[gorda0817]

We are coming again in August for our family vacation but allways seem to have trouble with our seats so we are considering using the Airline Seat Tracker service to make sure the family was seated together on our return flight where we always seem to have a problem. Has anyone used before?

[Dana]

I have never heard of it or used it. Most airlines (southwest) excluded allows you to choose a seat or assigns you a seat. Which airlines are you booking with?

[smallworld]

I have already chosen my seats for our flights in August. Sometimes, if they have to switch a type of plane due to mechanical issues, the seats get messed up---but I've never been switched out after choosing my seats already.

I've never heard of this seat tracker....Could you provide more information for us?

[gorda0817]

The reason we are trying Airline Seat Tracker is we have had trouble with our seats two out of the last three trips to Orlando. Once on Delta and the last time on US Air and both times is was due to a change in aircraft that casued me and my daughter in one row up front and my husband and other two daughters several rows back so I am willing to pay the $9.95 they charge to make sure we are seated together.

[Dana]

Originally Posted by gorda0817

The reason we are trying Airline Seat Tracker is we have had trouble with our seats two out of the last three trips to Orlando. Once on Delta and the last time on US Air and both times is was due to a change in aircraft that casued me and my daughter in one row up front and my husband and other two daughters several rows back so I am willing to pay the $9.95 they charge to make sure we are seated together.

And this tracker works in coordination with all airlines?

[smallworld]

---I just found the site for this. It looks interesting, but I already have signed up to be notified via text if anything about my flight changes, and that has worked well for me in the past.....If they notify me that my flight has changed planes or something, I will either go online or call to check about seating.

It is frustrating to arrive and find you have been moved. This happened to us on a leg of our flight back from Hawaii.....we were booked into First Class, but they changed planes and the configuration of the plane made First smaller. They apparently made an announcement but we were in the UAL Lounge and they didn't make the announcement there. They put us separate in economy plus, and we had to fight for the refund later.

I have discussed the fact about splitting up families with young children here ago---but it's been a while.

It used to be that the airlines would ask people to change seats to accommodate a parent and child sitting next to us. (I'm talking 30 years ago) My husband and I even gave up good seats once so that we could "get off the ground"---they told us it was a rule due to safety that a parent must be seated with a child. Years later, they messed up our seats coming back from WDW, and seated my 7 year old in between two business men....neither of which wanted to move. They asked for volunteers to give up a seat so I could sit with her, but no go. They told me then that there was nothing they could do---no rule existed. So I sat about 10 rows back from my 7 year old----and felt sorry for the men that had to listen to her talk the whole way about her WDW trip!!! They ended up being very nice to her---opening her milk carton etc. But it was frustrating.

[rlcarmichael]

Here's a link to a similar site. You plug in the airline & flight or route and it shows where the seats are, as well as some additional nice to know things.

Airline Seating Charts - Best Airplane Seats - SeatGuru

The kicker is that planes do get changed for mechanical (mainly) and load reasons so not always 100%.

[shawn15]

Our family recently used the airline seat tracker service and it was great. They notified us our flight had changed departure times and our seats had changed so they reseated us together in a different row but we were all seated together so I would highly recommend their service.

[hanwill]

Really, a business man would not change so that a parent could sit with a 7 year old? There is seriously something wrong with someone who does not offer to help out in a situation like that-Seriously.

I would have been furious.

[smallworld]

Originally Posted by hanwill

Really, a business man would not change so that a parent could sit with a 7 year old? There is seriously something wrong with someone who does not offer to help out in a situation like that-Seriously.

I would have been furious.

I was, but the only thing I could do would be to take another flight, and it didn't work out to do that....

...I even walked up to check on her throughout the flight...you would have thought that somebody would have taken the hint and switched with me.

I just question the reliability of a total stranger to assist a child with an oxygen mask if necessary...

I like to think he regretted his decision in the long run...because he had this chatterbox next to him.....

[gorda0817]

Originally Posted by shawn15

Our family recently used the airline seat tracker service and it was great. They notified us our flight had changed departure times and our seats had changed so they reseated us together in a different row but we were all seated together so I would highly recommend their service.

Can I ask what airline you were flying when you used the service?

[princesslindsey]

I've never heard of this service, but am very interested in it. If you decide to use it, please let us know if it worked for you. I've yet to be on a flight that didn't move our seats around. We can usually ask around and get put back near each other, but it's a pain and makes me so angry when the airlines do that. Especially when they don't bother to inform you ahead of time via text or email that our flight changed, even though we're signed up for the service...

[shawn15]

Originally Posted by gorda0817

Can I ask what airline you were flying when you used the service?

It was a Delta flight and it worked just as they said. Our flight had changed and we were notified and the seats were changed together just as they were before so were were all able to sit together

[dixie]

I know this is a British air line, but Virgin Atlantic let you choose your own seats just by clicking on a plan of the aircraft- just like you would for a theatre booking. Of course those who book later have to have what's left, but I always book our three together outbound and return.

[smallworld]

Originally Posted by dixie

I know this is a British air line, but Virgin Atlantic let you choose your own seats just by clicking on a plan of the aircraft- just like you would for a theatre booking. Of course those who book later have to have what's left, but I always book our three together outbound and return.

I've always been able to book seats ahead of time on UA and other airlines. However, if the airline decides to change airplanes and its a different configuration, "all bets are off" so to speak. That's what happened in the incident I posted about earlier in the thread. I think the tracker would notify you ahead of time if that happens.