bellowbelle Posted May 10, 2005 Share Posted May 10, 2005 I'm sorry that this is off-topic, but, I can't find a forum online to help me with a few questions I have, and when I call phone numbers I get pre-recorded loops that don't help. Some of you that fly (on planes) may be able to give me some clues. My daughter is going to study in Spain (for college credit, through a school program) for a month. She booked a flight online through cheaptickets.com, and though we think all is well, she'd ordered a PAPER ticket, not an e-ticket, and what she actually did get is an e-ticket. She tried to contact them and change this, and was eventually told via e-mail that she'd have to go to the airline and fix that, and pay to do so. Anyway, she decided to just leave it as an e-ticket. Okay. Fine. But, I am just hoping that THAT is the only discrepancy. Because: She has her itinerary, and she will go from Boston to London to Madrid. Her flight reservation does show up, when we put in her reservation number on the website for British Airways, so her e-ticket is apparently all good. But, for SEAT, her itinerary says, 'not booked,' except for one seat -- one coming back, from Madrid to London. There is an option at the BA website to manage your booking, book a seat, etc.. But, my daughter says that apparently that's only for some kind of business club -- that she can't pre-book a seat. She is confident that she will be assigned a seat when she checks in at the airport, and that she's all set. I don't have the itinerary with me, but, I know that at least part of the trip will be on flight(s) managed by Iberia. Anytime that we've all flown, once or twice -- including British Airways -- we had pre-assigned seats. And, when my daughter took a trip to Finland with two of her friends, they all had pre-assigned seats. I guess I'm partly skeptical since cheaptickets.com was featured on one of the local news station's 'Buyer Beware' segment -- apparently some people have had some problems with them, but I think that they do such a huge business that those were probably isolated cases. (The particular case featured was one where the buyer's ticket was issued to the credit card billing name, which was his parent's name, not his, though apparently that shouldn't have happened -- and so, his ticket was invalid when he tried to fly.) So --- I ask anyone that flies around in the sky and might know -- do you think she should have a seat number? She does plan to travel with a friend, who, incidentally, also got an e-ticket instead of a paper ticket, even though she tried to buy a paper ticket -- but, I don't know if the other girl has an assigned seat or what. I'll be going to the airport with my daughter to see that she gets checked in okay, though I'm sure she'd be fine without me, too! THANKS -- BIG THANKS -- for any help on this one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henk van Aalten Posted May 10, 2005 Share Posted May 10, 2005 Wendy At this side of the ocean all the low-fare companies (EasyJet, Ryan Air, etc.) only offer the possibilities to book on-line, for which you only get an e-ticket (which is just a code). You do not have reserved seats. The first to come in the plane has the most choice of seats. I guess this will be the same in the USA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted May 10, 2005 Share Posted May 10, 2005 Wendy, As Henk says, with cheap airlines here you don't get allocated a seat at all, it is simply a case of getting onto the plane and finding yourself one ! But even with the more "established" airlines it is common to only get given a seat number when you check in for your flight. E-tickets are now considered the "normal" type of ticket, and airlines discourage the use of paper tickets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Mitchell Posted May 10, 2005 Share Posted May 10, 2005 Wendy, I fly a lot and often at short notice so e-tickets are the norm for me and I can't remember the last time I had a pre-reserved seat. On a recent trip from the UK to Charlotte NC via Newark I didn't have a seat reservation until I checked in (even up front). This was with Continental. I was in Madrid in March and again the seat reservation was made on check-in with Iberia. The Iberia flights are often a code share with British Airways. I'm going Easyjet to Berlin in a couple of weeks and I expect open seating on a budget airline. Three times recently I've been asked if I would like to check in at an ATM-style machine. Just put in some sort of ID, frequent fliers card or credit card and you get to choose your own seat. It even found me using an American Airlines frequent flier card when on Continental! I'm sure she'll have a great time in Madrid. Lot's of buskers down in Plaza Major and near the Royal palace. Howard Mitchell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animaterra Posted May 10, 2005 Share Posted May 10, 2005 I've had good luck on Travelocity.