US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Problems getting E+ seats on United

Has anyone ever had/fixed this problem:

I booked flights on United over the weekend and gave them my CP number, thus *A status. The agent told me there were no E+ seats available so I got seats in the back.

When I go through the booking process on the US site, and get to Seat Selection, about 70-80% of the E+ seats are showing availabe for selection. But when I called the UA reservations line (general number, given my UA peon status), they still tell me there is not a single seat available in all of E+ for any of my flights. I confirmed that that my *A status was recorded, and I think there's a glitch somewhere that it is not showing the available seats, but all I could get was a "I'm sorry sir, but I can not help you" (in what sounded like a Mumbai dialect - has UA outsourced CSR's also?). When I asked for someone who could help me she gave me a phone number, which turned out to be a number to check my United Visa account balance (uh, thanks).

Any thoughts on getting E+ seats - I'm looking at 20 hours on the plane total, including an overnight, so it's kind of important.

At a minimum - a customer service contact e-mail address - I can't find one on the United site at all.

Has happened to me several times -- have always called United -- (just general res. #) and ask them to assign me to a E+ seat. Have had to hang-up and try again a couple of times when an agent says it's not possible, but have always ended up getting E+.

US's agents (while great for US operated flights) - have never been able to help me on this...

Just call UA back and ask to be transferred to a supervisor in the U.S... they should be able to get you an E+ seat.

BTW, U = US Airways (former stock symbol in the pre-bankruptcy #1 days), not United.

Has happened to me several times -- have always called United -- (just general res. #) and ask them to assign me to a E+ seat. Have had to hang-up and try again a couple of times when an agent says it's not possible, but have always ended up getting E+.

US's agents (while great for US operated flights) - have never been able to help me on this...


Yup. Happens all the time. Call back and eventually someone will have a clue. You are right in that US reservations will be unable to help you.

Interesting. I've flown UA a few times since the codeshares began, and I've always been able to get myself in an E+ seat through a US agent, with my Silver status. Admittedly it's been a while -- has something changed (for the worse)?

Happens to me every single time...

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=405064 (post #14 for my experience)

You think it's bad not being able to get E+, which is actually an improved product over regular economy? Try having tremendous difficulty as a UA *Gold elite getting seats in the front of the economy cabin on US. Every time it requires a phone call and special tricks on the US agent's part to open up a seat. And there's absolutely no difference in a US cabin, just a shorter walk!

I've tried calling the UA number back a few times with the same result, and have emailed customer service, waiting for a response.

I had a 1K co-worker go through the ticket purchasing process and it's also showing E+ completely full for him, so it doesn't appear to be a glitch in recognizing my *A status.

I can't figure why they'd be blocking out E+ seating, especially for 1K's, when US show it open. I'll await a response for UA customer service, or I'll just keep checking in every few weeks. I do miss the CP desk help, but this was all ticketed on UA (same $619 flights from united.com were $2700+ on usair.com).

I've always been able to get myself in an E+ seat through a US agent, with my Silver status.

That only works if you're booked on a US Airways ticket with US flight number. US Airways agents cannot make changes to tickets on UA metal booked through united.com.

FWIW, so long as E+ has been available I've always gotten in.

If booking through my corporate intranet site, the secret is to skip seat assignments, put my US DM# on the reservation, and UA computers will assign seats in E+ when it's ticketed. If I don't like them I call UA directly. Depending upon how you all book, this might be worth a try.

If booking any other way, I usually have to call UA.

Note that certain fare classes (M and higher maybe on a UA-ticketed itinerary?) will automagically put you in E+ even if you're having trouble getting a US number on the reservation.

Seatmaps, especially on UA, are deceiving in my experience.

Case in point--had a IAD-LHR flight that was showing (up until the night before) all kinds of E+ availability, when in reality the flight was overbooked.

This leads me to believe (and I've heard this from many people who are 1k with UA and experienced it personally as a 2P on United) that they stop advance seat assignments much earlier than US does (in terms of % load factor, not seats assigned).

In other words, US might wait until the flight is booked to 85% of capacity before cutting off advanced seat assignments. I suspect that UA does it at a much lower percentage. So, you may see a slew of seats open in E+, but they may not be available.

Now, I'd think that your status would overcome this, but I've found UA's regular CSRs to be extremely inconsistant about things like this.

On a hunch, I went out and booked the same exact itinerary with no status, with my status, and with my co-worker's 1K status, but selected unrestricted coach instead of resticted coach. Voila - of the 89 seats in E+ about 8 of them were occupied and all the rest were available to book no matter what the status - just as on the US seat map.

