Seats Changed - HELP!

My fiance and I are taking my first-ever cruise in June, as our honeymoon, and our perfect trip may have just hit a snag...

We are flying with Delta non-stop from JFK to Rome to meet our ship (Celebrity Reflection Eastern Mediterranean cruise), and then of course flying home.

Back in August, shortly after they went on sale, I booked these flights for next June. Despite the high price, we booked early in order to secure the "Delta Comfort" seats in the bulkhead for both flights. The configuration of seats is such that we were able to secure two seats together, with no other passengers next to us.

On a whim, I just logged in to my Delta account and noticed that due to a "schedule change" our seats for the return trip have been moved back a row. Granted we are still in the Delta Comfort seats, but we've lost the bulkhead. I am not able to change back to our original seats online.

I called Delta and spoke to two representatives, and they would have moved us to the four unoccupied bulkhead seats in the middle, but I prefer to have two together, even if they aren't the bulkhead. That's all they could offer me. (The first was was very pleasant and warm, got the sense that he would have helped if he could; the second, a supervisor, was nasty and totally rude.)

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Is there anything else I can do to get back our original seats?

Thanks!

If your return flight has been changed it may well be that those seats on the new flight were already reserved. If they are not open there is no way to bump other people out of their reserved seats. If they are open on the seating plan, call back and get changed into them.

If your return flight has been changed it may well be that those seats on the new flight were already reserved. If they are not open there is no way to bump other people out of their reserved seats. If they are open on the seating plan, call back and get changed into them.

The seats aren't open, so I guess we are stuck....I'm just trying to figure out how the return was changed. The flight number is different, but everything else (times, type of aircraft) are the same.

Thanks.

There's nothing to do about this, but check your reservation on a regular basis. Maybe these seats will open up. You have a very long time until this flight; anything could happen.

That said, I personally hate bulkhead seats. No under seat storage, on some plane types, there's very little overhead storage and legroom can be less.

Which aircraft type? Not all 767's are created equal, nor any other Delta configuration for that matter.

Sometimes the first row of EC are bulkhead seats with even more limited foot space. And, as mentioned you will not have access to underseat storage.

Your honeymoon will be absolutely wonderful if you let little inconveniences like this fade away. BTW, Delta is not the only airline to change everything from flight numbers, to times (departure, arrival, and actual flight time), to aircraft.

The contrct of carriage only provides for 1 reservation change under most circumstances so don't be too quick to change your reservation. There could always be other "issues" before June.

Seatguru.com is a good resource to check seat configuration.

Sent from my A1-840 using Tapatalk

Your honeymoon will be absolutely wonderful if you let little inconveniences like this fade away.

^^^this

I realize it's disappointing, but remember that until flight time, selected seats are really just seat requests and are never guaranteed. You're still seated together, you're still in Comfort+, you still don't have strangers beside you. It could be much worse. :)

Unfortunately airlines are famous for this. I check ours often and we have been changed a few times which to us was no big deal until the last time when they had us in seats two rows apart. With AA I just logged in and put us together. As far a location this is just short flights, DFW/MIA. With our flight to Italy last spring we decided against bulkhead seating because it was such a long flight we wanted to be able to keep our carryon bags under the seat instead of digging them out of the overheads everytime we wanted a book, Ipod, travel pillow....that kind of stuff.

I paid for 4 Delta Economy Comfort seats on a 747 from JFK to Israel and back last summer. It cost me $700+ to do this. I selected aisle and window seats in adjacent rows (with an empty middle seat) knowing that the middle seat would be likely to remain empty (as who would pay extra for a middle seat, even in EC?) For some reason, my seat was bumped over to the middle seat on the journey back. I emailed, tweeted, etc. and they claimed it was an equipment change, which was BS, as all their 747s have the same seating arrangement.

Finally, I called a few weeks before the flight and spoke to a supervisor, and although they wouldn't change my seat back, they refunded the entire cost of the upgrade for all 4 of us on the journey back. Then, I saw that the bulkhead window was open so I moved there anyway. We weren't all together, but I relaxed knowing I had $350 extra in my pocket. It pays to keep trying until you get a more understanding rep on the phone.

There's nothing to do about this, but check your reservation on a regular basis. Maybe these seats will open up. You have a very long time until this flight; anything could happen.

