oversold on 3 class A321 seat questions
May 6, 2024, 3:51 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
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oversold on 3 class A321 seat questions
Greetings;
I have LAX-BOS-LHR in J for 2 on hold. Only one seat available on LAX-BOS, which I took for one of us. Expertflyer is showing F5 A5 C3 J3 after I put them on hold.
Does Expertflyer account for the 2 on hold and there are still 3 they are willing to sell?
I suppose there are a few possibilities if another seat in J doesn't open up.
a) They roll someone else up to F
b) They put on of us in F
c) They put both of us in F
Any guesses as to whether one scenario is more likely than the others? I'm thinking it will come down to the gate agent. Any reason to avoid this booking if we are willing to sit apart (it's a significant savings over the other options). There is limited space on the other AA nonstops but look like plenty of space on the BA direct flights. (My status is only platinum).
I have LAX-BOS-LHR in J for 2 on hold. Only one seat available on LAX-BOS, which I took for one of us. Expertflyer is showing F5 A5 C3 J3 after I put them on hold.
Does Expertflyer account for the 2 on hold and there are still 3 they are willing to sell?
I suppose there are a few possibilities if another seat in J doesn't open up.
a) They roll someone else up to F
b) They put on of us in F
c) They put both of us in F
Any guesses as to whether one scenario is more likely than the others? I'm thinking it will come down to the gate agent. Any reason to avoid this booking if we are willing to sit apart (it's a significant savings over the other options). There is limited space on the other AA nonstops but look like plenty of space on the BA direct flights. (My status is only platinum).
May 6, 2024, 4:02 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
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Greetings;
I have LAX-BOS-LHR in J for 2 on hold. Only one seat available on LAX-BOS, which I took for one of us. Expertflyer is showing F5 A5 C3 J3 after I put them on hold.
Does Expertflyer account for the 2 on hold and there are still 3 they are willing to sell?
I suppose there are a few possibilities if another seat in J doesn't open up.
a) They roll someone else up to F
b) They put on of us in F
c) They put both of us in F
Any guesses as to whether one scenario is more likely than the others? I'm thinking it will come down to the gate agent. Any reason to avoid this booking if we are willing to sit apart (it's a significant savings over the other options). There is limited space on the other AA nonstops but look like plenty of space on the BA direct flights. (My status is only platinum).
I have LAX-BOS-LHR in J for 2 on hold. Only one seat available on LAX-BOS, which I took for one of us. Expertflyer is showing F5 A5 C3 J3 after I put them on hold.
Does Expertflyer account for the 2 on hold and there are still 3 they are willing to sell?
I suppose there are a few possibilities if another seat in J doesn't open up.
a) They roll someone else up to F
b) They put on of us in F
c) They put both of us in F
Any guesses as to whether one scenario is more likely than the others? I'm thinking it will come down to the gate agent. Any reason to avoid this booking if we are willing to sit apart (it's a significant savings over the other options). There is limited space on the other AA nonstops but look like plenty of space on the BA direct flights. (My status is only platinum).
AA frequently oversells J on the transcons, so any of those 3 scenarios are a possibility, really comes down to the gate on how they want to process it and shuffle folks around.
May 6, 2024, 4:25 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
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Posts: 8,394
EF does take into account your hold, for flight availability purposes thats really no different than if you had fully booked it.
AA frequently oversells J on the transcons, so any of those 3 scenarios are a possibility, really comes down to the gate on how they want to process it and shuffle folks around.
AA frequently oversells J on the transcons, so any of those 3 scenarios are a possibility, really comes down to the gate on how they want to process it and shuffle folks around.
I'm wondering if my odds of both going in F are better if neither of us has a seat assignment.
May 6, 2024, 4:48 pm
#5
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: AA, UA, Marriott
Posts: 1,161
I don't think it makes you more likely to get an op-up without a seat assignment. My advice is to get the seat you'd prefer while you can.
FWIW, years ago I was once comp upgraded Y->J on a BOS-LAX operated by the A321T (before gate control) and every J seat was already taken. Then a lot of the J cabin was rolled up to F. When I went to the gate agent to get my seat assignment, they printed a Y seat! When I pointed this out, they found me a J seat (did not give me an F seat, I asked of course
.
FWIW, years ago I was once comp upgraded Y->J on a BOS-LAX operated by the A321T (before gate control) and every J seat was already taken. Then a lot of the J cabin was rolled up to F. When I went to the gate agent to get my seat assignment, they printed a Y seat! When I pointed this out, they found me a J seat (did not give me an F seat, I asked of course
.
May 6, 2024, 4:56 pm
#6
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: New York, NY
Programs: AA ExPl, DL PM, UA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium, probably some others
Posts: 4,125
Greetings;
I have LAX-BOS-LHR in J for 2 on hold. Only one seat available on LAX-BOS, which I took for one of us. Expertflyer is showing F5 A5 C3 J3 after I put them on hold.
Does Expertflyer account for the 2 on hold and there are still 3 they are willing to sell?
I suppose there are a few possibilities if another seat in J doesn't open up.
a) They roll someone else up to F
b) They put on of us in F
c) They put both of us in F
Any guesses as to whether one scenario is more likely than the others? I'm thinking it will come down to the gate agent. Any reason to avoid this booking if we are willing to sit apart (it's a significant savings over the other options). There is limited space on the other AA nonstops but look like plenty of space on the BA direct flights. (My status is only platinum).
I have LAX-BOS-LHR in J for 2 on hold. Only one seat available on LAX-BOS, which I took for one of us. Expertflyer is showing F5 A5 C3 J3 after I put them on hold.
Does Expertflyer account for the 2 on hold and there are still 3 they are willing to sell?
I suppose there are a few possibilities if another seat in J doesn't open up.
a) They roll someone else up to F
b) They put on of us in F
c) They put both of us in F
Any guesses as to whether one scenario is more likely than the others? I'm thinking it will come down to the gate agent. Any reason to avoid this booking if we are willing to sit apart (it's a significant savings over the other options). There is limited space on the other AA nonstops but look like plenty of space on the BA direct flights. (My status is only platinum).
May 6, 2024, 5:01 pm
#7
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: NYC/LA
Programs: DL Plat, AA Plat Pro, Marriott Titanium, IHG Diamond Amb
Posts: 7,529
The general practice in an oversell situation would be to roll forward paid J by status so as a Plat you may be a bit down the list.
But I can say it happens a lot on LAX-BOS. I’ve probably been moved up to F about 1/3 of my flights on this route in the past two years.
But I can say it happens a lot on LAX-BOS. I’ve probably been moved up to F about 1/3 of my flights on this route in the past two years.
May 6, 2024, 5:04 pm
#8
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: AA, UA, Marriott
Posts: 1,161
If you really wanted to sit together, especially on the A321T, and there are not 2 seats together now, and one of you gets upgraded to F...it's a compelling offer to give a J person the F seat. I'd certainly move 
May 6, 2024, 6:44 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
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Have had this on the daily 77W MIA-LAX many times. Not picking seat just means getting left over J seats, not better chance at F
Last edited by flyerCO; May 6, 2024 at 6:49 pm
May 6, 2024, 8:27 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
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Thanks all. There was only one seat, my least favorite, last row window. I took it and have set expert flyer alerts.
Ive done the F for J swap before, that works well.
and the hold date on the app is a day later than on the web, weird, second time this week.
Ive done the F for J swap before, that works well.
and the hold date on the app is a day later than on the web, weird, second time this week.
