United Separates My Wife and Me
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 7
United Separates My Wife and Me
I am in United's Economy Plus program as well as a MP member. I recently purchased a round-trip ticket for myself, and used my MP miles to purchase the same trip for my wife. However, United refuses to seat us both together in EP because we're not on the same itinerary. Of course, it's their web site that won't let me make both purchases on the same itinerary. Has anyone else had this problem, and if so, have you been able to resolve it successfully?
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
#2
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,422
If you are on the same flights, then your wife can sit with you --- however this can not be done online and requires a phone call. So you will be able to sit together.
#3
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: MBS/FNT/LAN
Programs: UA 1K, HH Gold, Mariott Gold
Posts: 9,617
https://store.united.com/traveloptio...e=UM_EPA#terms
Membership and Use: the Economy Plus® annual option is a fee-based membership program that allows Mileage Plus® general members and one guest to sit in Economy Plus® on all United, and explusSM (where available) flights. Benefits are provided for the exclusive use of you, as the Member, and are nontransferable. Seat assignments in Economy Plus can be requested and confirmed (when available) at the time of ticketing, regardless of ticketing channel. Flights must be booked and flown during membership period. The Mileage Plus number must be provided at time of booking, and the flight must be credited to the Mileage Plus account. Seating in Economy Plus is not guaranteed, but may be requested and confirmed any time prior to the flight. Guest must be on the same reservation record as the Economy Plus annual option member. Memberships may take up to 48 hours to activate. Bonus miles will be deposited into your Mileage Plus account within six to eight weeks. Membership is valid for twelve months after the date of enrollment. Upon advance notice to the Member, the Membership Fee for renewal terms may change from time to time.
#4
Join Date: May 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: UA Premier 1K (.5 MM), AA Plat/2MM
Posts: 643
In the end it worked out, the flight was oversold, and they had to put him into E+. The gate agent was nice enough to seat us together.
#5
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: LA
Programs: UA MM | BA Ag
Posts: 7,182
I would also ask at check-in, and at the gate. United is consistently inconsistent.
Last edited by anc-ord772; May 20, 2009 at 2:43 pm
#6
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.99MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,422
I was flying to CLT last Friday, and had a friend of mine with me. He was flying ORD-CLT-TPA, our itineraries were separate as I was just flying ORD-CLT. I asked in the RCC if it would be possible to move him up to E+, and she mentioned that he would have to buy up into E+ and could only do it if we were on the same PNR. I'm assuming she was correct in saying this?....
#7
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SAN
Programs: UA lifetime gold, 1.8MM; Marriott lifetime Titanium
Posts: 488
#8
Join Date: May 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: UA Premier 1K (.5 MM), AA Plat/2MM
Posts: 643
Learn something new everyday on FT. Thanks
#9
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Bethesda, MD
Programs: UA Million Miler, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Gold
Posts: 814
A similar thing happened to me. I have a trip in June from IAD-BOS and I am taking my 11 year-old-daughter. My business paid for my ticket and I used a $200 voucher for my daughter. I got the ticket at IAD ticket counter and he was unable to put her next to me in E+. Since I was heading for a flight I figured I would just change it online. I was unable to make the change online and it took two different phone calls to finally get her moved up to sit with me. Very annoying that UA can't figure this out easier.
#10
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA 1MM Lifetime Gold, starting AK, Marriott Bonvoy
Posts: 347
I've done this (companion to E+) several times with my 14-year-old statusless son traveling on a separate PNR (purchased with DBC-FREE). You have to do the seating by phone, and it's wise to check the itinerary at least weekly to be sure the computer hasn't swept your companion to the back. Phone agents have told me they can tie the PNRs together so this shouldn't happen but that sometimes it does anyway.
#11
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: LA
Programs: UA MM | BA Ag
Posts: 7,182
I've done this (companion to E+) several times with my 14-year-old statusless son traveling on a separate PNR (purchased with DBC-FREE). You have to do the seating by phone, and it's wise to check the itinerary at least weekly to be sure the computer hasn't swept your companion to the back. Phone agents have told me they can tie the PNRs together so this shouldn't happen but that sometimes it does anyway.
#12
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA 1K, Citi Prestige, AMEX Platinum, SPG Gold
Posts: 720
Like ccharles, I have multiple times called to "link" my PNR to a non-status friend's so that we could sit together in E+. I've never had a problem when asking to have PNRs linked.
That said, I haven't done this in many months, so it's possible that there's some new policy in place. If so, I'm not too happy about it.
That said, I haven't done this in many months, so it's possible that there's some new policy in place. If so, I'm not too happy about it.
#13
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Central Virginia
Programs: UA 2MM
Posts: 1,231
Like ccharles, I have multiple times called to "link" my PNR to a non-status friend's so that we could sit together in E+. I've never had a problem when asking to have PNRs linked.
That said, I haven't done this in many months, so it's possible that there's some new policy in place. If so, I'm not too happy about it.
That said, I haven't done this in many months, so it's possible that there's some new policy in place. If so, I'm not too happy about it.
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 7
Thanks, everybody, for your replies.
Just to clarify: After I discovered that our seat assignments had been changed, I emailed UA's customer service, asking them to make the change. I now have two emails from them saying they won't do this and telling me to see the gate agent on the day of the flight. So maybe I could get a more satisfactory reply by calling them than by emailing them.
Just to clarify: After I discovered that our seat assignments had been changed, I emailed UA's customer service, asking them to make the change. I now have two emails from them saying they won't do this and telling me to see the gate agent on the day of the flight. So maybe I could get a more satisfactory reply by calling them than by emailing them.
#15
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: OSL/IAH/ZRH (time, not preference)
Programs: UA1K, LH GM, AA EXP->GM
Posts: 38,253
The OP could safely sit together with their companion ... in E-. So technically, UA didn't separate them.
Definitely. It also works much faster.
Make sure to call again just before the DM window in order not to be washed out on a sweep.
Make sure to call again just before the DM window in order not to be washed out on a sweep.