You’ve found the flight you want. You’ve paid for your ticket. You receive your confirmation and think, “Great — that’s one more thing checked off my list.”
But there’s an important step many travellers overlook after booking a flight:
Checking your seat selection and making sure your reservation reflects what you expect.
And while having a seat assignment does not guarantee that you cannot be denied boarding, it is an important part of making sure your reservation is properly managed.
Airlines routinely manage their flights based on expected demand. In some circumstances, an airline may sell more tickets than there are seats available on the aircraft.
There can also be situations where the aircraft originally planned for a flight is changed to one with fewer seats.
That’s where things can get complicated.
It sounds strange, but having a confirmed airline ticket and having a specific seat assignment are not necessarily the same thing.
And having a seat assignment does not guarantee that you will be able to board if a flight has more passengers presenting for travel than there are available seats.
If a flight is oversold and more passengers show up than there are available seats, the airline has to determine what happens next.
For flights covered by Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations, airlines must first ask passengers if anyone is willing to give up their seat. If there aren't enough volunteers, some passengers may be involuntarily denied boarding, subject to the applicable boarding-priority rules.
That is a situation no traveller wants to discover at the airport — particularly when you're heading to a cruise, an important family event, a wedding, a business meeting, or the beginning of a long-awaited vacation.
One of the things I recommend to my clients is to address seat selection as early as possible after the flight is booked.
Depending on the airline, fare type and itinerary, you may be able to select your seat during the booking process or shortly afterward.
This isn't a guarantee against being denied boarding.
But it is an important part of managing your reservation and knowing exactly what you've booked.
Don't simply assume that because you have an electronic ticket, everything is automatically taken care of.
Check your airline reservation and look for:
And keep checking your reservation as your departure date approaches.
This is where travellers need to pay attention.
There can be perfectly legitimate reasons why a seat isn't assigned immediately. Some airlines and fare types handle seat assignments differently, and some seats may not become available until later.
But if you don't have a seat assignment, don't simply assume that everything will work itself out at the airport.
Check with the airline or, if you've booked through a Travel Advisor, contact your advisor.
The important thing is to understand what your reservation actually shows and whether there is anything you need to address before travel day.
That's one of the reasons having someone monitoring your travel arrangements can be so valuable.
There isn't just one possible outcome.
Depending on the circumstances, an airline may:
Ask for volunteers.
The airline may ask passengers willing to take a later flight to give up their seats, sometimes offering compensation or other incentives.
Rebook passengers.
If you are denied boarding, the airline may have obligations to arrange alternate transportation or provide a refund, depending on the circumstances and applicable rules.
Delay your journey.
Being moved to another flight could mean missing a connection, arriving much later than planned, or potentially missing something important at your destination.
Create a much bigger travel problem.
If your flight is part of a larger itinerary — perhaps a cruise, tour, or multi-city trip — missing one flight can have consequences far beyond that single flight.
That's why I don't believe in treating your airline reservation as something you book once and forget about.
One of the advantages of working with a Travel Advisor is that you're not necessarily on your own after the booking is made.
When I arrange travel for my clients, I can help review the details of their itinerary and make sure important elements are addressed.
That includes looking at things such as:
Airlines can make schedule changes after you've booked. Flights can be retimed, connections can change, and the aircraft operating a flight can change.
Your travel plans shouldn't be considered “finished” simply because you received a confirmation email.
There is another practical reason to deal with seat selection early:
Choice.
The longer you wait, the fewer choices you may have.
If you are travelling with a spouse, partner, children or other family members, you may want to sit together. Waiting until the last minute can make that much more difficult.
And while selecting a seat isn't an absolute guarantee against airline disruption or denied boarding, knowing what your reservation includes — and addressing anything that doesn't look right — is much better than discovering a problem at the airport.
This is where my role as a Travel Advisor goes beyond simply finding you a flight.
My job is to help you think about the entire journey, not just the transaction.
When I book your air travel, I can help make sure the reservation details are properly addressed and keep an eye out for changes that could affect your plans.
And if something does change, you have someone you can contact who already knows your itinerary.
That's especially important when your flight is connected to something that can't easily be changed — such as a cruise departure, escorted tour, special event or important appointment.
You shouldn't have to become an expert in airline rules and reservation systems just to make sure your vacation gets off to a good start.
Booking your airline ticket is only the beginning.
Don't assume that having a confirmation number means every important detail has been taken care of.
Check your reservation. Look at your seat assignment, if applicable. Watch for airline changes. And if you're unsure about something, ask.
Most importantly, don't wait until you're standing at the airport to discover there is a problem with your reservation.
And remember: selecting a seat is not a guarantee that you cannot be denied boarding. If a flight is oversold or there are fewer seats available than expected, denied boarding can still occur under the circumstances covered by the applicable rules.
That's one of the reasons I encourage my clients to work with me from the beginning.
I don't just book the trip. I help you manage the details that can make the difference between a smooth journey and a very stressful one.
If you're planning a trip and would rather have a Travel Advisor helping you navigate the airline, flights, connections and other important details, I'd be happy to help.
Charlene Joseph-Dunbar
Sign up for our newsletter to learn about the latest product news and deals. Also receive exclusive offers, contest details and giveaways.