 

That said, I personally hate bulkhead seats. No under seat storage, on some plane types, there's very little overhead storage and legroom can be less.

Yes, we do have a while, so I'm hoping for some luck as we get closer....I've enjoyed the bulkhead the few times I've been able to get it, but you may have a point. I'm less concerned about under seat storage, but legroom is a must for my fiance who is a big guy!

Which aircraft type? Not all 767's are created equal, nor any other Delta configuration for that matter.

Sometimes the first row of EC are bulkhead seats with even more limited foot space. And, as mentioned you will not have access to underseat storage.

Your honeymoon will be absolutely wonderful if you let little inconveniences like this fade away. BTW, Delta is not the only airline to change everything from flight numbers, to times (departure, arrival, and actual flight time), to aircraft.

The contract of carriage only provides for 1 reservation change under most circumstances so don't be too quick to change your reservation. There could always be other "issues" before June.

Delta is operating an A330-300 on both our flights, which was the same when we booked as it is now. Of course, there could be subtle changes between every individual metal, but I got the sense that nearly all of these planes in the Delta fleet have similar configurations. While these aircraft were originally part of Northwest, they've all since been updated since integration with Delta.

In the grand scheme of things, this is minor and we know that. It's just frustrating when we booked so early to get the seats we wanted and then get bumped.

Thanks.

Seatguru.com is a good resource to check seat configuration.

 

Sent from my A1-840 using Tapatalk

Yup, I use it all time. Did my research for this trip before booking....In fact, I had seatguru and Delta's seat maps next to another!

^^^this

 

I realize it's disappointing, but remember that until flight time, selected seats are really just seat requests and are never guaranteed. You're still seated together, you're still in Comfort+, you still don't have strangers beside you. It could be much worse. :)

Yes, agreed! Thanks for helping me put this in perspective. This is a very minor inconvenience. I still have my window (not obstructed by the wing) and my fiance still has his aisle, and we still have the extra legroom, which will be well worth the money we spent for transatlantic flights....it's just frustrating when we booked so early to get the seats we wanted and then got bumped!

Unfortunately airlines are famous for this. I check ours often and we have been changed a few times which to us was no big deal until the last time when they had us in seats two rows apart. With AA I just logged in and put us together. As far a location this is just short flights, DFW/MIA. With our flight to Italy last spring we decided against bulkhead seating because it was such a long flight we wanted to be able to keep our carryon bags under the seat instead of digging them out of the overheads everytime we wanted a book, Ipod, travel pillow....that kind of stuff.

Thanks!

I usually don't care so much for short flights, so I never splurge for the economy plus on flights or exit row from NY to Florida, for example. But this being a honeymoon and a longer overseas flight is a bit different.

I was under the impression that bags only had to be stowed for take-off and landing, and that you could keep them on the floor (as a footrest, perhaps) during the flight. Is that not correct?

I paid for 4 Delta Economy Comfort seats on a 747 from JFK to Israel and back last summer. It cost me $700+ to do this. I selected aisle and window seats in adjacent rows (with an empty middle seat) knowing that the middle seat would be likely to remain empty (as who would pay extra for a middle seat, even in EC?) For some reason, my seat was bumped over to the middle seat on the journey back. I emailed, tweeted, etc. and they claimed it was an equipment change, which was BS, as all their 747s have the same seating arrangement.

 

Finally, I called a few weeks before the flight and spoke to a supervisor, and although they wouldn't change my seat back, they refunded the entire cost of the upgrade for all 4 of us on the journey back. Then, I saw that the bulkhead window was open so I moved there anyway. We weren't all together, but I relaxed knowing I had $350 extra in my pocket. It pays to keep trying until you get a more understanding rep on the phone.

Thanks for sharing your story. I do plan to keep checking periodically online, and I will continue to call in, varying time of day, day of week, etc. Who knows what might happen?

I've done the NYC-Tel Aviv route a few times, but never with Delta. I'm usually fine in standard economy on an El Al 747, and a little more comfortable on an El Al 777, but I've done a premium economy with any carrier so I'm sure that any seat in that section will be great.

But I agree with you. There may be subtle changes from aircraft to aircraft, but my research showed me that all the A330-300s in Delta's fleet are 99.9% identical. One of the representatives I spoke to suggested that may have combined two flights into one, but that is complete and total garbage since Delta only has one flight each day between JFK and Rome. I just can't understand how we got bumped!

