Forced Seat Changes on Airline

just-human on 01/11/2024 - 09:38
Last edited 01/11/2024 - 09:59 by 1 other user

I was recently flying a trans-continental flight from the east-coast to the west-coast on Virgin Australia. I had booked the ticket with seat selection months in advance to get a window seat.

At the last minute when I scanned my ticket at the gate, I was told there was a seat change as there were families on board that wanted to sit together so I got moved to a middle seat without being offered any compensation.

I personally think that poor planning on someone else’s part shouldn’t constitute an emergency or loss on mine as this was an almost 5hr flight. If they wanted to change me it should have been to an equivalent (such as another window) or better seat. Otherwise, some other form of compensation should have been offered.

My question is, has this happened to anyone else and what happened when it did?

EDIT: I would also like to add that the family that was in my seat was all well in their mid-20s at least and did not have young children which definitely added to my frustration.

Poll Options Sat, 09/11/2024 - 00:00

  • 2
    Yes, it has and I wouldn’t care
  • 12
    Yes, it has and I was not happy
  • 85
    No, but I would not be happy
  • 5
    No, but I wouldn’t care
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Comments

  • Hybroid on 01/11/2024 - 09:42
    +6

    Did you pay extra line item for that seat specifically? If so, definitely entitled to compensation or refund.

    If not, and it’s just a normal advance seat booking as part of overall ticke, then most airlines claim there’s no guarantee to them and they may change you for operational reasons. It sucks, but what to do.

    • just-human on 01/11/2024 - 09:43
      +9

      I paid extra for the fare type that included the seat selection. If I paid less I wouldn’t be allowed to select a seat so I feel like part of the extra I paid is for the seat selection.

      I just think the whole situation is unfair as it’s not because of a weight or balance reason but because of another passenger’s poor planning.

      • skid on 01/11/2024 - 09:45
        +3

        I agree with you. Manners would be to politely ask you first.

      • Hybroid on 01/11/2024 - 09:48

        I do see your point, but the counter argument will be you paid for advance seat selection in general, but not paid for that seat specifically.

        It may not have been poor planning, but simply airline availability or any another reason. May even be airline driven like rebooking people from a cancelled/delayed flight if makes you feel better.

        There’s no harm sending their customer support an e-mail about the situation and see what they say. Might just offer you something out of goodwill. Maybe.

        • just-human on 01/11/2024 - 09:50
          +4

          Yes an email has been sent to the airline and I will definitely be following up on a call when I have some time as their wait times aren’t exactly the most pleasant.

          I believe that as I paid for seat selection in general I should have got some benefit out of it. At the end of the day the seat selection on the more expensive fare has real value which I wasn’t given.

        • Switchblade88 on 01/11/2024 - 10:55
          +3

          you paid for advance seat selection in general, but not paid for that seat specifically

          That argument holds no water.

          If the customer has been offered and made a selection before payment, yes they have indeed paid for that seat specifically. If their seat selection is changed without consent then they did not get what they have paid for.

          • Hybroid on 01/11/2024 - 11:00
            -1

            @Switchblade88: They paid extra for a 'fare type that included the seat selection', with presumably other inclusions, not a fee for that specific Seat 14A.

            • Switchblade88 on 01/11/2024 - 11:07

              @Hybroid: If the airline has overridden the selected seat, then you didn't get what you paid for - choice

  • PM Albo on 01/11/2024 - 09:51
    +19

    I get upgraded to business class every time without even asking.

    • KaTst3R on 01/11/2024 - 10:19
      +5

      How's Alan by the way?

    • Pelicannn on 01/11/2024 - 10:20
      -1

      Username checks out.

    • smartazz104 on 01/11/2024 - 13:33

      Say hi to Voldemort.

  • kerfuffle on 01/11/2024 - 10:05
    +1

    Happened to me once. Picked a window seat (didn't pay for seat selection though; this was pre-Virgin 2.0) and got moved to 9A (iykyk) … and was also stuck next to a family with a baby who kept dropping their rattle on the floor.

  • payless69 on 01/11/2024 - 10:23
    -5

    I would give up even a cockpit jump seat for Albo's son as he is the KING

    Just another 800 or so young people forced out of work with the mosaic brand collapse. Great work Albo!

    payless69 on 01/11/2024 - 10:23 (Collapsed - Offtopic. Show)
  • sheamas88 on 01/11/2024 - 10:25
    +2

    Virgin seem pretty inept at this. Me and my partner were travelling with our baby and so we paid for seat selection so we could be together. At checkin they gave us our tickets and the seats were not the ones we booked, and were no where near together. We told the staff that we paid specifically to sit together and there was no way we could be separated since we had a baby. Fortunately they were able to get us together by forcing someone else to move.

