[rippingmad]

On November 5, 2007 I reserved and confirmed seating on a flight from Chicago to Frankfurt with family members from Hawaii Booking four months in advance of our ‘once in a lifetime trip’ together in order to avoid any problems. We were seated in seats that we had requested. They, in a window and accompanying seat and I across the aisle in an aisle seat due to a back problem and necessity of moving frequently to avoid my leg falling asleep. We are all senior citizens and have traveled extensively and this has been the most outrageous dealing I have ever had with an airline.

First of all, how can you reroute people and then not honor their previous seat assignments and arbitrarily seat them at your will. I am now seated in the center of a 5-seat section and 20 rows away from my family, with the statement that nothing can be done.

I have retired from service industry businesses that I ran successfully for over twenty years and if I treated my customers the way they treat theirs…. All I can say is, no wonder the airlines are having so much trouble.

I have been told that because of my back problem, they will make note of my desire to sit in an aisle seat. This is not a desire, this is a necessity.

My son was a pilot for a competing airline and I do know that a certain number of seats are held in abeyance and I think it appropriate that three of these be released and assigned to my family members and myself.

Any thoughts?

[Corbel]

Ugh, the dreaded middle of the middle seat, i feel your pain (ord to bangkok 21 hours with that seat). anyway, use your confirmation number and keep looking up your reservation, there may be open seats, they may not be together but there could be an aisle for you. when the airline did this, the seats they re assigned you may have been all there was available at the time, so keep checking online for any more open seats so you can move, or the day of departure get to the aiport early and ask if there is an aisle seat. when i travel for work im ALWAYS in the center, they book at the last minute, but when i get online and look theres usually open widow or aisle seats.

[rippingmad]

Thank you to my fellow passenger who has occupied the dreadful center seat. I appreciate your suggestions and will do that.
Regards.