SaveTheTulip

I found an interesting article on SkyNet that adds more to what that CSR told you:

"Narrowbody Seat Row Standardization
"**NARROWBODY SEAT STANDARDIZATION**

"United is changing the seat identification on certain aircraft to ensure consistency across our fleet types. Aircraft seat maps will be updated to reflect a change in row numbers and or letter numbers for First class/bulkhead and over-wing exit rows for B757 and A319/320 aircraft fleets

"Reservations booked prior to 10MAR11 for travel dates on/after 09JUN11 will be updated with new seat maps. The actual seat numbers/letters *onboard* the aircraft will be changed on 9JUN11.

"While seat numbers or rows may change…the position of the seat will remain the same -a bulkhead seat will remain a bulkhead seat/an aisle seat will remain an aisle seat/. First class seats will now reflect as *A-B-E-F vs. A-B-C-D /aisle seats are B-E.

"This change will simplify seat re-accommodation for customers affected by a schedule change and enable the new United to integrate common fleet types with consistent and standardized row numbers and letters.

"In total…234 aircraft will undergo seat number modifications. These changes will *not* be applied to B757 Premium Service /PS/ aircraft or the one 757 slimline aircraft nose #5093."

There is a spreadsheet that depicts the bizarre changes. The new A320 (12/126) economy row numbering will be E+ rows 7-8, 10-11, and 20-21.

OMAguy

this basically matches up with continental - all of the emergency exit rows on continental are 20-21. by making the A320 have this numbering, 20-21 will remain exit rows. probably the lack of 9 is to account for the two types of A320s UA has - some have exit rows at 10&11 while others have exit rows at 11&12. i can't count the number of times i have booked row 12 in advance (to enjoy exit row with full recline) and have ended up in E- because an aircraft swap and the exit rows are now 10&11. i applaud UA for fixing this problem...

OMAguy

you will find on other threads that IAD-CDG is going to be all CO equipment this fall while some UA widebodies are shifted to EWR (i definitely know EWR-BRU). the *new* UA is making better use of its equipment in theory. makes upgrades impossible with UA systemwide for the fall - but hopefully the single operating certificate will be effective in Jan 2012 clearing up this issue.

UA-NYC

How long before they turn this into an ELR row? They're too good of seats to not try and monetize of course.

UnitedSkies

Why don't you like this change? It makes perfect sense to me. Currently, A320 to A319 swaps cause issues with people being booted out of the exit row. This should ensure that things remain consistent if there are aircraft swaps. Isn't this a good thing?

SaveTheTulip

In theory it is a good thing. However, I am against the change because I like order and neatness, and it boggles my mind to have three rows (E+ or otherwise) that on a current plane are, let's say, rows 8-10, that will instead become row 8, row 10, and row 20 or whatever it is going to be changed to become. It seems messy. It also seems odd that the last row of an A320 will be row 35 or something equally high because the plane isn't all that long and doesn't look like it should have 35 rows.

UnitedSkies

I think this is a change we can live with - given the benefits.

murphyUA

See a flight on a 319 where the seat map changed to seemingly align with CO. Rows 7 thru 12 is E+, then 20 and 21 exit rows, then rows 22 thru 34 as E-.

WineCountryUA

a couple of threads have discussions on this
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...l#post16024218
and
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...l#post16042799

1KChinito

My 1 Nov LAX-SFO flight on A319, bulkhead is now row #7 instead of 6.

A B C D E F
7
8
10
11
12
20 Exit with 2 seats on each side
21 Exit
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
34
A B C D E F

frankmu

Thanks for the heads up. My late July flight LAX-ORD A320 kicked us back a row, and I had to reseat everyone. The seat change also occurred on the way back on a ORD-SFO 757. Exit row 9 is now row 8.

TheBagman

I think I know how this went down:

IT Guy1: "Hey, anyone want to fix the reseating logic to handle different aircraft types? It's been a problem for about 25 years now."

IT Guy2: "You know, if we just renumber the entire fleet, we won't have to do anything!"

geofflaredo

I'm a little, um, anal in checking my itineraries for changes. They seem to be coming more and more often.

Many trips involve A319 and A320 aircraft. I usually try to sit in the bulkhead on those planes, which is -- or has been -- row 6. On some upcoming flights later in the year the UA seatmap now shows the bulkhead as row 7. Anyone know if this is a result of new configurations due to melding UA and CO fleets? or if this is even correct? Thanks for any feedback.

hungarianhc

My guess is they most likely gave you a plane swap

TimInSF

I noticed that I lost some seats for a trip in June this morning--flights in April and May were still okay. When I called the 1K line they told me that seating was being aligned with CO--row six on the Airbus is now row 7 (although I am not sure how exactly that aligns with CO's all-Boeing fleet) and row 16 on the 757 was now row 21 (that one makes sense).

Just one data point that may help to explain things changing in June and beyond.

Tim