Year of 100 Questions: #81

[King Triton]

Airplane seating question today. The question is whether you prefer assigned seating or not; there are advantages and disadvantages to both.

For the purposes of this question, an assigned seat is one that you know which seat you will be sitting in before you board the plane.

The primary national unassigned seat carrier is Southwest, where you are assigned a group. When your group boards, you may sit anywhere in the plane you like.

Which do you prefer?

Y100Q82 will be a Theme Park question, probably on Thursday.

[momef3grls]

With us it depends on group dynamic...If it is just DH and myself unassigned is fine because we can usually find 2 seats close together. If it is the family assigned so I know we can be together and not be split up.

[disneymom15]

I prefer assigned seats. I like to sit close to the front of the plane. I hate waiting to get off the plane.

[DawsonAR]

I have two kids, so I prefer assigned seating.

[mook3y]

Only reason I picked non-reserved seating is because we still are travelling with 2 young kids and are allowed on the plane first. I prefer the bulkhead. Then, my kids can NOT kick a seat in front of them! and I get a little more leg room.

However, once they are a little older, my SW days are over and will take assigned seating every time!

[gauvin4]

I prefer assigned seating. I like to make sure the kids are with me.

[avantgardeinker]

Assigned seating is better to me. With unassigned seating it's like all the horses jockeying for position in a race. I'd rather know where I'm going and get there instead of having to race for the better seat.

148 more days!!
:mickey:

[snifflesmcg]

I think I prefer assigned seating. Takes the guess work out of finding a seat. Less confusion of people switching seats and trying to cram the families in one area

[January-2007]

I voted for assigned airline seating. When I was younger I used to fly all the time and I always liked knowing for sure that I had a window seat. It also makes me uncomfortable to not be guaranteed a seat next to DH.

[Tygger7]

Okay, call me paranoid...but I hate flying, so my first choice is to drive. My second choice, if I HAVE to fly, is unassigned seating. Why? Sept. 11th....ever since hearing of how the hijackers used assigned seating as part of their plans to hijack the planes, you will NEVER get me on a plane with assigned seats again. Not saying it couldn't happen, but they wouldn't be guaranteed the best seats on the planes to execute their plans. Just my two cents.

[BritCody]

I'd rather have assigned seating. I want to sit with my family and it makes one less thing to worry about.

[Tynkerbelle]

Assigned seating - I like to know where I'm going.

[biodtl]

I picked assigned. I don't mind the unassigned while I have a child in the "pre-board age", but in a few years, she'll be too old to pre-board, but too young to take a chance to be separated.

[Mickey91]

Couldn't vote:(. Don't fly.

[darthmacho]

Assigned seats doesn't mean sitting together. All three times I went to WDW whether two seats, or five seats, we were all assigned to seats around the plane, and had to rely on the stewardesses to find people who wanted to trade seats so that we could sit with our kids or each other. I asked what the deal was, but they claimed it depended on what order the seats were assigned, and another party was getting their seats assigned at the samt time, the computer mixes them in. I don't know if this is done that way in all airports or carriers, but that's how Delta in Logan Airport assigned seats at leas tup until 2003, the last time I was on a plane.
With any luck, they will have improved the sytem by the 2008 trip.

[princessjojo]

When we are traveling with the boys assigned seating is what we would prefer. That said, it never fails that somewhere between the time I make the original seat request and advise them that we have 2 children with us, they change all of our seats so that none of us are together. It makes for a big hassle at the airport too because then those with the higher priced seats have to move to accomidate for the airlines screw ups. We're doing SW next time, but we will have 4 kids with us and 4 adults. If we can get at least 2-3 of the kids together with each other, then we will be just fine.

[KAT1811]

Assigned seating is better to me. With unassigned seating it's like all the horses jockeying for position in a race. I'd rather know where I'm going and get there instead of having to race for the better seat.
:ditto:


Takes the guess work out of finding a seat. Less confusion of people switching seats and trying to cram the families in one area
:ditto:


Assigned seating - I like to know where I'm going.
:ditto:

I always feel like I'm stuck in a heard of cattle with unassigned seating. We typically fly SW for the direct flights but I don't care for the seating at all, even with the preboarding (we have two small children) I hate standing in line, which is why we go to WDW in September (trying to get the shortest lines possible) who wants to start off a vacation by standing in line at the airport?

[GrmGrninGost]

I voted for assigned seats. I like to keep the DKs and DW near so we can talk about WDW!:mickey:

[faline]

If all things are equal, I'd pick an airline with assigned seating - even if I need to pay a little more. However, if an airline offers me direct flights at the lowest price, I'll deal with the "stand in line" mode that ensues!

The lack of assigned seating is my biggest peeve with Southwest!

[tinksmom02]

I've never flown with unassigned seating, and I don't think I ever will. Just the control freak in me, I guess...

[LoriMistress]

I don't mind Southwest if the flight is only a few hours . But DH and I fly all the way from California--so it's quite a ways. Plus, a three hour time difference. Talk about jet lagged. When we travel to WDW we always book at a nice flight so we can get comfortable seats and leg room.

[beksy]

Definitely assigned. My sister "lovingly" (usually! :confused:) refers to me as a control-freak and over-planner :blush: but I like to know where I'm going to be sitting, staying, etc. (although not to the point that every minute of a vacation is planned out or anything!) so assigned just sits better with me (no pun intended!) :thumbsup:

[Figgyluv03]

Assigned seating, that way you can stay with your party and if they aren't any seats left, you'd be scattered around the area.

[Pocahontas]

I voted for assigned seating. Unless I'm flying first class, I like to be one of the last to board. I never understood why people are in such a hurry to get on the plane when the seats are assigned. I don't like to spend any more time in small crowded areas than I have to. So if the seats were unassigned, I'd always end up in the back.

[caryrae]

I choose assigned seats. I like choosing my seats before we get to the airport. Like for our trip next april we are flying American Airline to Key West and Sun Country back home. Even though our trip isn't for 9 months, when I booked our flights we got to choose our seats right away, it was nice the seats were pretty empty then so we got almost any seat we wanted.

[Patti_C]

I have a question to go along with this, what happens if you don't get assigned seats, do you just guess where you can sit? I've never flown without assigned seating. thanks in advance.

[caryrae]

I have a question to go along with this, what happens if you don't get assigned seats, do you just guess where you can sit? I've never flown without assigned seating. thanks in advance.

This from the person who started this thread.

"The primary national unassigned seat carrier is Southwest, where you are assigned a group. When your group boards, you may sit anywhere in the plane you like."

[mdearmas]

depends on how much of a budget i'm on and how many people i'm traveling with. sometimes it can be hard to keep a large group together!
:goofy: