Air2Sea - How did I mess this up?

[RoadtoNowhere73]

Our December Oasis of the Seas cruise will be our family's first experience with RC, but our 4th cruise. We booked in August 2023 and took advantage of the Air2Sea reservation system at the same, arranging for roundtrip flights to/from our home city to the departing RC port in Miami.

Here is my issue: At the time of online reservation via the website, I distinctly remember selecting seat assignments for my family, so we could sit together. I kept a folder of all email receipts (paid in full) confirming air travel details, but I never until today (over 3 mos later) thought to check for the one aspect of the flight rez that was missing: those seat assignments. 

So this morning I downloaded the AA app, entered my flight number, and low and behold not only were my seat assignments absent, but the number of available seats on my scheduled flight was significantly diminished as you might expect 3 months later. The AA app prompted me to select seats in order to continue viewing my already paid-for trip/could not proceed in app without it. I ended up selecting upcharge seats, purely for the desire to maintain my family being able to sit together on the outbound flight on the one row still available. For the return flight, there were still two rows at the back of the plane available and no upcharge. It seems these seat assignments are now confirmed, albeit this time properly with AA.

I called A2S to ask what happened to my previously selected seat assignments. They forwarded me my flight rez receipts, again with no seat assignments confirmed, as a response. The agent then also suggested AA may cancel flights/make changes/have a practice of not honoring seat assignments unless paid for explicitly. I was a bit taken aback.

I next called AA, to ask if I could cancel my upcharge seats, and they said no as these are non-refundable. The agent next suggested I should have always confirmed with the airline from day 1 what my seat assignments were, and that they have no record of my ever securing seat assignments previously, and won't comment on how or what A2S (or any 3rd party for that matter) may have promised, as they didn't make it themselves.

So, it seems this is my fault. Fair enough. Lesson learned, seat assignments arranged through A2S aren't definitive, and I should just book my own flights through the airline directly (AA or otherwise) when cruising. It's just a shame that I participated in a process and assumed it was already taken care of. It wasn't. Not the end of the world to be sure, and I'm glad my family can still sit together on a long flight that's supposed to be a fun trip together (albeit now at an additional cost), but I can't help but feel I found a gap in the reservation process in my opinion. 

[Lovetocruise2002]

8 minutes ago, RoadtoNowhere73 said:

seat assignments arranged through A2S aren't definitive, and I should just book my own flights through the airline directly (AA or otherwise) when cruising.

This is true. It's a lesson learned. But it should not 100% deter you from using Air2Sea in the future. Most regulars here know that I have a love/hate relationship with Air2Sea, yet I continue to use them for domestic and international flights. There are benefits to Air2Sea (like assured arrival and the ability to re-price before final payment) that outweigh some of the cons of using them. I am in no way defending them, but when using Air2Sea, you have to do your due diligence as well, and like you mentioned, you do have to keep on top of your Air2Sea bookings for changes.

I don't know how it works with Air2Sea and AA, but when I book Air2Sea with Delta, I can select seats, and I always check with my Delta app to make sure I have those seats. I also make it point to check once a week (at least) on my Air2Sea reservations (using my Delta app) to make sure those seats have not disappeared or moved. This can, and has happened many times. Often it's when Delta changes a schedule or flight number and that can prompt my selected seats to disappear and then I have to re-select.

[RoadtoNowhere73]

41 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

when I book Air2Sea with Delta, I can select seats, and I always check with my Delta app to make sure I have those seats. I also make it point to check once a week (at least) on my Air2Sea reservations (using my Delta app) to make sure those seats have not disappeared or moved. This can, and has happened many times. Often it's when Delta changes a schedule or flight number and that can prompt my selected seats to disappear and then I have to re-select.

Thanks L2C2002. This helps. I do recall the original flight departure/arrival times changed with AA (by <30 min), where all other details remained the same, but I was not aware this prompted a seat assignment reset. Now I do. I'll stay on top of these airline details much more closely and diligently going forward. 

[Zacharius]

1 minute ago, RoadtoNowhere73 said:

Thanks L2C2002. This helps. I do recall the original flight departure/arrival times changed with AA (by <30 min), where all other details remained the same, but I was not aware this prompted a seat assignment reset. Now I do. I'll stay on top of these airline details much more closely and diligently going forward. 

As someone who pretty much lives on AA planes - a schedule change alone shouldn't screw up seats. A flight number change might, but if the aircraft type stays the same it should stay the same too. It's when an aircraft type changes that it can screw up the seats for obvious reasons. 

