After flying quite a bit the past few days, I’ve noticed one thing: I’ve always been stuck in the first handful of rows, next to the window. Like, rows 7 and below.
This got me to thinking, 95% of the flights I can remember, I have been in row 7 or below, by the window. What gives? Is there some sort of pattern or security measure that says “Put the guy with the laptop who wants to sleep by the window, so that he can’t sleep and he’s sorta crowded in?”. Or perhaps it’s a case of “He knows too much. Put him forward so he can’t watch the wings. . .”.
Am I on to something, or am I just noticing a coincidence?
Tripler
Back, and dead tired from the trip.
After reading the OP and it sounding (to me) more like a rant, I’d like to rephrase:
Is there some sort of pattern or system that they know what passenger is generally assigned where? Like, is it in reverse alphabetical order, or does the ticketing system simply assign seats “first come - first served”? I don’t ever recall expressing a preference with tickets (save for my first few flights waaaaaay back), and it sorta seems too common to be a coincidence. . .
How do you book your tickets? Have you ever told a travel agent that you have a preference for seats in a certain area?
I have never been habitually assigned to one particular seat. My brother, who flies a lot on business, tends to ask for the same seat and he gets it most of the time.
The airlines do tend to assign the exit rows last or save them for their elite frequent flyers.
There might be something saved in some travel agent’s computer that says you like that type of seat.
Whenever I’ve bought an airline ticket, I always ask when the earliest date is that I can call and request a specific seat, and then I call and can have almost any seat I want. If you are reserving close to departure, you have to take what’s left, but can still get a specific seat if available. I think America West has a first-come, first-served system, which I don’t like. I know they save a few for disabled, elderly, and people with children; also they need someone with physical strength to sit near the emergency door. You can go online to the airline site for some airlines and look at a schematic of the seats for the type of plane you are flying; then you can tell the reservations clerk the exact seat number that you want. If no specific seat is requested, I think they have a system they follow because they seem to fill the plane from the back forward. Also, the middle seat usually isn’t assigned unless the plane is full. Maybe someone from the airlines can tell us what system their airline follows.
I’m a United Premier Executive traveler, but travel coach on most of my flights. United reserves the first few rows behind first class for Premier passengers. This allows the frequent flier to board earlier (according to Zone); this allows FFs to deplane a little more quickly. I’ve noticed that if they have more desserts in first class than they’ve distributed, they do offer them to the people in the first few rows in coach. The service is a little bit better in these rows, but not much. If an upgrade is possible for a coach Premier flier to go to first class, they can easily re-seat if the passenger is close to the first class compartment.
Most business types prefer aisle seats so that they’re not squeezed in and have elbow room for that important Free Cell game. The most popular seating for two execs traveling together is adjacent aisles. When you board by Zone, the window seats board first (ensuring that you can find room in the overhead bin for your carry-on) and that you aren’t stumbling over someone seated in an aisle seat. This might have shifted seat preference from aisle to window.
There are other seating restrictions, some available at the boarding gate only or by direct contact with United. Able-bodied passengers are assigned exit rows so that they can assist in an emergency. Traditionally these were offered to military passengers, but times have changed. What if the lieutenant is pregnant? Personally I’d trust a pregnant lieutenant more than a person with a broken leg that needs the extra room afforded by an exit row.
There has been some dissention from the militant blind community that believes that in an emergency they would be the best to direct passengers by their instincts and ability to perform difficult tasks in the dark. This is still an open debate.
There’s a complex side to seating; for example, if a couple travelling with twins under the age of two (lap children) ask to be seated together, that seating should be denied. There are only a few rows where four oxygen masks are available in a three person row. The couple is usually assigned adjacent aisle seats in these rows (making the window seat passenger even more a victim). This is, of course, an infrequent situation, but one that is part of an airline’s master seating plan.
I wrote specs for automated seating assignment about twenty years ago and was totally amazed by the variables that can present themselves.
Bottom line? Air travel is a mess for airlines and passengers.
