So I have a question, today on my B6 flight from BOS I checked in 24 hours before and kept my seat consistent all the way through from the original booking, but as I went to board. It appeared the gate agents had given my seat to someone else (an Aisle) and they had boarded before me.
Now i will say I did get an even more space seat as a trade off once I complained a little bit but it was a middle which is not what I had originally wanted

So my question, is how/why did this happen? I’m just curious more than anything because it’s the first time and I was highly surprised

Again, I got a reasonable trade, so this is not a complaint per say, I am just wondering about it

You get people who travel together, but are seated separately, and they think if they board with the person they're traveling with and take your seat, you have no choice, but to move. I wouldn't necessarily say the gate agent gave your seat to somebody else, but chances are the one person decided to change seats once on board, and the gate agent wouldn't have a clue. I've had this happen once before, and I was not impressed. Ended up being moved from the front of the plane to the back of the plane, and I already had a tight connection because the first flight was delayed.

It might be that a frequent flyer with a high status checked in late and requested an aisle seat, so the person on the check in desk gave them your seat.
Or maybe there was something wrong with your seat. Maybe the entertainment didn't work or the recline function, so they blocked the seat and gave it to a non-rev airline employee.
Maybe there was an aircraft change with a different cabin layout and they had to shuffle around some passengers.
Or a family/couple travelling together checked in late when no neighboring seats were available anymore and asked at the gate for a seat change to sit together.
That's what I could think of.

My first thought is that a family or group was traveling together, didn't book far enough in advance to sit together, and then whined to the gate agent or someone in customer service about it and you were the recipient of that. People who are traveling alone are almost always the ones who get their seats changed when another group or individual needs to be accommodated or whines about not being able to sit together.

Layout or A/C changes happen. Once had my seat changed 3 times within 2 hours because they couldn't find a suitable A/C.

seems everytime my family (4) has traveled we've never been given any priority to stay together as a family. Never.

CosmicCruiser wrote:

seems everytime my family (4) has traveled we've never been given any priority to stay together as a family. Never.

You probably need to do a better job of whining to the gate agent...

Well I've got to ask, how come you didn't ask when raising the issue with the gate agent? I'm sure they would have gave you some excuse.

Phil
FlyingColours

FlyingColours wrote:

Well I've got to ask, how come you didn't ask when raising the issue with the gate agent? I'm sure they would have gave you some excuse.

Sometimes you don't find these things out until after you get on board the plane. The last time this happened with me, I didn't know that somebody had taken my seat until I was already on the plane. At that point, unless you walk off the plane, there's not much you'd be able to do with the gate agent.

AirKevin wrote:

Sometimes you don't find these things out until after you get on board the plane. The last time this happened with me, I didn't know that somebody had taken my seat until I was already on the plane. At that point, unless you walk off the plane, there's not much you'd be able to do with the gate agent.

The FAs didn't attempt to sort it out with the gate agent? Was the other party definitely in the correct seat?

vikkyvik wrote:

AirKevin wrote:

Sometimes you don't find these things out until after you get on board the plane. The last time this happened with me, I didn't know that somebody had taken my seat until I was already on the plane. At that point, unless you walk off the plane, there's not much you'd be able to do with the gate agent.

The FAs didn't attempt to sort it out with the gate agent? Was the other party definitely in the correct seat?

One passenger was definitely in the correct seat, the other (the one in my seat) was definitely NOT in the correct seat and even admitted this to me when I got there. As this flight was on board a CRJ-200, there was only one flight attendant, so she would have been more concerned with the actual boarding process rather than dealing with the gate agent, especially since the flight was already delayed by the inbound aircraft being late because of fog.

So how did you know which seat to sit in? Did they really change your seat or did you just sit somewhere else?

Zeke2517 wrote:

So how did you know which seat to sit in? Did they really change your seat or did you just sit somewhere else?

The passenger who was sitting in my seat told me which seat they were originally sitting in. My original seat was 2A, the seat they were originally in was 11B.

AirKevin wrote:

Zeke2517 wrote:

So how did you know which seat to sit in? Did they really change your seat or did you just sit somewhere else?

The passenger who was sitting in my seat told me which seat they were originally sitting in. My original seat was 2A, the seat they were originally in was 11B.

Sounds like that passenger just took your seat. When you officially get assigned a new seat, you would receive a new boarding pass before/when boarding the aircraft.
Next time this happens, talk to the flight attendant and they will resolve the issue. They can ask you to switch seats, but they will not make you.

Horstroad wrote:

Sounds like that passenger just took your seat.

Yes, that's what I said.

Horstroad wrote:

When you officially get assigned a new seat, you would receive a new boarding pass before/when boarding the aircraft.

Yes, I'm aware of that.

Horstroad wrote:

Next time this happens, talk to the flight attendant and they will resolve the issue. They can ask you to switch seats, but they will not make you.

I talked to the flight attendant, she told me to go take that seat and it would get sorted later. Needless to say it did not get sorted later. The guy in 11A didn't care if he got the window or not, so I ended up switching with him. The flight was already delayed enough that by the time we landed in ORD, I had just 8 minutes to run to the gate to catch my next flight, so it was a case of either deal with it and try to make my next flight or push the matter further and risk a bigger delay, possibly missing my next flight.

AirKevin wrote:

vikkyvik wrote:

AirKevin wrote:

Sometimes you don't find these things out until after you get on board the plane. The last time this happened with me, I didn't know that somebody had taken my seat until I was already on the plane. At that point, unless you walk off the plane, there's not much you'd be able to do with the gate agent.

The FAs didn't attempt to sort it out with the gate agent? Was the other party definitely in the correct seat?

One passenger was definitely in the correct seat, the other (the one in my seat) was definitely NOT in the correct seat and even admitted this to me when I got there. As this flight was on board a CRJ-200, there was only one flight attendant, so she would have been more concerned with the actual boarding process rather than dealing with the gate agent, especially since the flight was already delayed by the inbound aircraft being late because of fog.

If the passenger has admitted they are trying to pull a fast one, and you don't want to play ball, then just stand there until they move to their correct seat. I've done it before. They tut at you, but they have no choice.
Also had flight attendants ask if I will move seat to allow a family to sit together. I check what seat it is, and if I don't like it, politely decline, explaining that this seat was chosen specifically, say for long legs! Nothing more is said.

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For the OP question - perhaps there is somebody traveling in a group that needs to stay together (i.e. minors, people requiring additional assistance, etc.)? I mean, B6 doesn't want to be in the news on how they "separate 2,4,6 years old from their parents" .

I was moved by a GA being "helpful" to me, from a middle seat near back of plane to aisle closer to front. I asked about it, said he appreciated my status and moved me (which was nice), but I was traveling with a coworker and wanted to be next to him. So the GA moved me back. I did tell him I appreciated the thought, and if I were by myself I would have been very grateful.

I guess I must look "easy."
Several times over the years I've been asked by another passenger to give up my aisle seat and take their middle seat. I've always refused. They should have planned ahead, I did.

I feel that the GA should, at lease ask the passenger originally assigned to the seat first, before switching the seat assignment then without asking.