[Lovetocruise2002]

8 minutes ago, RoadtoNowhere73 said:

I do recall the original flight departure/arrival times changed with AA (by <30 min)

 

6 minutes ago, Zacharius said:

a schedule change alone shouldn't screw up seats. A flight number change might,

I say that I have experience first hand, booking through Air2Sea with Delta, where a schedule change did in fact prompt a seat change. It happens often on Delta. I never fly AA so I cannot say, but definitely on Delta it happens. I just had to re-select seats for two of my flights for January (for Icon inaugural) and March and the schedule change was less than 30 mins. No change in flight number.

[steverk]

I always check my seats regularly.  The most bizarre snafu was on Aor New Zealand.  I paid extra to the airline.  They showed my seats in row 55. All was well,  until I looked at the seat map and...no row 55. The map went from row 48 to row 64!

[Cactus527]

16 hours ago, steverk said:

The most bizarre snafu was on Aor New Zealand.  I paid extra to the airline.  They showed my seats in row 55. All was well,  until I looked at the seat map and...no row 55. The map went from row 48 to row 64!

Ok, I'm hooked - how did this get resolved, @steverk?

[steverk]

3 minutes ago, Cactus527 said:

Ok, I'm hooked - how did this get resolved, @steverk?

The airline website allowed me to select different seats. I'm still wondering what happened to more than 10 rows of seats in the middle of the plane!

[Zacharius]

45 minutes ago, steverk said:

The airline website allowed me to select different seats. I'm still wondering what happened to more than 10 rows of seats in the middle of the plane!

Do you remember what aircraft it was? The only thing I can think of is that it was one of their 747s back in the day (which have all been gone for the last several years) and those numbers were allocated to the upper deck. I've been on the ANZ 747-400s, even on the upper deck, but don't remember what row numbers were up there. 

[Doug_Texas]

I’ve never used Air2Sea but am Exec Platinum on AA.  It is amazing how often they reassign seats and it greatly annoys me.  Sometimes the departure time changes by 15 minutes and my seats get reassigned.  I log into aa.com frequently to check seats.  I have observed it happening even more with British Airways where I have no status other than OneWorld.  My last Europe trip I had AA going to Philly connecting to BA and made sure I had 4 hours between flights and AA reassigned me to a later flight with only 40 minutes between flights.  The original flight was still available.  I had a heated discussion with AA and got back on the flight I originally booked.  Once a reseller like Air2Sea books you use your airline booking reference number to stay on top of your flights.

[Zacharius]

14 minutes ago, Doug_Texas said:

I’ve never used Air2Sea but am Exec Platinum on AA.  It is amazing how often they reassign seats and it greatly annoys me.  Sometimes the departure time changes by 15 minutes and my seats get reassigned.  I log into aa.com frequently to check seats.  I have observed it happening even more with British Airways where I have no status other than OneWorld.  My last Europe trip I had AA going to Philly connecting to BA and made sure I had 4 hours between flights and AA reassigned me to a later flight with only 40 minutes between flights.  The original flight was still available.  I had a heated discussion with AA and got back on the flight I originally booked.  Once a reseller like Air2Sea books you use your airline booking reference number to stay on top of your flights.

So weird, because I'm ExecPlat too and I can't remember ever having a seat assignment changed due to a simple schedule change. Not saying it doesn't happen, maybe I've just been lucky, but in my 15 or so years of being Exec Plat, I don't remember one time where just a schedule change alone (same flight numbers, same aircraft type) has caused a seat re-allocation. Heck, just yesterday I had a rather large schedule change on one leg of an upcoming ELP-LAX-HND-CTS trip, and I just reconfirmed that all of my seats are the exact same. 

[RoadtoNowhere73]

18 minutes ago, Doug_Texas said:

.. on AA.  It is amazing how often they reassign seats and it greatly annoys me.  Sometimes the departure time changes by 15 minutes and my seats get reassigned..  

..Once a reseller like Air2Sea books you use your airline booking reference number to stay on top of your flights.

this is exactly what happened to me. and from now on, I'll do just that!

[John-NC]

I had a similar experience where I put in seat requests during the booking and it all looked ok.  I'm paranoid, so I validated it with the airline carrier and they weren't reserved as expected.  I got it worked out, but I had to fully pay for my flight since my outbound flight on Icelandair wouldn't accept seat assignments without full payment.

 

Air2Sea customer service was very helpful though, and got me taken care of.

[steverk]

3 hours ago, Zacharius said:

Do you remember what aircraft it was? The only thing I can think of is that it was one of their 747s back in the day (which have all been gone for the last several years) and those numbers were allocated to the upper deck. I've been on the ANZ 747-400s, even on the upper deck, but don't remember what row numbers were up there. 

