Room change made by Amtrak

[Devil's Advocate]

I've flown hundreds of times but I've never seen some random family bump me out of a preassigned seat just because they wanted to sit together.

I got bumped out of my preassigned window seat because the family's kid wanted a window seat.

How were you bumped by a child? Did he steal your boarding pass and replace it with his own?

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

I've flown hundreds of times but I've never seen some random family bump me out of a preassigned seat just because they wanted to sit together.

I got bumped out of my preassigned window seat because the family's kid wanted a window seat.

How were you bumped by a child? Did he steal your boarding pass and replace it with his own?

No, when I checked in, my boarding pass had an isle seat. I boarded and easily saw with my own eyes, the kid sitting in the seat I had reserved.

 

[Notelvis]

I've never, ever, EVER had a specific selected seat "moved" by an airline. Not once.

I'm going to bet that you never flew US Air out of Charlotte, NC then. We stopped flying with that airline because my family would never get the seats we were originally assigned when flying with them from Charlotte. Flying alone this is not an issue. Flying with an under 10 years old autistic child this becomes a huge problem when no one at US Air felt that that was sufficient reason to seat us together (or at least two of us) after they had reassigned the seats we originally purchased.

 

[BCL]

Oh, it happens. The airlines call the seat selection a "seat preference". Passengers have been bumped before, especially if there's a frequent flier paying full fare. United says a schedule change, equipment change, or "unforeseen circumstances" may result in a seat change, and that seat selection isn't guaranteed. It's the "unforeseen circumstances" that may include all sorts of things such as keeping groups with children together or the frequent flier.

I've flown hundreds of times but I've never seen some random family bump me out of a preassigned seat just because they wanted to sit together.

There are a number of ways this might happen, and one was mentioned by a previous poster, that the "selected" seat was noticeably different upon check-in. Another is that once on-board, the flight attendants attempt to shuffle around passengers, especially if it's a special needs child or a particularly young one. My wife has asked before flight attendant intervention was needed, and they've almost always done it rather than endure sitting next to a four year old without a parent. Often the flight attendants will offer something like a refund of any seat selection fees, free drink coupons, or vouchers. It could potentially escalate to an order, although that's rare.

This is nothing compared to a train. I know some people like having two seats to themselves, but of course once the attendants need to shuffle passengers to place groups on the same reservation together, they will.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I've flown hundreds of times but I've never seen some random family bump me out of a preassigned seat just because they wanted to sit together.

I got bumped out of my preassigned window seat because the family's kid wanted a window seat.

How were you bumped by a child? Did he steal your boarding pass and replace it with his own?

No, when I checked in, my boarding pass had an isle seat. I boarded and easily saw with my own eyes, the kid sitting in the seat I had reserved.

So you had a window seat when you booked. There was no cancellation or change in equipment or schedule change or any other communication from the airline. Then when you checked in you had an aisle seat? What did the check-in counter have to say about it?

Oh, it happens. The airlines call the seat selection a "seat preference". Passengers have been bumped before, especially if there's a frequent flier paying full fare. United says a schedule change, equipment change, or "unforeseen circumstances" may result in a seat change, and that seat selection isn't guaranteed. It's the "unforeseen circumstances" that may include all sorts of things such as keeping groups with children together or the frequent flier.

I've flown hundreds of times but I've never seen some random family bump me out of a preassigned seat just because they wanted to sit together.

There are a number of ways this might happen, and one was mentioned by a previous poster, that the "selected" seat was noticeably different upon check-in. Another is that once on-board, the flight attendants attempt to shuffle around passengers, especially if it's a special needs child or a particularly young one. My wife has asked before flight attendant intervention was needed, and they've almost always done it rather than endure sitting next to a four year old without a parent. Often the flight attendants will offer something like a refund of any seat selection fees, free drink coupons, or vouchers. It could potentially escalate to an order, although that's rare. This is nothing compared to a train. I know some people like having two seats to themselves, but of course once the attendants need to shuffle passengers to place groups on the same reservation together, they will.

