Airline Seat Reservation Problems

[compozer]

 

You need to submit a Flexible Early Ticketing Request. Princess will then pay for your flight and you will be able to pick seats. You cannot pick seats until the tickets are PAID for. o/quote]

We submitted that request. Made no difference. It even allowed us to change the flight if we wanted to.

 

Yes, I am willing to pay more to be comfortable.

Good luck.

[Colo Cruiser]

 

You need to submit a Flexible Early Ticketing Request. Princess will then pay for your flight and you will be able to pick seats. You cannot pick seats until the tickets are PAID for. o/quote]

We submitted that request. Made no difference. It even allowed us to change the flight if we wanted to.

 

Yes, I am willing to pay more to be comfortable.

Good luck.

 

Hi Sandy, We had no problem picking seats on an unpaid EZ Air United ticket last month.

[-Lew-]

 

Hi Sandy, We had no problem picking seats on an unpaid EZ Air United ticket last month.

United and Delta have been very accommodating whether paid or not. On the other hand, with American it depends who you talk to or whether it's raining or cloudy... :rolleyes:

[jagoffee]

This is not a Princess issue.

I fly Lufthansa pretty regularly (unfortunately) from Den-Frankfurt and Munich outside of cruising.

We have also had EZ Air flights through Princess on them as well.

Their policy is to only allow seat assignment within 24hrs of the flight.

I hate it but they are not the only airline to do this.

We have current EZ Air flights to Barcelona on United and even when unpaid it said the ticket was pending were still able to choose seats.

 

Just to confirm what you are saying. You fly Lufthansa regularly and even when you book direct with them and/or you have the record locator/ reservation number for Lufthansa you cannot get a seat assignment even when you are willing to pay extra or upgrade at any costs? I assume they do no this have any premium coach options?

[Shelly97060]

We've got the same issue with virgin and delta. Booked through virgin and can book those legs but the FLL to JFK and the Atlanta to FLL with delta, not a chance, both airlines say wait til 24 hours. We've paid for premium/business but with the limited numbers there's no way were seated together with 24 hrs to go. It's one of those frustrating first world problems for me.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

 

For my flights using Virgin/ Delta codeshare I have gotten the Virgin air confirmation number and flight number ( which is different than the Delta flight and confirmation numbers) and called Virgin directly. I have paid extra for our seats but it was worth it to me to have our seats assigned early and the extra leg room. I did the same recently for an upcoming British Airways flight ( again, for a fee).

 

 

It could be a new policy you are bumping up against so your experience could be different, I am just sharing my experience from the last six months or so. Might be worth calling again and asking if early seat assignment is available for a fee.

[Shelly97060]

United and Delta have been very accommodating whether paid or not. On the other hand, with American it depends who you talk to or whether it's raining or cloudy... :rolleyes:

 

Yes, that's my experience... My TA has said that American has been really problematic with seat assignments recently - as a result I skip booking with them.

[RDC1]

With airlines the determination of when you get to pick seats, or if you can upgrade is driven by the airlines policy and the type fare. There is a lot of variability out there. When you go through a TA or with a travel company like Princess the fares that are the least expensive are also often the most restricted. You get what you pay for. That is why I book direct most of the time and if I do go through someone else it is only on an airline where I know the rules for the fare being used.

 

European airlines such as Lufthansa and Air France tend to be pretty restrictive. Did Air France from Budapest to Paris a few weeks back and ran into the 30 hour rule with no way even to pay to pick seats.

[eatdrinkfly]

Thank you both - I'll look in to this one today. :)

 

Good luck! from my experience, not every agent with the cruise lines understands air product fully, but your booking will indeed have 3 locators associated with it.

 

1. Princess's - which is basically useless except to them internally

2. United's - used to choose seats with them on their flights, which you've done

3. Lufthansa's - this is the one you're missing that will allow you to access the Lufthansa booking online or with their reservations agents.

 

once you have the missing locator, you'll be able to buy your seats with Lufthansa. :)

[compozer]

Hi Keith,

In the past, I have had no issues with Delta or their partners. This is really the first time so not sure if it has anything to do with American. Everything will work out in the end. I just like to have every detail in writing well before we go.

[CruisinFinsUp]

What about calling the special services or assistance department of the airline? Given its a medical problem they might make an exception to the 23 hour rule.

[Amtico]

Good luck! from my experience, not every agent with the cruise lines understands air product fully, but your booking will indeed have 3 locators associated with it.

 

1. Princess's - which is basically useless except to them internally

2. United's - used to choose seats with them on their flights, which you've done

3. Lufthansa's - this is the one you're missing that will allow you to access the Lufthansa booking online or with their reservations agents.

 

once you have the missing locator, you'll be able to buy your seats with Lufthansa. :)

 

No, I'm afraid that doesn't help my cause (I actually had it already) - I thought with people mentioning a locator, that that was something different to the booking references.

 

It seems that I will have to wait until 23 hours before flight ... sadly the seats (I can see what is left on a dummy booking on Lufthansa) are mostly reserved now. We'll be lucky to even sit together

 

I have looked elsewhere online too for information - there are lots of posts re dual code sharing between United/Lufthansa with regard to this problem.

