Yflyer From United States, joined Feb 2007, 499 posts, RR: 1 Posted (2 years 8 months 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 2277 times:
Today I booked a flight for work using the company's official corporate travel agency's (American Express Travel) online booking tool. Since I don't have to travel very often for my job this was my first experience using their site to book air travel.
So I booked a flight for myself on Delta, and after completing the booking process I noticed the option to change seats. So I went to change my seating assignment, and was a little surprised when the tool happily allowed me to select a seat in an exit row. Should it have allowed me to do this? I thought most airlines wouldn't allow you to select the exit row online. Of course there was a little disclaimer that seat preferences are not gaurenteed, so what are the chances that I'll still have that exit row seat when I check in?
EMBQA From United States, joined Oct 2003, 8434 posts, RR: 19 Reply 1, posted (2 years 8 months 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 2267 times:
Quoting Yflyer (Thread starter): Should it have allowed me to do this? I thought most airlines wouldn't allow you to select the exit
Why say that...?? A seat is a seat and exit rows are no more special.
Quoting Yflyer (Thread starter): Of course there was a little disclaimer that seat preferences are not gaurenteed, so what are the chances that I'll still have that exit row seat when I check in?
I'd say a 99% chance of still having it.
[Edited 2007-04-20 03:06:27]
"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog"
AlexPorter From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 2, posted (2 years 8 months 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 2255 times:
I've been able to select exit row seats online on CO and DL. And I know NW has it available as a Coach Choice upgrade.
I think the difference is that they ask you before you board the plane if you meet all the requirements, and then on board the F/A asks again. But most airlines block them out until the day of flight, when you can request them.
AeroWesty From United States, joined Oct 2004, 15634 posts, RR: 66 Reply 4, posted (2 years 8 months 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 2223 times:
I had no problem selecting an exit row as a non-elite traveling on DL about a year ago. The boarding pass printed out correctly with the seat I selected online.
Yflyer From United States, joined Feb 2007, 499 posts, RR: 1 Reply 5, posted (2 years 8 months 2 days 3 hours ago) and read 2171 times:
Quoting AlexPorter (Reply 2): I've been able to select exit row seats online on CO and DL... But most airlines block them out until the day of flight, when you can request them.
Oddly enough my experience booking flights through CO's website is that the exit rows always appear to be blocked out. I guess it's possible that they're not actually blocked out, but just get snatched up quickly.
Lincoln From United States, joined Nov 2004, 3771 posts, RR: 15 Reply 7, posted (2 years 8 months 2 days 3 hours ago) and read 2137 times:
To the OP-- this is very much an airline by airline thing. In the case of exit rows though the only requirement is that at the time of takeoff the person in that seat (if any) meets certain requirements - understanding english, not posing a hazard to themselves or others, able to operate the exit without causing harm, etc.
Some airlines screen for this at the time of seat assignment (and most will 'remind you' when you check in - even if you're using a kiosk or checking in at home) but ultimately the crew on board makes the decision so if some 90 year old with a walker plops down in the exit row after being rolled on with an asile chair, they should reseat the passenger. (There have been a couple cases, though, where I was sure the FA was blind and/or deaf, but hey, I'm not the professional.
Quoting AirTran737 (Reply 6): Obviously you are not 6"5" like I am and value the extra foot of legroom.
I feel you. I'm not quite that tall (but my dad's 6'7") and I've made special trips to the airport to get exit row seats when I've had to.
Lincoln
CO Is My Airline of Choice || Baggage Claim is an airline's last chance to disappoint a customer || Next flts in profile
Phoenixflyer From United States, joined Aug 2006, 81 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (2 years 8 months 2 days 1 hour ago) and read 2058 times:
Quoting Yflyer (Reply 5): Oddly enough my experience booking flights through CO's website is that the exit rows always appear to be blocked out. I guess it's possible that they're not actually blocked out, but just get snatched up quickly.
I've noticed lately that the seat selection for flights change depending on the flight you're on. Usually the first few rows are just fro elites and then the exit rows appear booked but when selecting seats for flights I was able to choose a bulhead, with the elite seating starting the row back and the emergency exit was available for elites to book. I know it wasn't an equipment thing either because on the next flight it was like I normally see, where the exit row is booked and elites start at the front of the plane. Both were 738's.