I work for an airline, at the ticket counter. Only 2/3 of the aircraft is available to be pre-assigned by the reservation agents. The first 6 rows, the two center emergency rows, and the last row are held till the day of departure, and cannot be pre-assigned. The exit rows are only assigned to those people who are physically able to perform the duty of assisting the flight crew should the need arise. Also if you are traveling with a person who is unable to sit in an exit row (young children, elderly, or physically unable)you cannot sit in an exit row. The thought being you would see to the safety of your kids three rows up before you assisted the flight crew. The last row is also near an exit so same applies. First six rows are held, as a courtesy to frequent flyers, and in the event we have, say, a family of five who were unable to get advanced seats, we generally are able to seat them together, day of departure. This is the policy for the airline I work for, and we are a very small operation operating a fleet of 20+ 737’s, so it does not reflect on the industry as a whole, but I can’t believe it differs that much from airline to airline. My advice is, to ask when you make your reservation, and arrive early to ensure that the seat you want is the seat you get. If the only flight you are able to fly on has only center seats available to be pre-assigned, TAKE THE CENTER SEAT, and get there early enough to change. If you come to the airport for an oversold flight and you don’t have a pre-assigned seat, you will be the first person considerd to be bumped. but if it isn’t over sold the first six rows are there to help out folks with the crummy center seat.
Any other airline questions, I’d be glad to help, but I only have the perspective of working for two airlines. One really crappy outfit that treats people like cattle, and one that treats thier customers internal, and the public alike, like human beings.
My dad works for an airline and travels quite a lot, usually doing his own seat reservations, and also reserving seats for any other family or friends who are traveling.
He says the first few rows of coach class are usually saved for the very-frequent fliers (as a perk - they only have to wait for first class to get out), as well as stand-by passengers (including airline employees) who are waiting at the gate for all of the regular passengers to board.
Presumably, it facillitates quicker boarding for the stand-by passengers, since they don’t have to walk to the back of the plane before the crew shuts the door and gets ready to take off.
This is also going to vary by airline and by flight. We’ve flown SAS transatlantic a number of times, and they tend to assign the first few rows of coach to those travelling with children. On domestic flights they don’t assign seats, but there are signs on the first few rows indicating that unaccompanied minors and families with small children have priority.
The seat selection code for airlines can be pretty complex and to make matters even more confusing they have different algorithms (methods) for seating depending on the aircraft type, capacity, load (how many passengers), etc.
On the system I’ve seen, the most common method is one that leaves space between passengers and only fills that when it has to. Of course the agents can override this and put you in any specific seat they feel like, so be nice to them!
As others have suggested, try to get your seat assignment when you book your reservation and get there early. You can request specific parts of the plane to sit in (back, front, left, right, window, aisle, middle, etc). You can request the exit row for more legroom but you have to pass certain criteria before they’ll allow you to sit there (must be of certain age, able to operate the door in case of emergency, not obstruct others egress).
So a few of you say that the first 6 rows or so are generally (but not always the case) reserved for frequent flyers – which would seem logical as I tend to think I fly a lot more than the average person (4 - 6 flights a year, nowadays). So lemme ask this: How do they know I’m a frequent flyer?
I would fly back and forth from college to home during the summer and Christmas (between NJ and AZ), and usually the First National Bank of Mom and Dad would book tickets online. Sometimes, I would do it online myself. Now that I’m all growed up and a big boy, I do the dirty work myself with my own credit cards. All of this was usually done on one particular airline. So, this would lead me to believe that customer tracking is done at the counter when I show my ID. Yeah, my folks bought the ticket way back, but I was always the one showing the photo ID to board the airplane. Is there some sort of “customer ID” they give you, and track you from there?
Tripler
I get better service? I ain’t complaining. . .
If you don’t have a frequent flyer number or a frequent flyer card or something to identify you as a frequent flyer, then you are most likely not in the program. While it’s possible their reservations system could search for your name in a database, the systems I’m familiar with involve a registration process that results in you getting a distinct I.D. number. If you want to be a member of their program (and if you fly a lot you should) just ask an agent at a computer terminal (preferably when they’re not overly busy).
As for the first six rows, if the rest of the airplane is full already (i.e. if you didn’t get your seat assignment until you showed up at the gate) they will give you one of those seats if they have one available. On the same token, if they overbook (I should say when) you may get bumped up to first class if there’s space available there. Count your lucky stars when this happens - first class is heaven compared to coach. Conversely, you may get bumped off the flight completely if they’ve overbooked too many.