Shainky84,

I do not have experience with Delta, but I have a lot of experience with AA. When a flight number changes the seats often are changed on AA even if the type of aircraft does not change. It happens to me regularly.

You can pay for a subscription to Expert Flyer and they will send you an alert if your other seats open up. Or you just just keep checking every day.

Good luck

we wanted to be able to keep our carryon bags under the seat instead of digging them out of the overheads everytime we wanted a book, Ipod, travel pillow\

They generally only require your personal items to be in the overhead bins during takeoff and landing. Other than that you can have them at your feet in the bulkhead row.

knowing that the middle seat would be likely to remain empty (as who would pay extra for a middle seat, even in EC?)/quote]

 

Someone who needs to be on the flight but didn't/couldn't book early for whatever reason and that's the seat that was left, someone who didn't have an assigned seat until boarding and that's what was left to be assigned, someone who was determined to be ineligible to sit in the exit row seat they'd booked, etc.

knowing that the middle seat would be likely to remain empty (as who would pay extra for a middle seat, even in EC?)/quote]

 

Someone who needs to be on the flight but didn't/couldn't book early for whatever reason and that's the seat that was left, someone who didn't have an assigned seat until boarding and that's what was left to be assigned, someone who was determined to be ineligible to sit in the exit row seat they'd booked, etc.

Not on either of our flights to/from TLV. We enjoyed the extra space.

You definitely have to stow your stuff in the overhead when sitting in the bulkhead for take off and landing. Cabin attendants will check for any "hidden" items when they do their cabin check.

Where are the tray tables? I didn't check the A330 but for other configurations they are in the arm rest which makes the seats a little narrower. You may want to check that out for your bethrothed.

You definitely have to stow your stuff in the overhead when sitting in the bulkhead for take off and landing. Cabin attendants will check for any "hidden" items when they do their cabin check.

My experience has been, "Cabin attendants should check for any "hidden" items when they do their cabin check."

I can't tell you how many times I have seen people put things behind their legs, and not just in the bulkhead row. Flight attendants do a poor job of really looking for carry on items in the aisles.

Not on either of our flights to/from TLV. We enjoyed the extra space.

You got very lucky then. ;)

I paid for 4 Delta Economy Comfort seats on a 747 from JFK to Israel and back last summer. It cost me $700+ to do this. I selected aisle and window seats in adjacent rows (with an empty middle seat) knowing that the middle seat would be likely to remain empty (as who would pay extra for a middle seat, even in EC?) For some reason, my seat was bumped over to the middle seat on the journey back. I emailed, tweeted, etc. and they claimed it was an equipment change, which was BS, as all their 747s have the same seating arrangement.

 

Finally, I called a few weeks before the flight and spoke to a supervisor, and although they wouldn't change my seat back, they refunded the entire cost of the upgrade for all 4 of us on the journey back. Then, I saw that the bulkhead window was open so I moved there anyway. We weren't all together, but I relaxed knowing I had $350 extra in my pocket. It pays to keep trying until you get a more understanding rep on the phone.

You are making some very wrong assumptions, about your middle seat thinking. Sorry, but they certainly can get filled- easily- with nonrev passengers. I can't tell you how many times, I've stood outside a 3 seat row, with that empty middle seat, and the "shocked" couple, usually remark- when did you book? This seat was empty this morning, you're not in the right row, etc etc.

Of course it might not work, but in this case it did. And worst case, you just slide over if you want to sit together. There probably weren't too many non-revs looking to head to TLV in the midst of rocket attacks last summer.

I would check out seats daily on line. Things change. And you can change seats with your confirmation number on line.

Of course it might not work, but in this case it did. And worst case, you just slide over if you want to sit together. There probably weren't too many non-revs looking to head to TLV in the midst of rocket attacks last summer.

As one who often is a solo traveler I often pick a window seat where the aisle has already been taken, leaving the middle seat free. Sometimes I am lucky and the seat stays free, sometimes not. Even when traveling with others, sometimes we book aisle and window and don't want the middle seat. If someone else comes and has the middle seat, they often volunteer to switch but we politely decline. No need to be next to a travel partner during a flight, especially when one prefers window and another prefers aisle.