How Do I Get Seat Assignments for My Client?

“How do I get seats assigned for my client?”

A simple question now has a more complex answer.

Some airlines still offer free, pre-assigned seating, while other airlines charge for a seat assignment of any kind. Still, others may charge for a seat assignment in a preferred spot on the aircraft (like a window or an aisle seat). We know you work hard to provide your clients with the best possible experience every step of their journey. Here are a few thoughts and tips on selecting seats!

Check with the airline

Some itineraries may have the seat map blocked which prevents us from assisting you. In such a case, you or your client can often do seat assignments right on the airline’s website. You will need the Airline Reference number, displayed on your itinerary as “Airline RL”. You can also call the airline directly to see if they will let you request a pre-assigned seat. If you need a phone number for an airline, our agent support team can look it up for you. There are some airlines that do not participate in pre-assigned seating at all. In this case, passengers will need to wait until they arrive at the airport.

If your ticketed reservation has a schedule change

In the case of a schedule change, seats may need reassignment. If your passenger purchased seat assignments, you will need to check with the airline directly to re-accommodate your passenger. If your passenger is moved to an aircraft with a different configuration, or if they are shifted to another existing flight it is quite possible that their seats will need to be reassigned.

Considering your clients’ needs

If you are able to lock in seats for your client, there are a few things you may want to consider to help make their journey smooth and enjoyable. Seat Guru is a great resource for viewing airplane seat maps and finding information that might not be available on a GDS or airline website. The website uses a color-coding system to designate the best options: green (good), red (poor) and yellow (beware: alerting you to a cautionary note like “less leg room”). The maps will show you bathrooms, emergency exits and much more.

Each traveler tends to have distinct preferences for seating arrangements. Some may prefer a window for the view and an extra place to rest their head. Others may prefer an aisle seat for the leg room. It can be helpful to store these preferences in a client profile to more quickly assist them with future bookings.

The best way to look for the availability of free, pre-assigned seats is always the airline website, however if they are unable to assist you, you can reach out to our Centrav Agent Support Team (CAST) through Live Chat. Live chat is found in the lower right corner of centrav.com. Give us your Centrav confirmation number and seating preferences. If the airline offers free pre-assigned seats we will fulfill your request and confirm the seats with you. Some airlines charge a fee for pre-assigned seats or for certain preferred seats. If this is the case, we would not be able to apply payment for you and will let you know.

Check out our seat assignments web tutorial here for more assistance!

The comments section on this blog post is not monitored for seating inquiries. Please contact our support team for specific requests.