 

Lesson learnt for the future though.

[Potstech]

A bit confusing as it sounds like the "health issue" was not the highest priority when booking. If it was I assume only reservations would have been made that allowed assigned seating at the time of booking. Now it appears to be the priority.

 

Perhaps paying the extra dollars, no matter how much is the answer. Hard lesson to learn but if the health issue is truly a concern dollars shouldn't matter.

 

Sorry but for many dollars do matter.

[Ellipooh]

No, I'm afraid that doesn't help my cause (I actually had it already) - I thought with people mentioning a locator, that that was something different to the booking references.

 

It seems that I will have to wait until 23 hours before flight ... sadly the seats (I can see what is left on a dummy booking on Lufthansa) are mostly reserved now. We'll be lucky to even sit together.

Sorry to hear this, i was sure the third booking number was the answer to your problems.

I wonder if hiring a travel agent NOW would help?

State your needs in advance, and your willingness to pay, and your non-expectation of any other fringe benefits...

[Cruise Junky]

This is not a Princess issue.

I fly Lufthansa pretty regularly (unfortunately) from Den-Frankfurt and Munich outside of cruising.

We have also had EZ Air flights through Princess on them as well.

Their policy is to only allow seat assignment within 24hrs of the flight.

I hate it but they are not the only airline to do this.

We have current EZ Air flights to Barcelona on United and even when unpaid it said the ticket was pending were still able to choose seats.

 

Is this recent? I've always been able to pick my seats on Lufthansa and we use them a lot too.

[DrivesLikeMario]

This is what has worked for me over the years:

 

1. Make sure you have the LUFT record locater number (not the United one).

2. Pay for your flights in full with Princess.

3. Fill out an Early Ticketing Request form with Princess. Wait until it's done (about a week IME).

4. Call LUFT and tell them you want to pay for your seats.

5. Receive a confirmation via email from either LUFT if you've attached your FF# to the booking or from Princess. Print and take with you.

 

They should do this without any problems at all. At this point, it doesn't matter how it was booked, as it is ticketed and ready to go. If you don't follow 1 of the steps above, you won't be able to book & pay for your seats.

Edited August 3, 2017 by DrivesLikeMario
typo

[RDC1]

No, I'm afraid that doesn't help my cause (I actually had it already) - I thought with people mentioning a locator, that that was something different to the booking references.

 

It seems that I will have to wait until 23 hours before flight ... sadly the seats (I can see what is left on a dummy booking on Lufthansa) are mostly reserved now. We'll be lucky to even sit together

 

I have looked elsewhere online too for information - there are lots of posts re dual code sharing between United/Lufthansa with regard to this problem.

 

Lesson learnt for the future though.

 

While I have not flown Lufthansa recently most airlines will pre assign seats prior to the period where seats can be picked. If most passengers are in the 23 hour category then it should not be an issue. The seats you get will probably be together, but not on an aisle and not ant kind of premium location. Because they most pre assign you can expect that the seats they assign you will probably be better than anything that is left available once the selection window starts. At least I have found that with Iberia, British Air and Air France

[Colo Cruiser]

Just to confirm what you are saying. You fly Lufthansa regularly and even when you book direct with them and/or you have the record locator/ reservation number for Lufthansa you cannot get a seat assignment even when you are willing to pay extra or upgrade at any costs? I assume they do no this have any premium coach options?

 

I have been able to purchase a premium seat on one occasion.

I have spent some hours on the phone with Lufthansa. They have told me there were plenty of regular/premium seats available/showing but the airport had control and they could not assign me one. I have done this as far as a few months out and a couple of weeks out. I have written a letter or 2 to their corporate office and called customer service to no avail. Even when I have tried to get a seat at the 23 hour and 59 minute mark up to leaving for the airport seats were still not available. They are well known for this BS.

[Colo Cruiser]

Is this recent? I've always been able to pick my seats on Lufthansa and we use them a lot too.

 

 

Yes 3 times this year already.

[Cruise Junky]

Yes 3 times this year already.

Wow. Good to know. Last time we flew them was last year and never had an issue picking seats.

 

Update. Just did a mock booking and I could book seats as well as extra legroom seats. Must be a US thing as no issue here.

Edited August 4, 2017 by Cruise Junky

[diane.in.ny]

If I read this correctly, the OP said they had paid for premium seats in the main cabin.

 

If that is the case, then they should get premium seats assigned to them and this is a non-issue.

 

Or am I missing something?

 

BTW, we are using EZAir outbound on Air Canada and I had no problem getting our seat assignment at the time of making the reservation. I guess it does simply depend on the airline.

[easyboy]

We had Lufthansa last year, EWR-FRA-CPH, CPH-MUC-EWR on return. We were able to get a seat assignment after payment.

[dickinson]

If I read this correctly, the OP said they had paid for premium seats in the main cabin.

 

If that is the case, then they should get premium seats assigned to them and this is a non-issue.

 

Or am I missing something?

