Booted from seat at gate - Does it happen often?

[VulpesVulpes]

So I was flying DRW-BNE this afternoon and checked in way way in advance of the flight and got myself assigned to 5C.

As I was scanned at the gate it flashed red and said "Seat change" and then was told "sorry you have been moved to row 12" with the explanation that they needed to accommodate a family in row 5. I know it happened at the last moment as I opened the boarding pass from the sms as they called the flight - showed 5C so it happened in the 10 mins between when the flight was called and I scanned at the gate.

What I struggle with is why the hell I got kicked out and they didn't move the family down the back of the plane? Could they not find a red in row 10 to boot out? Some halfwit just made changes and not thought about it.

I realise it was a totally full flight (no empty seats so I was stuck there) but there was zero service on VA's part. They could have done me the courtesy of advising of the change before I was about to walk down the aerobridge. The FA's were nice enough about it but they could have done something small like offer me a comp beer or cheese and crackers (because, you know, DRW BNE doesn't get that) that I still purchased.

It's not so much about loosing 7 rows, it was now having a small child beside me, kicking me every now and again. It was also not having any recline (I am quite tall so it makes a difference to a flight!) and the poor handling of the situation.

This was my welcome to VAGold flight and I was left feeling really really pissed off!

 

[a1ring23]

Happened to me last weekend. Got booted from 1A to 12A (on a F100). No explanation except at the gate "Sorry sir you have been moved"...

No one was even sitting in 1A....

 

[Princess Fiona]

That's really very poor handling by the gate agent. Obviously trying to get the flight away as soon as possible whilst trying to accommodate the family. This isn't the first time I've heard or read of this happening and it's wrong IMO. FWIW I'd email VA customer care about your experience.

 

[feezable]

Not VA but, you just jogged my memory. I have been so busy I forgot to follow this up. Flight BKK-SYD in October 3 of us (me, 13yrs and 10yrs) we were bumped from out seats in row 24 back half a dozen rows. I had paid $75 for those seats and was told that QF would refund me and to send an email from home. I did this and then forgot about it. I have never received a reply from QF.... hmmmph.

 

[markis10]

Said it before, saying it again, VA gate agents are their own worst enemy when it comes to upsetting customers, often in the name of doing friends or staff a favour.

 

[mrpooky]

This happened to me a couple of times as a VA Gold. I went from row 8 to row thirty-something on a PER -> BNE flight on one of them, and ended up surrounded by parents and noisy children.

The FA at the gate gave no explanation. The FA on board was at least sympathetic, but didn't do anything about it. Probably by that stage it was too late.

I now expect this sort of thing from VA, which is one reason I haven't flown with them for months now.

mrpooky.

 

[VulpesVulpes]

FWIW I'd email VA customer care about your experience.

Yeah I messaged the Rep from the forum so we will see if they do anything. I might try and track down one of our VA reps from work and see what they say too.

This happened to me a couple of times as a VA Gold. I went from row 8 to row thirty-something on a PER -> BNE flight on one of them, and ended up surrounded by parents and noisy children.

The FA at the gate gave no explanation. The FA on board was at least sympathetic, but didn't do anything about it. Probably by that stage it was too late.

I now expect this sort of thing from VA, which is one reason I haven't flown with them for months now.

mrpooky.

This is pretty much my exact experience!

 

[ashleyn]

Refuse to move and see how they react. Did that once with J* and won.

 

[VulpesVulpes]

Refuse to move and see how they react. Did that once with J* and won.

The thought actually crossed my mind but it was a no-seats-left situation so I didn't want to risk being stranded in DRW - possibly a far worse situation!

 

[Denali]

Refuse to move and see how they react. Did that once with J* and won.

I did this once when they tried to move us from the exit row for off duty employees - I refused to return our original boarding passes and took our seats and we flew with no issues but there was a high level of anxiety as everyone was boarding as I was wondering if we would be removed from the plane.