It's a 777. The flight is coming up in February 

[Zacharius]

7 minutes ago, steverk said:

It's a 777. The flight is coming up in February 

Well that's even weirder then, because ANZ's own website shows a perfectly normal sequence of rows on their 777-300s - https://www.airnewzealand.com/seat-map-boeing-777-300 

[steverk]

48 minutes ago, Zacharius said:

Well that's even weirder then, because ANZ's own website shows a perfectly normal sequence of rows on their 777-300s - https://www.airnewzealand.com/seat-map-boeing-777-300 

I'll check it again.  But it was clearly not there 2 weeks ago.

[steverk]

1 hour ago, Zacharius said:

Well that's even weirder then, because ANZ's own website shows a perfectly normal sequence of rows on their 777-300s - https://www.airnewzealand.com/seat-map-boeing-777-300 

I'm not sure of the series, but I'm logged in, looking at the seat map using my booking number. Rows jump from 46 to 61.

[Zacharius]

16 hours ago, steverk said:

I'm not sure of the series, but I'm logged in, looking at the seat map using my booking number. Rows jump from 46 to 61.

ANZ only has one version of the 777, which is the 777-300ER. And as far as I know, they all have the same seating chart. This is so odd, I am stumped. 

 

EDIT: Well, according to this website, there are indeed two versions and one jumps from 46 to 59. Interesting. https://seatmaps.com/airlines/nz-air-new-zealand/boeing-777/#fd92a703e837c873aca02bf1edfafcfe

[Doug_Texas]

I see Air2Sea questions and comments often.  I have never used this and am wondering if there are benefits I should consider.  My current process is to book the cruise when the deployments first are released - about 1.5 to 2 years pre-cruise and book with MEI.  Then about 11 months before cruise book my air on AA when flights first available with standard coach which provides flight credit in case of SNAFU and book my premium seat assignments available due to status.

Disregarding the topic of travel insurance because I have a separate process for that, what would be benefits of using the Air2Sea program?  I am completely ignorant of the puts and takes to that program.  How to you access your Exec Platinum benefits using Air2Sea?  Book then log in to aa.com to access premium seats + Aadvantage # for free bags?

[Lovetocruise2002]

3 minutes ago, Doug_Texas said:

Disregarding the topic of travel insurance because I have a separate process for that, what would be benefits of using the Air2Sea program?  I am completely ignorant of the puts and takes to that program.

If you take out the Assured Arrival benefit, then IMO, the greatest benefit of using Air2Sea is the ability to re-price until final payment. That is the benefit that keeps me returning back to Air2Sea despite my love/hate relationship with them. I have saved so much money this way because flight prices fluctuate way more than cruise prices do.

[steverk]

The benefits of booking air 2 sea are no payment until final payment date. Refundable until paid and help if anything goes wrong. 

The last one has saved my bacon more than once.

[Doug_Texas]

Wow, so you pay zero on the airfare until the cruise payment date, even booking different air fare classes.  If something happens you are only whacked your cruise deposit or the $100 pp for sailing change (we never book refundable deposits)?  That is a big deal.

[Lovetocruise2002]

1 minute ago, Doug_Texas said:

Wow, so you pay zero on the airfare until the cruise payment date, even booking different air fare classes.

Yes. I have booked First Class, Premium Economy, Economy through Air2Sea and you do not pay until final.

There is no change fee as long as you have made final payment. That is how you can re-price. Once past final, there is a $200pp change fee. However, if RC cancels your cruise, then Air2Sea covers that cancellation and you get a full refund of your air.

[steverk]

14 minutes ago, Doug_Texas said:

Wow, so you pay zero on the airfare until the cruise payment date, even booking different air fare classes.  If something happens you are only whacked your cruise deposit or the $100 pp for sailing change (we never book refundable deposits)?  That is a big deal.

You get the picture wide screen. It's worth a few extra bucks.  Normally that's what it works out to be. A few dollars more than other bookings 

[Lovetocruise2002]

1 hour ago, steverk said:

You get the picture wide screen. It's worth a few extra bucks.  Normally that's what it works out to be. A few dollars more than other bookings 

With Delta, I always pay $9 more pp. That is worth it for me! 

[F1guynz]

I wish we had the option to use air2sea in New Zealand.

[steverk]

12 hours ago, F1guynz said:

I wish we had the option to use air2sea in New Zealand.

I find it very odd that you wouldn't.  I have a Celebrity cruise in February that ends in Auckland.  I booked Air2Sea back to the US. It was booked as a United flight but operated by Air New Zealand.

[F1guynz]

3 hours ago, steverk said:

I find it very odd that you wouldn't

It is only available for U.S, Canada and U.K residents unfortunately.