Main cabin extra not so free for full fare economy

[Sdtravel]

So this has been bugging me for a few weeks so i thought I would get some other thoughts

So I have SYD to LAX to SFO. I booked Y+ with QF. The SFO leg is Qf codeshare AA metal.
The AA flight is booked on class B.
AA says this is full economy
American Airlines oneworld partner | aa.com

According to AA the full economy fare gets main cabin extra (mce) seats for free
American Airlines oneworld partner | aa.com

I called qf and AA as i couldn't select the mce seats.
AA says that B class iw discount full economy fare so i have to pay still. I have less to pay if i want them but they aren't free and i must be Y class to be free. I say the wording doesn't specify a fare class just type. They stick to their line that i should pay.

Thoughts on if this is right or others experience??
Thought about calling US Better Business Bureau but doubt they will do anything. They aren't like the ACCC here i don't think. Called them about something once got the story they will document and if a large number of complaints come in will them look at it.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So this has been bugging me for a few weeks so i thought I would get some other thoughts

So I have SYD to LAX to SFO. I booked Y+ with QF. The SFO leg is Qf codeshare AA metal.
The AA flight is booked on class B.
AA says this is full economy
American Airlines oneworld partner | aa.com

According to AA the full economy fare gets main cabin extra (mce) seats for free
American Airlines oneworld partner | aa.com

I called qf and AA as i couldn't select the mce seats.
AA says that B class iw discount full economy fare so i have to pay still. I have less to pay if i want them but they aren't free and i must be Y class to be free. I say the wording doesn't specify a fare class just type. They stick to their line that i should pay.

Thoughts on if this is right or others experience??
Thought about calling US Better Business Bureau but doubt they will do anything. They aren't like the ACCC here i don't think. Called them about something once got the story they will document and if a large number of complaints come in will them look at it.

'Full Fare' is generally denoted by 'Y' class... and is fairly expensive. That is different from classes designated for the accrual of points... and airline can determine which fare classes it will designate for points earning, and by how much.

I don't know what the better business bureau would do for you. Did you buy the fare on the basis that it was going to give you main cabin extra? If you did, you might have an argument. If this is merely a supplemental issue, not sure if it will have legs.

I agree however that it's not clearly worded.

 

[kempvet]

Don't like your chances, there is a difference between full fare economy Y and discount (full fare economy) B if that makes any sense with 500 mile upgrades and complimentary upgrades etc.
Having flow LAX-SFO a few times MCE sometimes is not even offered, and with the flight only about an hour, you are not really missing that much anyway.

 

[Sdtravel]

So i waited till 24 hours before the flight and went to change to a MCE seat. As a OW Ruby member this should now be free.
Went to change it and it didnt take. Whats worse is that AA website says i dont have a seat at all.

Called AA who said that the seats are now under airport control so they cant fix it up or give me a MCE seat. Only make notes about it. They cant take to the airport to get it fixed up. I will have to speak to the agents when i get to hte airport. Since im travelling on a QF flight to LAX for the next 14 hours that wasnt going to work

Anyway I spoke to Qf when i got to the airport and they gave me my seat i had before i changed it. The MCE seats i wanted had gone by the time i got there.
Although the AA website said i had no seat it must have been still assigned to me.

So basically OW ruby members can get MCE seats for free but they have no way to select it other than show up at the airport and hope its free still.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So i waited till 24 hours before the flight and went to change to a MCE seat. As a OW Ruby member this should now be free.
Went to change it and it didnt take. Whats worse is that AA website says i dont have a seat at all.

Called AA who said that the seats are now under airport control so they cant fix it up or give me a MCE seat. Only make notes about it. They cant take to the airport to get it fixed up. I will have to speak to the agents when i get to hte airport. Since im travelling on a QF flight to LAX for the next 14 hours that wasnt going to work

Anyway I spoke to Qf when i got to the airport and they gave me my seat i had before i changed it. The MCE seats i wanted had gone by the time i got there.
Although the AA website said i had no seat it must have been still assigned to me.

So basically OW ruby members can get MCE seats for free but they have no way to select it other than show up at the airport and hope its free still.

It's a one hour flight, so while unfortunate you can't get MCE, it's not so bad. If your flight is being operated by a 737-800 with blocked seats in rows 16 and 17, I don't beleive those are classified as MCE. They are the pick of the seats!

 

[Sdtravel]

After coming off a 13 hour flight in Y where i didnt sleep, then 1 hour customs line and then another 1.5+ hour layover a bit of extra legroom would have been nice.

 

[serfty]

... If your flight is being operated by a 737-800 with blocked seats in rows 16 and 17, I don't beleive those are classified as MCE. They are the pick of the seats!

Those are disappearing / have disappeared ... sometime last year they started putting row 7 back in and selling 16,17/B,E ... not sure if that conversion is complete.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I think the issue with selecting MCE seats is when the AA flight is booked as a QF codeshare flight. I posted on another thread that retrieving the AA pnr on their site will not give you the option of selecting a seat on the AA flights booked as a QF codeshare.

It would price the AA flights separately via the US AA site. QF can still get your luggage through checked to your final AA destination on separate tickets so you won't need to oay baggage fees as long as you are connecting same day from or to the QF transpac flight.

Those are dissapearing / have dissapeared ... sometime least year they started putting row 7 back in and selling 16,17/B,E ... not sure if that is complete.

I haven't seen any such seat maps for a while now. That config used to be on the AA LAX/YYZ flights.

They used to block 16BE & 17BE when there were 154 seats on the 738 but could only sell 150 due to the 1 FA to 50 pax ratio.

Unless FAA rules have changed AA must now have 4 FA's on 738 a/c.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I haven't seen any such seat maps for a while now. That config used to be on the AA LAX/YYZ flights.

They used to block 16BE & 17BE when there were 154 seats on the 738 but could only sell 150 due to the 1 FA to 50 pax ratio.

Unless FAA rules have changed AA must now have 4 FA's on 738 a/c.

I wasn't sure of AA's progress in reconfiguring those aircraft. I had one on my SFO-LAX flight late last year. I think they went to 4 FAs and additional rows (total seating now 160)

 

[serfty]

...

Unless FAA rules have changed AA must now have 4 FA's on 738 a/c.

That would be the case ... they have effectively added another 10 saleable seat ...

I don't travel "main cabin" on AA much these days but i did score 16F in one of these between LAX & SFO ...

 

[amaroo]

MCE is a pretty good ride for a "back of the bus" seat. Really liked row 16 http://www.australianfrequentflyer....iles-helicopter-airboat-57072.html#post973071