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerry Posted May 10, 2005 Share Posted May 10, 2005 (edited) I'll echo what Henk and Stephan said, but also add that your daughter should check in as early as possible. Both Ryan air and Easyjet allocate boarding in groups according to ticket number (not seat number) so they will be able to pretty much choose their own seat. Last time I flew to the US, BA allocated seats at check in. Either way, check in as soon as possible. Edited May 10, 2005 by Gerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Barnert Posted May 10, 2005 Share Posted May 10, 2005 All the responses above that say it's normal no to have an assigned seat seem to be from Europe. I fly 2 or 3 times a year (but rarely transcontinental) and have always had a preassigned seat (and, in the last few years, an e-ticket). I have no idea how to advise you to proceed. As soon as I began reading your post I was suspicious, and was not surprised to read the words 'Buyer Beware' later in the post. I have never heard of cheaptickets.com and always use one of the established sites, like Allison's travelocity.com. Did you find them because you knew someone who had a good experience with them or because their link came up in a web search? The facts that 1) the reservations appear on the BA web site but without the assigned seats and 2) the 'Buyer Beware' segment accused them of screwing up, not stealing someone's money both suggest that the company is guilty of incompetence rather than theft, but that may be of little consolation. Poking around the web site of the Better Business Bureau, I find that "Cheap Tickets," in Nashville, TN (which comes up when I do a search on the web site URL cheaptickets.com) appears to have actually been a member of the BBB since 1991 (before the internet!) and lists these phone numbers: (615) 874-4444, (615) 874-4429, (615) 874-4444, (888) 454-4428 I am concerned that under "Additional DBA Names," severeal web sites are listed, but not "cheaptickets.com." I guess it can't hurt to try to call these numbers, but I wouldn't be too surprised if they tell you they are not affiliated. You might also want to get in touch with your local BBB: BBB of Central New England WWW: http://www.worcester.bbb.org Email: info@worcester.bbb.org Phone: (508)755-2548 Fax: (508)754-4158 339 Main Street Worcester, MA 01608 -1900 Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellowbelle Posted May 10, 2005 Author Share Posted May 10, 2005 Thanks, everyone! Now I'm not so worried about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellowbelle Posted May 10, 2005 Author Share Posted May 10, 2005 (edited) ....I have never heard of cheaptickets.com and always use one of the established sites, like Allison's travelocity.com. Did you find them because you knew someone who had a good experience with them or because their link came up in a web search?.... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Read your post after my 'not worried' post, hehehe.... Well, my daughter chose that agent, though I don't know why she didn't use travelocity.com. I think she and her travel-mate just went with the lowest price. Cheaptickets.com is one that we've heard of for quite a while...maybe more people around here use them. I can't even remember how/where we previously bought tickets -- I haven't flown anywhere for a long time! (..Can't, unless I can hire a house-sitter who's a pitbull manager, too!) As long as she gets on the plane and gets to Spain -- the actual seat doesn't really matter! Just that she gets one. Well, she'll be checking in very early, too. She's going at the end of June, and their actual destination is Salamanca, but they'll land in Madrid. EDIT added... When I look at the e-mail from cheaptickets.com again I'll see if any phone numbers match up with the ones you found, Dave. Edited May 10, 2005 by bellowbelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiminca Posted May 10, 2005 Share Posted May 10, 2005 I once bought tickets online and choose not to select a seat when I purchased the ticket. I didn't care where I sat. This turned out to be a big problem for me, as I had a ticket, but not a confirmed seat, and the flight was over sold. It was recommended to me for the flight home to call and confirm a seat on the airplane to make sure I had one. Just confirming the reservation was not enough. I can't remember what airline, but now I like to know about seating before hand. I guess my advice to to call the airline to confirm that you have a seat reserved. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellowbelle Posted May 11, 2005 Author Share Posted May 11, 2005 I once bought tickets online and choose not to select a seat when I purchased the ticket. I didn't care where I sat. This turned out to be a big problem for me, as I had a ticket, but not a confirmed seat, and the flight was over sold.... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> THAT is what I have been worried about. So, I'll mention this to my daughter, and if she doesn't want to call the airline, then maybe I'll call...she won't mind if I do -- she's going to be busy with this semester's final exams, soon. Dave... From what I gather after looking at the phone number on our statement, that's the same Cheap Tickets -- it's in TN. I think that, first, though, I'll call British Airways, and if we are all set with them, I won't call cheaptickets. Good to have those other numbers, though, just in case! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted May 11, 2005 Share Posted May 11, 2005 I once bought tickets online and choose not to select a seat when I purchased the ticket. ... This turned out to be a big problem for me, as I had a ticket, but not a confirmed seat, and the flight was over sold. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I don't know of an airline in Europe that offers that facility on economy flights, but I have never had a problem getting a seat (and I'm almost always late turning up at check-in too ! ) However, it would be better to follow Gerry's advice and check in early, as seats are allocated on a "first come, first served" basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Mitchell Posted May 11, 2005 Share Posted May 11, 2005 I once bought tickets online and choose not to select a seat when I purchased the ticket. ... This turned out to be a big problem for me, as I had a ticket, but not a confirmed seat, and the flight was over sold. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> It doesn't matter if you've got a confirmed seat or not. If the flight is overbooked, someone will get bounced. It happens more often on US internal flights, not often in Europe and rarely on intercontinental. In 30 years of flying I've been bounced with no option only once on an internal US flight (They gave me $100 dollars compensation on a flight which cost $100 and I went 1 hour later). I've been offered increasing compensation maybe 5 times until someone took the offer. Howard Mitchell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted May 11, 2005 Share Posted May 11, 2005 It doesn't matter if you've got a confirmed seat or not. If the flight is overbooked, someone will get bounced. It happens more often on US internal flights, not often in Europe and rarely on intercontinental.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Could very well depend on local government rules, though I think at least in Europe and North America the rules are set out in multi-government treaties. Anybody know of a web site that (reliably) summarizes the rules in and between the various countries? By the way, I once had the pleasure of being bumped up to first class, because coach was oversold but there were some unsold seats in first class. The seat was wonderfully comfortable and I could have all the alcohol I wanted. What a waste! I had gone straight to the airport from a session (free beer for the musicians), and I had already had all I wanted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Mitchell Posted May 11, 2005 Share Posted May 11, 2005 By the way, I once had the pleasure of being bumped up to first class, because coach was oversold but there were some unsold seats in first class. The seat was wonderfully comfortable and I could have all the alcohol I wanted. What a waste! I had gone straight to the airport from a session (free beer for the musicians), and I had already had all I wanted. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> At the risk of getting seriously off-topic. Last year I had the pleasure of being bumped up to first from business on three separate occasions with American Airlines. I was getting used to it so on my last trip to Indianapolis when I was given seat 1A I thought I was in for the champagne treatment. But... American (and now Continental and Canadian) have removed the first class cabin. Just coach and business. What is the world coming to. The best "comfort" in business on AA is Bose noise-cancelling headphones. The jets disappear and the sound quality is good. All we need is some concertina pieces on the in-flight entertainment (struggling deperately to get back on topic). Howard Mitchell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken_Coles Posted May 11, 2005 Share Posted May 11, 2005 Howard, you were in Indianapolis last year, and you didn't tell us? Tsk, tsk. Ken (still off topic) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Mitchell Posted May 11, 2005 Share Posted May 11, 2005 Howard, you were in Indianapolis last year, and you didn't tell us? Tsk, tsk. Ken (still off topic) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Just a flying visit, Ken (Pun intended). I've finished in Indi now and moved on from aerospace to construction industries. Goodness knows where I'll end up next. Howard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted May 11, 2005 Share Posted May 11, 2005 Ah well, Ken and Howard, The title of the thread is off-topic. So the only way to be on topic is to be off topic. What fun. Helen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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