    I contact customer service later on to get our refund as we didn't get the seats we selected even though we paid to do so and they did (eventually) sent us the money back. I also told them that whatever process they used to decide which ticket holders they would force to switch seats with should account for things like families traveling with a baby, doubt anything has changed though

  • kolorijo on 01/11/2024 - 10:32
    +2

    Same thing happened to my parents with Qantas, 7 hours international flight. They moved them on one of the leg to other seats which were worse and I have paid for their seat selections. I called them up to ask for a refund for the seat selection ($40 per person so $80 in total) and they wouldn't budge and simply told me they cannot do anything. I had to do a charge back on my credit card and have not heard anything back from them.

    Horrible customer service.

    • MS Paint on 01/11/2024 - 11:37
      +1

      You spelt CoMpEnSaTiOn! wrong.

      • pharkurnell on 01/11/2024 - 14:00

        Im new at logic.. apologies.

    • fluffyllama on 01/11/2024 - 13:18

      Exactly, I'm so tired of hearing consumers wanting what they paid for!

    • smartazz104 on 01/11/2024 - 13:33

      Why does everyone expect compensation for everything these days

      OP paid extra for the seat.

    • just-human on 01/11/2024 - 15:39

      Well I’d like to think that when I pay for a service I receive it. I paid and selected 2 months in advance and they didn’t so I don’t see why I need to subsidise someone else’s choices.

  • onetwothreefour on 01/11/2024 - 11:36

    Annoying and you are well within your rights to ask for compensation as you did not get what you paid for.

    However, how much do they charge for seat selection if you just paid for that by itself? Maybe around $25-$40? Is it worth chasing them? It's up to you decide if it is or notl

  • jv on 01/11/2024 - 11:59

    #FirstWorldProblems

    • leiiv on 01/11/2024 - 14:42
      +1

      Only happens when the airlines started charging extra for seat selection..

  • xuqi on 01/11/2024 - 13:08

    Once whilst checking in for a flight (Heathrow to JFK) I was asked whether I was ok with a change with similar reasoning as OP. I agreed and didn't really think much of it at the time. Only after I boarded did I realise the lady had upgarded me to business class.

  • smartazz104 on 01/11/2024 - 13:34

    EDIT: I would also like to add that the family that was in my seat was all well in their mid-20s at least and did not have young children which definitely added to my frustration.

    Weird they didn't all get grouped together in the middle seats, airline is clearly inept.

  • Blargman2001 on 01/11/2024 - 13:45

    I paid extra for a bulkhead seat on Turkish to Europe. Aircraft type and time got changed due to operational reasons. I got given the option of cancelling for no charge or paying $50 to keep my flight. I paid the $50 but due to the new aircraft having an extra row in front of my selected seat, my 'premium' seat was now in the second row. Asked for compensation and was told 'too bad, you accepted the terms when you paid extra to keep your flight'.

  • Benoffie on 01/11/2024 - 15:36

    It's happened to me but as long as Im not split from my companions then I dont care.

    Sure, it's frustrating. But for the airline it's a puzzle of 300+ customers all wanting their own thing and no one willing to pay for the privilege or upgrade.

    • just-human on 01/11/2024 - 15:38

      Well the issue is I DID pay. If they wanted to change someone who didn’t pay for seat selection or did the bare minimum of asking then it wouldn’t be a problem.

      • Benoffie on 01/11/2024 - 15:39

        Did you get a window seat or upgrade to extra legroom?

        If not, present ticket to customer complaints anda sk for refund of that portion.

        It's not for flight or gate crew to manage.

        • just-human on 01/11/2024 - 15:40

          No, I got changed from a window to a middle seat. I have raised a complaint and will wait (probably a long time) for a reply from the airline.

  • SydStrand on 01/11/2024 - 15:55

    Recently had a similar situation where I booked an aisle seat and a stranger was at the window. We thought we dodged a middle passenger until shortly before takeoff, a family came aboard, so I suspect standby passengers. The wife and kid were further down, and husband was seated in the middle between me and the other guy. He asked if we would swap with his family, which meant myself and window guy would have switched to two middle seats. Nope! He gave us glares and acted sh^tty during the flight; neither of us was fat, but we were both men with both broader than average shoulders, so it admittedly was a pretty crummy flight for family man. But IMO, if it was that important for him, they should have booked earlier and paid for assigned seating. Don't be a cheapskate then have an attitude when other people don't cave just because you brought your kid.

  • Seaword on 01/11/2024 - 16:46

    Happened on a recent EK flight. At the gate was told I had a change and they had split my partner and I as a result of needing to accommodate a family. It was a 7 hour flight. When we booked months ago the plane was only a third booked. How is it my problem of people book after us? Rounded out a generally poor experience with EK.

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