I’ve worked on airline reservation systems since 1989, and can tell you without a doubt there IS a system. Airlines do designate seats as desirable or not desirable based on many factors, including proximity to the front of the plane. Seats that are neither on an aisle or next to a window are deemed less desirable. Also, a seat that is next to an occupied seat “loses points” in the desirability area. Given all these factors, if your goal is to have an open seat next to you on a flight, you’re best off requesting an aisle or window seat towards the back (but not in the back row, since those seats often don’t recline) of the airplane. The seat next to you will be considered very undesirable by the reservation system - it’s not near the front, not on an aisle or window, and has someone sitting in the seat next to it. Those are always the last to be assigned.
ca_germ and D-bear (or any other insiders): If I was assigned a center or aisle seat, when’s the earliest I can request a window? D-bear says the first 6 rows (plus a few others) get released the day of departure; does this mean I can call 1-800 Delta (or whatever) at 12:01 a.m. on the day of departure and get this done? Or do I have to show up at the gate/airport to get this done?
I really hate all seats except the window seat and would gladly get up at midnight to ensure I get one!
for the airline I work for the first 6 rows, and the exit rows can only be assigned at the airport the day of departure 4 hours befor the filght is scheduled to depart. The only published number is for reservations, and they don’t have access to the flight to assign seats on the day of departure. My advise is to show up about 90 minutes early, and you should have no trouble getting at least an O.K. seat. also If you are conecting to another airline (like Denver to Kansas City on my airline, and K.C. to St. Louis on TWA) check in with me and then go to the TWA counter in Denver to check in for your conecting flight. I will Interline your bag so it is ramp transfered in K.C. to TWA, and you can get your seat assignment, and boarding pass for your conecting flight in the originating city. this is not always possible, some airlines insist you get the boarding pass in the city you fly from, but 99% will check you in anywhere, assuring that you don’t get the dreaded center seat.
In the planes which fly us about in my area, the passenger at the back gets to play flight attendant because that is where the food and drink cannisters are found. “Party bus” would be a pretty good descriptor for most of the flights.
You should be able to request a window seat at the same time you can request any other. Most airlines have between a 90-120 “advanced” period, where most seats on the aircraft are available to be assigned. BUT, due to slight differences in plane configurations and the airline not knowing exactly which plane will be used for your flight, the entire seat map isn’t open for advanced seating until usually the night before or morning of the flight. Technically there’s no reason you can’t request an emergency exit row seat in advance (those usually have more leg room), but again, some airlines have policies that those seats are only available when you check in for the flight so the agent can verify you’re physically able to open the exit door & get the hell out of everyone else’s way. Another variable in all this mess is whether or not you’re a frequent flyer, and if so, whether you’re an “elite” or “gold” member of the airline’s program. Some airlines (typically the larger ones whose systems can support this functionality) block off “preferred” seats that are only available to frequent travellers in the advanced period. Typically the preferred seats are bulkhead seats and the window/aisle seats in a few of the rows toward the front of the plane.
I’m with AWB on the whole front of the plane mania - I’d much rather be toward the back of the plane where you can usually spread out a bit more. I’ll take the extra 3 minutes delay on arrival in exchange for 3 hours of a bit more comfort.
…I speak from experience of working for two airlines, four travel agencies, and a chemical company for which I am the “travel guru” (Travel Manager)…
As far as the OP is concerned and the supposed pattern that you’ve experienced, I’d say that there is a minor pattern at work. That is, you probably got those seats because no seating was assigned to you upon the purchase of your ticket and you got what was left over.
As far as the other questions that have arisen since the OP, my answer to that is “depends”.
Depends on the airline, fare you paid, from whom the ticket was purchased, how far in advance the ticket is issued, your frequent flyer membership status on the airline you’re flying, whim of the airline, etc.
Your best guide through the maze that is the airline industry is a professional travel agent.
Yes, chances are that a travel agent will charge you a service fee, whereas perhaps they didn’t as little as a few months ago, but a professional’s advice certainly helps.
Especially finding an agent that’s a CTC (Certified Travel Counselor), or who works on large corporate accounts. They tend to know their stuff more than someone fresh out of travel school.
…flyboy88… if you are assigned a middle seat, the earliest you can request an aisle or window is immediately. If middle seats are can be assigned, then so are aisle and window seats. There’s no guarantee that there are any AVAILABLE at that time, though. The chances are that you got the middle seat BECAUSE all aisle and windows were already assigned.
Bottom line… ASK for your preferred seating. Be it aisle, window, port, starboard, forward, rear, etc. But exit row seating is usually only available to be assigned at check-in. The airline wants to see that you’re an able-bodied person willing to help with emergency exits.