The only time my seats have changed between booking and boarding pass is when there was a cancellation or equipment change or schedule modification as described previously. If someone moves on their own voluntarily after boarding then that's not a "bump" by any definition of which I am aware. I would not advise trying to order someone to change seats just because you booked later than they did and feel entitled to their seats. Captains have final discretion on who flies and rather than risk any trouble they are often inclined to throw both sides of a feud off the aircraft.

 

[BCL]

Oh, it happens. The airlines call the seat selection a "seat preference". Passengers have been bumped before, especially if there's a frequent flier paying full fare. United says a schedule change, equipment change, or "unforeseen circumstances" may result in a seat change, and that seat selection isn't guaranteed. It's the "unforeseen circumstances" that may include all sorts of things such as keeping groups with children together or the frequent flier.

I've flown hundreds of times but I've never seen some random family bump me out of a preassigned seat just because they wanted to sit together.

There are a number of ways this might happen, and one was mentioned by a previous poster, that the "selected" seat was noticeably different upon check-in. Another is that once on-board, the flight attendants attempt to shuffle around passengers, especially if it's a special needs child or a particularly young one. My wife has asked before flight attendant intervention was needed, and they've almost always done it rather than endure sitting next to a four year old without a parent. Often the flight attendants will offer something like a refund of any seat selection fees, free drink coupons, or vouchers. It could potentially escalate to an order, although that's rare. This is nothing compared to a train. I know some people like having two seats to themselves, but of course once the attendants need to shuffle passengers to place groups on the same reservation together, they will.

The only time my seats have changed between booking and boarding pass is when there was a cancellation or equipment change or schedule modification as described previously. If someone moves on their own voluntarily after boarding then that's not a "bump" by any definition of which I am aware. I would not advise trying to order someone to change seats just because you booked later than they did and feel entitled to their seats. Captains have final discretion on who flies and rather than risk any trouble they are often inclined to throw both sides of a feud off the aircraft.

There's certainly the voluntary bump or one that was plied with an offer of compensation. I'm not necessarily talking about parents who insist their families stay together, where I've heard of such ordered off the plane by the captain. I'm thinking of a flight attendant who can't get anyone to move, who then makes it an order that can be enforced by the captain. They certainly don't want to deal with something like a two-year old sitting alone. That's just a recipe for disaster. The kid is going to seek out the parent, and the parent is going to be constantly leaning over other passengers when the kid needs attention.

If I'm on Amtrak and have a seat by myself and an Amtrak employee reassigns me so that a pair/group can be seated together, I live with that.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Dick: Don't you qualify for the H Room on Viewliners due to your walking situation?

I am trying to remember.... isn't the H room always at the end of the car furthest from the dining car?

Every time I've been in the "H" Room on Viewliners ( Lake Shore,Cardinal, Crescent and the Silvers) it has been in the Sleeper next to the Diner and only a few steps away from the entrance to the Diner.

Perhaps I was lucky! ( BTW-most people consider the H Room on Viewliners the Best Accommodations that Amtrak has on offer!)

 

[PVD]

The first viewliner sleeper in a single level consist would have the H room directly adjacent to the dining car, it provides the vestibule/exit for the diner. Of course, with each additional car, the H room is further away. That's why VLs are normally predictable in which side a room is on, unlike SL.

 

[JoeBas]

I've never, ever, EVER had a specific selected seat "moved" by an airline. Not once.

I have had my seats moved by the airline many times, mainly as the result of equipment changes, schedule changes, misconnections, or cancellations.

Well yeah, obviously I'm not including IRROPS. I'm just talking about showing up for your flight and finding out you're in 56B instead of your booked 22C.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I've never, ever, EVER had a specific selected seat "moved" by an airline. Not once.

I have had my seats moved by the airline many times, mainly as the result of equipment changes, schedule changes, misconnections, or cancellations.

Well yeah, obviously I'm not including IRROPS. I'm just talking about showing up for your flight and finding out you're in 56B instead of your booked 22C.

Well, to be fair you made it sound like you had never, ever, EVER had a seat moved even once in your entire life.

 

[willem]

If there are no rooms across from each other then maybe Amtrak should suggest another train or another date or another route rather than casually moving an already booked passenger into another random room willy-nilly.

I had two rooms reserved across the aisle from each other, and when we boarded, we were told one of the rooms had been moved. At least it was still in the same car.

