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Last night I booked a ticket at priceline website and chose the seats. Everything went through and I got confirmation. Today I was trying to test the same booking, how come the seats that I had booked last night are still available? (also, last night it said 2 seats available before I booked, and 1 seat after I booked, but now it doesn't say any, as if there are more seats available?)
It could be that Priceline was trying to entice you to buying the ticket by making you feel that there was a limited number of seats left. I believe there is a lawsuit about sites using a similar strategy in selling hotel rooms. They will say only 1 room left at that rate but it will be a very specific room type but you can find many other room types available for the same rate.
1. Look on your confirmation email from Priceline for the PNR number (six digits), that is generated by the airline when they accept the booking and not by Priceline.
2. Go to the website of the airline and look up your reservation by PNR, if you have multiple passengers on the reservation they will all be under the same PNR.
3. You should be able to see if you have seats assigned, and depending on ticket type might be able to change them.
I don't think OP is saying he has particular seats assigned.
My impression is that the airlines release only a few seats at the lower prices at a time. Priceline may be accurately reporting what the airline says.
If you see the fare you want it's best to book, unless you don't need to go.
I’m wondering if the OP bought basic economy tickets and the airline won’t assign seats until they check in. One of the many reasons to book flights directly on the airline web portal. It’s not like Priceline saves money for flights.
I don't think OP is saying he has particular seats assigned.
My impression is that the airlines release only a few seats at the lower prices at a time. Priceline may be accurately reporting what the airline says.
If you see the fare you want it's best to book, unless you don't need to go.
Yes, that is true. For example, if you book on Southwest, they may have 20 seats they sell at $100, then once those sell out the next level is $150. If you are trying to book the $100 seats and 17 seats have been sold, it will say “3 seats available”. However, if you go the next day and al the $100 seats are gone, there will probably be $150 seats and you may not be a message because they have not reached a threshold where few seats are available at that price.
Even if seat selection is available, some airlines won’t let you select your seat until 60-90 days ahead of time. If you are looking before then, you might have to wait. It’s possible you have booked a seat fo say, premium economy, but you don’t have the option of picking the exact seat yet.
If it’s a Delta flight, then ‘schedule change Saturday’ can also give some odd results because they sometimes reduce some site functions like seat selection on weekends when they’re doing work on live databases
When will people learn. One of the many reasons we constantly tell people in this forum to book directly with the airlines. Who knows if you will get the seat you select and you end up in a middle seat next to the bathrooms.
You might be able to still go into the delta website and, using your reservation I.D., select the seats.
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(also, last night it said 2 seats available before I booked, and 1 seat after I booked, but now it doesn't say any, as if there are more seats available?)
