[Anonymous]

[Swissdiver]

I’m a bit shocked. Checked-in online for a couple of flights tomorrow (both being intra European ones) and could not choose a seat! Luckily I managed with KLM to “pre-select” seats (note in the file) so the result is not that bad. But I thought selecting a seat when checking in online was now the standard. A very bad point for AF!

[RichardB]

This kind of thing often goes wrong with code share tickets. Airlines are often quick to point out the benefits of code share but don’t mention problems like this that their IT departments have not put enough effort in to resolve.
Personally I only see codeshare only as a lazy way for marketing to get people to think they are travelling on the same airline for a long trip when in reality your ticket is for several airlines.

[FormerlyDoS]

Swissdiver

Have you been a victim of an ‘automatic’ checkin environment, whereupon you do not get any choice in your seat allocation?

[Swissdiver]

Hello FDos
I actually got a message stating it is impossible to select a seat on this flight. One leg is on AF metal and one on the horrendous Cityjet (with a regular AF flight number – no code sharing).

[IanFromHKG]

I believe that sometimes seat selection on some systems can be restricted while flight operations (or whatever they are called) finalise configuration and/or automatic seat allocations; and also when an aircraft change is in contemplation. Perhaps that might be the reason?

[FormerlyDoS]

Swissdiver

This is what was at the back of my mind, just been very busy and didn’t have to have a look for the link, until now…..

http://www.airfrance.co.uk/GB/en/common/guidevoyageur/e_services/e_services_enregistrement_automatique_airfrance.htm

[Swissdiver]

@Ian: not the case here, I think. Regular A321 on a regular flight for the first leg. All the passengers were packed in the back (with few exceptions like me who could manage a shortcut) which suggests it was not fare related as I initially thought (reward ticket).

[IanFromHKG]

If they located all the passengers in one area, perhaps it was for weight distribution purposes??

[Swissdiver]

@FDoS: Thanks, but I will never use such a scheme as I want to be in control. Online check-in allows to verify everything is all right.

[Swissdiver]

@Ian: ” weight distribution purposes”: on a turbo-prop, may-be, but on a A321?

[Swissdiver]

Ian,
Apologies. You were right. Weight distribution purposes is a real challenge for A321s! Not flying on them often, and usually on full ones, I never realised it was a problem. On these flights, thanks to the great KLM Twitter team, I had a seat on the exit row secured. But no one in front of me (7 or 8 empty rows, then 3 or 4 in business class). All the pax were in the back in eco. One complained (rightfully) as she secured a seat on row 6 and ended up on row 23 while she had a short connexion to her train in GVA! These Airbuses are real crap!

[IanFromHKG]

I think weight distribution is a challenge for all planes, but exacerbated with smaller ones (and, I suspect, even more so in a stretched airframe)

As to Airbuses being crap – well, I know your bias on that front. All I will say is that I don’t get overly fussed about the airframe itself and focus more on what’s inside – except for the 787, which I’m not touching for a while. Give me any Airbus rather than that pile of (sometimes) flying problems…

[Author]

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