 

[medhead]

I did this once when they tried to move us from the exit row for off duty employees - I refused to return our original boarding passes and took our seats and we flew with no issues but there was a high level of anxiety as everyone was boarding as I was wondering if we would be removed from the plane.

This sort of thing for employees, their mates, says many VA staff just don't understand, or care, about the passengers.

 

[Anna]

I haven't yet been seat-bumped at the gate by VA but I have learned the hard way that selecting seats in advance on VA is often futile as they will delete what you have chosen and then your selected seat gets stolen by someone else when OLCI opens, and you're left with the detritus, seat-choice wise.

And as for my 4 free upgrades as a plat - trying to use them has so far been about as successful as putting in for points upgrades on QFi. A complete lottery.

 

[JohnK]

It has happened to me once or twice on VA but also happens quite regularly on other airlines. I guess that's my luck.

One thing I will never understand is why people who are organised suffer because someone can't be bothered taking the time before the flight to organise seating. And I do realise some people book late and there are insufficient seats to be seated together but in this case they should be given the worst possible seats.

Just because you are a family and want to sit together doesn’t give you more rights over a single traveller.

 

[ap_spd]

Just because you are a family and want to sit together doesn’t give you more rights over a single traveller.

Completely agree JohnK, as a single traveler I have the exact same rights as the family. Hasn't happened with me while flying VA but has happened while flying EY on a VA ticket so not sure who gets the blame

 

[stoneman]

I agree too. That's bull****

 

[Moody]

It has happened to me once or twice on VA but also happens quite regularly on other airlines. I guess that's my luck.

One thing I will never understand is why people who are organised suffer because someone can't be bothered taking the time before the flight to organise seating. And I do realise some people book late and there are insufficient seats to be seated together but in this case they should be given the worst possible seats.

Just because you are a family and want to sit together doesn’t give you more rights over a single traveller.

I have been on both sides - travelling alone and got the beep at the gate and a new (inferior) BP because "a family needs to sit together". Have also arrived very early at international check-in to be told our pre-allocated row of four in a 747 had been broken up into a pair of twos. Had to insist rather firmly that we really needed to travel to LHR as a team to keep control of master 4 and missy 2, so no doubt they had to boot some people out of their carefully assigned seats.

So don't presume that people "can't be bothered" to organise seating - I think other factors beyond the pax control are often at play.

 

[mannej]

It has happened to me once or twice on VA but also happens quite regularly on other airlines. I guess that's my luck.

One thing I will never understand is why people who are organised suffer because someone can't be bothered taking the time before the flight to organise seating. And I do realise some people book late and there are insufficient seats to be seated together but in this case they should be given the worst possible seats.

Just because you are a family and want to sit together doesn’t give you more rights over a single traveller.

Who is the say that the issues were caused by the operating airline, not the family?

 

[JohnK]

Who is the say that the issues were caused by the operating airline, not the family?

That may well be the case. It is poor form if airline staff stuff things around.

But again I stress that just because a family has been inconvenienced doesn't mean anybody else needs to be inconvenienced. It is just as easy to allocate a family row 28 and move the others up as it is to allocate a family row 5:and move others back with the risk being you are moving status flyers.

And yes Moody I do feel sorry for anyone that has bothered to pre-allocate seats only to be stuffed around.

 

[MH_fan]

This hasn't happened to me yet, thankfully. However, I don't see why someone who is organised should be punished for the laziness or cheapness by groups of travellers who won't pay to sit together!

 

[Moody]

This hasn't happened to me yet, thankfully. However, I don't see why someone who is organised should be punished for the laziness or cheapness by groups of travellers who won't pay to sit together!

So do you "pay to sit together"? Together in this instance means with the seat you are so fond to sit on?

If you buy 4 tickets on the one PNR I don't think it is unreasonable to be seated together. Sure - put the group in the back row if they have no status, but the virtual seat map that the reservation systems maintains from the get-go should not allow groups to be arbitrarily broken up.