I'm now convinced this isn't a US status/*A issue - it's just UA locking up E+ seats on a high demand flight(in violation of their published policies and *A standards, I believe), as I have received E+ seats many times before.

Still no response from UA Customer Service. I'll move this to the UA forum.

When booking at ual.com, i always log-in as a guest and enter my DM# (I'm a US2). I've noticed that when I check the seat map, there are rarely any open E+ seats. So, I just skip that part and let the computer select my seats. To date, they've always been E+ window or aisle seats.

When booking on a corporate site, how do you enter your US # on a UA flight? I have yet to get that to work on our AX based corporate site.

When booking on a corporate site, how do you enter your US # on a UA flight? I have yet to get that to work on our AX based corporate site.

I have the same problem. We use GetThere (formerly ITN/American Express). It will kick out your whole res if you try to input your US DM # on a UA flight. Only workaround I have found is to have the UA rep change it at the ticket counter at the airport (kiosk supposedly allows you to do this but also crashed and burned that way).

the secret is to skip seat assignments, put my US DM# on the reservation, and UA computers will assign seats in E+ when it's ticketed.

Exactly-- I booked 2 tickets on United's site for a IAD-CDG trip. I did exactly like the above poster, and United put me into E+.

When booking on a corporate site, how do you enter your US # on a UA flight? I have yet to get that to work on our AX based corporate site.

My Company also uses a version of the AX travel booking website. In order to select 'another airlines' FF #, you must have each of your programs saved in your profile. Prior to the actual booking process, it should allow you a drop down box with all of your airlines and just select US DM# and continue (You may have to manually type in your US DM# if you also have a UA MP# on file). It should reflect on you itinerary as the FF selection. Hope this helps.

Exactly-- I booked 2 tickets on United's site for a IAD-CDG trip. I did exactly like the above poster, and United put me into E+.

Sadly, mine had to be booked with a real, live reservation agent and ticketed at the aiport ($75 Entertainment Book Coupons * 3 = nice payback on $20 purchase). Perhaps the computers can do what the humans can't.

Exactly-- I booked 2 tickets on United's site for a IAD-CDG trip. I did exactly like the above poster, and United put me into E+.
Exact same thing for us (both US2s) on a slightly shorter flight than RMINIONE's when we booked TED on United's website (assigned row 4 in E+).

I am booking a flight from BOS to DEN. I am a CP with USAir so I've become quite accustomed to sitting up front. I know that I can purchase upgrade certificates through United at a reduced rate. Is this my only/best option for doing so? Anyone else done this with any luck? Do I use these at time of booking or at the gate?

Thanks ahead of time for your help on this.

My Company also uses a version of the AX travel booking website. In order to select 'another airlines' FF #, you must have each of your programs saved in your profile. Prior to the actual booking process, it should allow you a drop down box with all of your airlines and just select US DM# and continue (You may have to manually type in your US DM# if you also have a UA MP# on file). It should reflect on you itinerary as the FF selection. Hope this helps.

This is evidently the same version of AMEX/ITN I'm using, and how it works for me.

That said, I've got clients that also use AMEX travel, and seem to be on earlier versions of the software that don't give the dropdown even when the profiles are set up properly. YMMV.

I am booking a flight from BOS to DEN. I am a CP with USAir so I've become quite accustomed to sitting up front. I know that I can purchase upgrade certificates through United at a reduced rate. Is this my only/best option for doing so? Anyone else done this with any luck? Do I use these at time of booking or at the gate?

Thanks ahead of time for your help on this.

The experience I have had with purchasing the upgrade Certs with UA is they are only good the day of departure IF there are seats available upfront. That is determined at the ticket counter upon check-in. They will use as many 500 miles certs that are needed for the one way flight. I have heard from another US CP that he has received a 'complimentary' upgrade on UA a few times. It all depends on the GA and how full the flight is. He was not required to use any certs. I have not been so fortunate. Hope this helps.

Perhaps I'm imagining this, but I could swear that if I do not attept to select a seat assignment on a codeshare United flight, I seem to automatically get an E+ seat. I also thought that I could indicate US Airways frequent flyer number when booking on United's site, no? (or perhaps it was a third party like orbitz or travelocity)

I know this is a strange post on the US board, but has anyone used their Star Alliance status to get into E-Plus and then later switched to their United Plus acct number so as to get credit for the miles on United?

I'm assuming you could input your United number at check-in.....