBC. I called FBC after we booked online and they were able to request our seats with AA no problems. All other US airlines like Delta, Alaska Air and United, we have booked through either Celebrity or HAL flights we have been able to go into their websites and book seats using our loyalty accounts and Confirmation numbers as soon as we booked them.

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by terrydtx

[spammie]

I stopped booking with Celebrity Air because I am a control freak.  The last time I booked AA through Celebrity Air I still couldn't pick our seats after final payment.  Evidently they take longer to being "ticketed".  Way too stressful for my OCD.  LOL!  

[wellingtonmom]

IM in final payment can do the us booking cant get my seats from American or British airways.. help!

[PinkSandGirl]

Yes, whenever I book with Flights by Celebrity, it's always American Airlines.   I choose my seats at the time of booking (so before final payment) and have those same seats honored.  As soon as I get off the phone with Celebrity,  I log into my American Airlines account to make sure the flight shows with the selected seats.

 

There have been a few times that when I initially look, some of the seats aren't assigned so I call right back and have them do it again and then it 'takes'.    I also often check from the time of booking up until we fly to make sure everything stays the way it's supposed to.

 

I book over the phone, I don't book online.  

 

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Edited June 14, 2022 by PinkSandGirl

[terrydtx]

21 minutes ago, spammie said:

I stopped booking with Celebrity Air because I am a control freak.  The last time I booked AA through Celebrity Air I still couldn't pick our seats after final payment.  Evidently they take longer to being "ticketed".  Way too stressful for my OCD.  LOL!  

The only reasons I book with FBC or HAL Flight Ease is when I can save on business class seats which in some cases is substantial over booking direct with the airline. On our flights to Rome and returning from Venice for August we saved $1500pp for BC flights over what we could do direct with the airlines. It can be more stressful dealing with the cruise line, but when I can save that much I can handle a lot of stress. We booked our August air last fall and we are paying less for business than what Premium Economy costs today on the same flights.

[jelayne]

Have flights on AA booked with FBC and we are before final payment and can not select seats,  Ticket status on AA is shown as Unknown.  The price through FBC was

$150 pp less than booking direct.  It is a  relatively short flight DFW - LAX so not particularly worried about seats.   Now if it was a international flight that would be a different story.

[neverlaysup]

28 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

The only reasons I book with FBC or HAL Flight Ease is when I can save on business class seats which in some cases is substantial over booking direct with the airline. On our flights to Rome and returning from Venice for August we saved $1500pp for BC flights over what we could do direct with the airlines. It can be more stressful dealing with the cruise line, but when I can save that much I can handle a lot of stress. We booked our August air last fall and we are paying less for business than what Premium Economy costs today on the same flights.

For that type of savings, booking with FBC makes sense.

[PinkSandGirl]

1 hour ago, jelayne said:

Have flights on AA booked with FBC and we are before final payment and can not select seats,  Ticket status on AA is shown as Unknown. 

Have you called Flights by Celebrity and asked to pick your seats?

 

Tickets won't show as ticketed until about 20 days out and have never been able to do anything with seats via American (before ticketed)... it's always been with Celebrity that I choose seats. 

 

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Edited June 14, 2022 by PinkSandGirl