can an airline change prebooked seats

[evedawn]

If we went online and booked (ie 24 hrs before) the seats nearest the emergency exit would there be a chance that when we arrived at the airport the airline had moved us to another seat and given them to someone else?

I ask cos I've been told that often those seats in particular are given to frequent flyers/those with a medical problem that need legroom/or really big tall people.

[jno]

yes, it's happened to me. I'm not even sure you can book emergency exit seats online as they usually like to have a look at the occupants at check-in and make sure they're strong enough to open the exit doors in an emergency.

[sammy snake]

You can't have those seats if you are in aany way disabled anyway so someone with a broken leg for example, wouldn't be able to have one.

When I came back from Menorca last year, they threatened to remove an elderly couple from the plane as the wife used a walking stick and was in a seat by the emergency exit and her husband refused to move as they had booked them. We sat there for nearly half an hour before he eventually shifted and swapped seats with someone further back.

[Rooboru]

Can an airline change pre booked seats? Most certainly yes they can, and do, often.
The other two answers are correct. You cannot or should not be able to reserve seats in the emergency exit rows before you get to the airport. New computer checkin systems such as 'Altea' on trial by QANTAS at the moment, wont let you have an exit seat until you are questioned by checkin staff regarding your fitness.
As for changing other prebooked seats, yes it does happen, changed unfortunately by the people who do not have to face the angry passenger when they are told that the seat they have been guarranteed is not available.
From an airline point of view, guarranteed seating are a big problem.

[Ethel]

You certainly can book those seats online - you often have to pay a premium for them.

Often people with mobility medical problems are barred from those seats because they would by blocking the exits in an emergency.

I always book those seats online.

[Dr-Legend]

On my last flight even though the lady had booked extra legroom seats at exit on wings she had to sit at the back because she was a very large woman and had a seatbelt extension.people with them cannot sit at emergency exits during takepoff or landings
she had to move at atke off and before landing and was very embaresssed.

[netibiza]

I always try to book these seats online, and then have to leap sprightly on board so they don't move me.

[ChuckFickens]

As a really tall person then yes I have seen cabin crew move people from those seats do I can have them, I simply can not fit in some of the normal seats on some planes, and having my legs trailing across the aisle isn't safe.

[dundurn]

I'm 6'5" and find most airline seats uncomfortable and some of them positively painful. As a result I always try for exit seats. Some companies let you book online, others expect you to phone in, others can only be booked at check-in. In one case we had to pay the excess at another desk and then return to the check-in queue to collect our boarding cards. There's always a notice somewhere in the process that you must be fully fit etc.

However, we do know an 80+ yr old gentleman with arhythmia, one eye and a walking stick who always books these seats also. We asked him how he got away with it. 'Well the stick is a fold-up one. I put it in my pocket just before I get into the plane. My wife walks slowly in front of me. She's fit as a fiddle and under 70 and she just looks like she's taking her time. Meanwhile I can use the seatbacks instead of the stick until we get to our row!'

[Lakitu]

Blimey dundurn! Do you have enough oxygen all the way up there?? LOL

[ChuckFickens]

hmmmm, all I'm going to say, dundurn is short :)

[Lakitu]

No way! How tall are you??

[ChuckFickens]

hehe calling him short is not really correct, 6'5" is not short by any stretch and he is only a little bit shorter than me at 6'6"

[Lakitu]

So you must be a bit oxygen starved all the way up there too!!

Can you start coming to the supermarket with me, please? I never manage to reach the high shelves!