 

BTW, we are using EZAir outbound on Air Canada and I had no problem getting our seat assignment at the time of making the reservation. I guess it does simply depend on the airline.

 

I think you might be misreading something. I read it as they always pay for the extra leg room seats but this time they are not able to pick their seats. If they can't pay for their seats then they can't pick them either. They say if they wait til the day before flight (23 hours before) those extra legroom seats will all be gone. I think this is the whole point of this thread.

 

Princess states on their website that one of the benefits of using EZair is that you don't have to pay any extra fees for seats. They word it a bit differently but when I was having the issue I mentioned it to the customer service rep. Didn't help. I was hoping EZair would take care of my issue and get me the economy seats I wanted for no additional charge. They really need to either step up to the plate and pay for the seats when customers call and complain or reword their website and say in most instances (or something like that).

[Amtico]

I think you might be misreading something. I read it as they always pay for the extra leg room seats but this time they are not able to pick their seats. If they can't pay for their seats then they can't pick them either. They say if they wait til the day before flight (23 hours before) those extra legroom seats will all be gone. I think this is the whole point of this thread.

 

Princess states on their website that one of the benefits of using EZair is that you don't have to pay any extra fees for seats. They word it a bit differently but when I was having the issue I mentioned it to the customer service rep. Didn't help. I was hoping EZair would take care of my issue and get me the economy seats I wanted for no additional charge. They really need to either step up to the plate and pay for the seats when customers call and complain or reword their website and say in most instances (or something like that).

 

Yes, you are correct! :)

 

Just to repeat, for others ...

 

The problem is the code share. If the flights had been booked directly with Lufthansa, with Lufthansa codes, you can reserve advance seats.

The flight from San Francisco to Frankfurt is a Lufthansa plane BUT I have a United flight code - this is the problem (from Lufthansa's point of view - in reality they are just being awkward!!)

 

Flights are paid for and ticketed. I have both airline booking codes, all the information you normally need to reserve advance seats.

 

Paying extra to reserve seats is not a problem - I expect to do that.

 

I can see there are a majority of seats already booked on the flight (through a dummy booking on Lufthansa's website) - so realise that we will probably not be seated together and stand no chance of an extra legroom seat for my DH.

 

I have tried all the advice given - they will not budge.

 

Thanks for all suggestions.

Edited August 4, 2017 by Amtico

[diane.in.ny]

I guess I was thinking of premium economy seats. When I used EZair, I selected Premium Economy as my class option. So I'm paying for those extra leg room seats right up front.

 

I guess the process others are writing about is where you buy your main cabin ticket and then afterward upgrade to one of the selected extra leg room seats when you choose your seat, a procedure I'm not familiar with.

[Corfe Mixture]

We are booked through Princess Air. Flights between the UK and USA.

The flights are dual airline flights (Lufthansa & United).

 

The return flights are United flight numbers but are actually on Lufthansa planes. My problem is that I cannot reserve advance seats on these. Lufthansa will not open this until 23 hours in advance of flight.

I have spoken to people at Lufthansa and United. My TA has spoken to Princess Air at length.

I'm told by United that Lufthansa could offer us reservations but as we have the United flight number, they are just being awkward. (To change to a Lufthansa flight number would cost in excess of £1000 for the exact same flight).

 

My OH has a leg injury, so we always pay extra for 'extra leg room' on long haul flights - as this flight is around 11 hours, it's vital.

 

23 hours in advance of the flight we will be at sea and it is likely there will be no economy plus seats available anyway.

 

After many years of travel this is the first time I've encountered this problem. Even when we have had dual airline flights.

 

Can anyone suggest anything?

 

 

First, I have not read the whole of this thread, so apologies if someone has already said this, but the issue is that your booking has two locator codes - one with the booking company and one with the actual carrier.

 

Because you are on United 'metal' they control the seating, but they do not recognise the Lufthansa locator code so can't assign your seats. Lufthansa could request seats but it would be no more than a request.

 

You need to contact Lufthansa and ask them for your United locator code. If they say that they can't give it to you there are other ways of getting at it, but they can be a little complicated.

 

Once you have the united locator code, you can go onto their website and deal with the matter through their 'Manage my Booking' page (or whatever they call it)

 

Just to put some validity to this comment. I always prefer to book via BA in order to get Avios points and use my BA Amex card which earns me a two for one booking once a year.

BUT

Because we never quite make silver in the BA Executive Club, I potentially have to pay for my seat selection. However we get around this by flying on American who, unlike BA, in the class of travel we book, offer free seat selection.

 

Until couple of years ago the system was a bit untidy and one had to ask BA for the AA locator code, as I am telling you to do with Lufthansa. However that has now all changed and BA simply ask my permission before transferring me to the American Airlines site, where I can see my booking, my locator code and select my seats. Having said that, if I go into the BA site for my next booking, I can see my booking but not my seat selection, nor can I see my seats on the Amadeus booking system. However, if I go into the AA site, I can see my seat selection and can also see my seats showing as being not available on the 'Seat alert' website.

 

OK, my experience is not directly relevant to you, but, hopefully it does make it clear that what you need to get hold of is the United airlines locator code, which will put you in full control.