 

[JoeBas]

I've never, ever, EVER had a specific selected seat "moved" by an airline. Not once.

I have had my seats moved by the airline many times, mainly as the result of equipment changes, schedule changes, misconnections, or cancellations.

Well yeah, obviously I'm not including IRROPS. I'm just talking about showing up for your flight and finding out you're in 56B instead of your booked 22C.

Well, to be fair you made it sound like you had never, ever, EVER had a seat moved even once in your entire life.

Well, TBH, speaking SOLELY for myself, this never HAS happened involuntarily even in an IRROPS situation, I'd imagine that it's been my good luck as I'm not a "Road Warrior" but certainly have hundreds of flights under my belt. (I once missed a gate change announcement @ ATL while drinking and watching a ballgame at an airport bar, and was re-accomodated on a later flight, but that's not the airline's fault. All other seat changes have been voluntary when asked while on board).

 

[happy2meetu]

My wife and I have two trips booked and have taken care to book them far enough in advance to get two roomettes across from one another. I can say that any attempt to change that will be met with a pretty strong disagreement. Do rooms booked and paid for like this get changed often?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

If there are no rooms across from each other then maybe Amtrak should suggest another train or another date or another route rather than casually moving an already booked passenger into another random room willy-nilly.

I had two rooms reserved across the aisle from each other, and when we boarded, we were told one of the rooms had been moved. At least it was still in the same car.

To the best of my knowledge SCA's are supposed to honor the original reservation unless there is something seriously deficient or potentially dangerous with the original room. An SCA can ask you to change rooms on behalf of another traveler, or because of a double booking or other exceptional circumstance, but I don't believe they're authorized to move people around otherwise. The next time an SCA tells you that your room has changed ask to see the printed manifest first. That should clear up who made the change. Unfortunately the only practical recourse is to take the room given and then call Amtrak for a voucher. Technically the conductor is above the SCA but it's rare to see them pull rank in order to settle a dispute in the customer's favor.

 

[willem]

As I recall, the attendant switched one room on his own authority based on the request of a passenger who boarded upstream from me. The attendant said that he would not have shifted the rooms if he had realized there were two people traveling together.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

I've flown hundreds of times but I've never seen some random family bump me out of a preassigned seat just because they wanted to sit together.

I got bumped out of my preassigned window seat because the family's kid wanted a window seat.

How were you bumped by a child? Did he steal your boarding pass and replace it with his own?

No, when I checked in, my boarding pass had an isle seat. I boarded and easily saw with my own eyes, the kid sitting in the seat I had reserved.

So you had a window seat when you booked. There was no cancellation or change in equipment or schedule change or any other communication from the airline. Then when you checked in you had an aisle seat? What did the check-in counter have to say about it?

As I remember it, it was a like a casual, "oh by the way, we had to move you to seat....". I just wanted to be on my way, and didn't think to ask why. If the counter person was more frank, like "we had to move you because we like this other passenger better, and their kid really wanted a windows seat", I might have stopped and more clearly addressed the change.

 

[jis]

I've never, ever, EVER had a specific selected seat "moved" by an airline. Not once.

Likewise. About 30 flights or more a year, over 75,000 miles each year for the last 20 or so years. Haven't had an assigned seat changed by the airline even once without asking for my approval, unless of course an aircraft substitution with a different type was involved that did not have the original seat at all. Even then I was given an opportunity to select another seat.

 

[me_little_me]

I've never, ever, EVER had a specific selected seat "moved" by an airline. Not once.

Likewise. About 30 flights or more a year, over 75,000 miles each year for the last 20 or so years. Haven't had an assigned seat changed by the airline even once without asking for my approval, unless of course an aircraft substitution with a different type was involved that did not have the original seat at all. Even then I was given an opportunity to select another seat.

I have. And on our planned trip next month outbound on plane with multiple stops on the train coming home, it almost happened.

Delta sent change emails on 3 different occasions for our flights, changing flight times for each one. No seat changes on any of them. AFTER the last change, I went to their site by coincidence, and discovered that on our first flight, it showed our seats as unselected even though nothing else changed! I quickly reselected our seats before anyone else could grab them. I checked my email and after the third Delta change, we had our seats. Don't know how they suddenly got unselected.