AA LHR to YYZ via ORD & Child seating

[craigm]

Hi,

AA LHR to Toronto YYZ via Chicago ORD

We're about to travel the above as a family (2 adults + 2 girls 8 + 10).

We booked well in advance, but following several changes by AA we no longer have allocated seats on the outbound transatlantic leg. After a couple of calls with AA's customer service, the best option appears to be 2 seats adjacent over an aisle, 1 nearby and the other somewhere else.

Is it unreasonable to expect, as a minimum, to be able to sit one adult + one child adjacent (times 2)? We plan to arrive in good time (-3hrs), to give us a chance for better allocation at check in.

Any advice is welcome, as is advice about AA checkin at LHR,

(oh and drinks in economy AA international are now $4 - but it's the 34" legroom that's most appealing.)

TIA

Craig

[rsoman]

Hi Craig
Try www.virtuallythere.com
(You may have to type it in to ur browser).
This is the online itinerary function for Sabre .
The reservatio code should be in your ticket under Airline data and should be something like "AA/xxxxxx. U type in the xxxxxx there.
You MAY find a seat map function here!(I have only used the Amadeus Equivalent c-checkmytrip.com which has the facility).

Even otherwise the seat map situation changes so frequently that if you still have time to spare before your journey, it might be worth checking again with AA. All you need is one group to cancel and suddenly you might have some seats available.

Hope this helps

[craigm]

Rsoman,

thanks, I can see the seat availability at www.aa.com, but not where we are. I see that free seats are changing daily. I will try Sabre, just need to get my AA reservatiion code as I booked through Trailfinders and I only had a 5 letter code which doesn't appear to match what Sabre wants.

Thanx

Craig

[Globaliser]

You'll need to get Trailfinders to give you the AA locator, which will be a 6-character all-alpha one. It's the same as the Sabre locator, for obvious reasons.

The other thing you will need to do is to get Trailfinders to insert your e-mail address into the booking. Virtually There now requires this as a security measure to stop people getting access to other people's itineraries by "accident".

[rsoman]

Globaliser
Interesting this requirement about the email address. Since the requirement is both Name and Record Locator, this doesnt make much sense to me as to how this can provide extra security! While names can be "guessed", that of guessing a six character recrord locator is quite low.
Check my trip (Amadeus equivalent) does not require this.

[MarkD]

craigm

any reason you didn't use BA LHR-YYZ direct? I have flown this route on 744 in August and am going again in Dec.

[Globaliser]

rsoman: Interesting this requirement about the email address. Since the requirement is both Name and Record Locator, this doesnt make much sense to me as to how this can provide extra security! While names can be "guessed", that of guessing a six character recrord locator is quite low. Agreed. It's a real pain, too, to get it set up. Fortunately my travel agent's own systems will now insert this automatically with all my other details. But I suppose there's a small risk that someone will lift your name and locator off a ticket coupon, receipt or (perhaps most likely) bag tag that's lying around visible.

[craigm]

MarkD,

now for why I am prepared to put up with an interesting route and $4 a drink....

I searched using e-something or other.com and AA were significantly cheaper than anyone else, £276 per adult, £149 child. This was booking 4-5 months ago for a Saturday departure, few week stay. Direct routing came out at around £2K for the four of us. The savings pay for the 4WD SUV hire. Also, AA's heavily advertised 34" legroom in economy played a large part.

It looks like a smaller aircraft, 767-300, so no seat back entertainment :(

However, I search today and find some other prices... Travelocity have £2335 (BMI direct), but then at another site cheap-flight or something, they quote £275 direct, though you have to ring for details. At this point the tickets are 75% nonrefundable so I'm going to stop looking for cheaper flights.


Craig