AlexPorter From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 10, posted (2 years 8 months 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 2001 times:
Quoting DeltAirlines (Reply 8): Delta allows any non-elite to book seats 24 D/E and 26 A/B/C on the MD-88s, which are both exit rows.
This is what happened to me. I'd never even flown Delta before, but I got 24D online. But it makes sense that it isn't reserved for Elites, since it has limited recline (at the time Seat Guru was saying that 24D had full recline, but that must have been changed with the new interiors).
Quoting Yflyer (Reply 5): Oddly enough my experience booking flights through CO's website is that the exit rows always appear to be blocked out.
I think what happened was that I just monitored the seat map online so much that I got lucky and caught it when it opened up when someone else moved or cancelled.
BMED From United Kingdom (Scotland), joined Dec 2004, 834 posts, RR: 5 Reply 11, posted (2 years 8 months 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 1962 times:
Quoting EMBQA (Reply 1): A seat is a seat and exit rows are no more special
On BD I have never been able to book an exit row even when I was the first person to check in via any method. They online give the seats out via check in desks.
Touch galley, touch trolley...see how many times you can do that without serving anybody whatsoever
DeltAirlines From United States, joined May 1999, 7360 posts, RR: 16 Reply 12, posted (2 years 8 months 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 1909 times:
Quoting AlexPorter (Reply 10): This is what happened to me. I'd never even flown Delta before, but I got 24D online. But it makes sense that it isn't reserved for Elites, since it has limited recline (at the time Seat Guru was saying that 24D had full recline, but that must have been changed with the new interiors).
On nearly every other DL plane, they hold non-reclining exit rows for elites only (Row 17 for 737-800s, Row 26 for 757-200s, both rows on the MD-90s). Only other one I can think of is Row 25 (second bulkhead, first exit row) on the 767-300 Domestic version. Seat 24D/E has never reclined though - been in those seats many times in both types of interior. Interesting thing is DL reserves 25 A/B/C for elites only and those do not recline; however 26 A/B/C do recline and are open to non-elites at time of booking.
(And I'm a little mad 27A/G isn't open on the DL 767-300 I'm booked on today and F is sold out; if my CVG flight is still oversold (I'm #1 on the list for a Vol Denied Boarding); still looks like it's oversold though, so I'll be $200 richer and be suffering in 14A (at least it'll be a full Y and I'll be at the top of the upgrade list).
Cubsrule From United States, joined May 2004, 13857 posts, RR: 14 Reply 13, posted (2 years 8 months 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 1781 times:
NW no longer allows folks (even elites) to reserve exit row seats online. DL has always done it, but they ask you the questions upon booking, again at the gate (or they are supposed to; not all agents do), and on board. I'd say they have their bases covered pretty well. Some DLC carriers (including OH) do not ask the questions on board.
EddieDude From Mexico, joined Nov 2003, 4990 posts, RR: 50 Reply 15, posted (2 years 8 months 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 1701 times:
Quoting AlexPorter (Reply 2): I've been able to select exit row seats online on CO and DL. And I know NW has it available as a Coach Choice upgrade.
Quoting Airplanetire (Reply 3): FF elites can select exit rows online with Delta.
In my experience, as a DL FF elite, I have been able to select exit row seats. However, not too long ago, as a non-elite DL FF, the DL website gave me the opportunity to book an exit row seat on an AM-operated flight. When I got to the airport, they gave me a different seat, so I showed them the printed confirmation and they said that was unusual, since the system should not have let me book that seat.
Yflyer From United States, joined Feb 2007, 499 posts, RR: 1 Reply 16, posted (2 years 8 months 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 1690 times:
If anyone's interested in an update, I looked at my itinerary again today, and my seat assignments had gone back to "unassigned." Just to see if I'd have better luck at delta.com I pulled up my reservation there and tried to select seats there, and it didn't even show any of the seats I had previously selected as available, even though the travel agency's site still did. For one leg it didn't even show any available seats.
HAMAD From United Arab Emirates, joined Apr 2000, 1005 posts, RR: 7 Reply 17, posted (2 years 8 months 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 1647 times:
you can also pre-assign them on 767's. i used to fly delta alot when they had the md 11's and the l1011's and i have been always able to select the exit seats. now the 737's and the 757's, thats a different story, it won't allow it
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