COMINGANDGOING
COMINGANDGOING
Sunday, January 14, 2007; Page P01
UPRIGHT AND LOCKED
Save My Seat, Cont'd
CoGo has heard complaints from coach passengers unable to reserve a seat in advance, but Michael Campbell of New York was splurging on Continental's busi ness class. Surely that should ensure a seat assignment.
But he couldn't get an assigned seat on his departing flight until check-in, an agent told him, because the only business seats left from New York to Orlando were in the first row and couldn't be assigned in advance. He had reserved a first-row seat on the return: Why would one leg have different rules from another? And without an assigned seat, was he at risk of being bumped from the flight?
Ah, the mysteries of seat assignments. Continental spokeswoman Mary Clark unraveled this one.
Airlines commonly keep open at least two front-row seats in business and in coach until 24 hours before a flight in case passengers with disabilities need the extra legroom, she said. On Campbell's outbound flight, two of the four front-row business seats were already booked, so the remaining two were in reserve. But he wasn't at risk of being bumped: The only question was whether a person needing extra legroom would move up to an unassigned front seat.
Same policy applies in economy. Plus, many airlines hold in reserve some of the best coach seats for very frequent fliers and those paying full fare. If you're not in those categories and are flying in a crowded plane, you might get assigned nothing, or a bad center seat.
CoGo's advice: After you buy your ticket, keep checking in case passengers with good seats change plans. If no luck, check again 24 hours before your flight: If the best seats haven't been claimed by special passengers by then, most airlines release them.
KATRINA UPDATE
Big Easy Eats
Not only have most New Orleans restaurants reopened since the devastating hurricane of August 2005, but entrepreneurs have opened new and notable eateries, according to a new Zagat guide.
The company that polls customers to rate restaurants around the world last week released its first New Orleans restaurant guide since Katrina. It surveyed 390 restaurants and expanded its usual coverage by including nightspots, hotels and attractions. Among the findings:
· Of 27 cities worldwide rated by Zagat, New Orleans ranked eighth in the quality of its restaurants' food, beating out even acclaimed foodie cities such as Paris and San Francisco.
