redburgundy

Booked today 3/19 on UA 932 DEN-IAD on a domestic-config 767 cattle car, with seat 3F. Tried to check in online at 6:30am, unable to complete, but I saw "757" before I cancelled the process.

Tried to check in at 7:30am, succeeded, with a boarding pass for seat 2B on a 757.

Got to the airport, checked in again at a terminal and this time got seat 3F again.

Gate agent said it was downgauged, then later upgauged. In fact the aircraft was ferried in--nobody got off when it arrived. She tore up my boarding pass for 2B.

I told her others might have checked in online for seats that didn't exist. She said she looked at the passenger list and didn't think so. I should have bet her a nickel. Several people successfully boarded and then found that their boarding passes were for seats that don't exist on a domestic 767.

Moral of the story---know your seat assignment, and if it changes, pay close attention to why.

UnitedF1RST

I dont think i've ever head the term "upguage"....but that sounds like some sort of .bomb problem or perhaps they swapped the equipment and swapped it back. UA is seeming to have been having some problems with their reservations systems lately. Thats odd how they didnt reprint boarding passes for everyone...if the BP was for a different seat shouldnt the barcode not even clear when walking onto the jetway?

spin88

since today is my day to vent on the old c2000 UA, this recalls one of my classic stories about the "old bad" UA.

in 2000 i had a morning meeting in DEN I had schedualed with about 20 folks flying in, and I needed to leave that am for DEN from SFO, so I went to book myself on the 6a flight which at the time was a 757. Sold out, but they would let me buy a F seat, which I did. Anyway, crew did not show (2000 remember) and they had an oversold plane not going anywhere, and I had to get to DEN, so I went over to the next flight's gate, which was a 733 and it was already oversold before the spill over and I was told I could go Y- if they had a seat, but I was no 95 or so on the WL.... Next flight the same thing...

Its about 7:30 by now and the 200+ passangers on SFO-DEN are about to riot, so they announce they are doing a metal substitution. So in pulls this 744 at 8 a.m., total chaos. I get a C boarding pass eventually and then the gate agent tells me I can't take on my roll-away as I have it, my top bag and my computer bag (remember c2000) tells me how stupid I am and should just check my baggage, and that UA will not let me on with three bags - first i've heard this in 100K miles with the same luggage and he tells me I can't board unless he tags my bag. So he tags my bag, I rip it off on the jet way, and of course in lower deck C you can put my bag and an entire family traveling in Y overhead...

Anyway we leave three hours late with no one in F, about 30 in C, and everyone else in Y. No meal as no food got loaded. I still think it was cheesy for them not to fill up F given the circimstances, and UA never answered my complaint letter.

that and a NW 332 in place of the usual 752 DTW to SFO last summer when they were having their pilot issues are my ownly "upgrades" in a lot of flying.

redburgundy

There was definitely an equipment swap--the 767 was ferried in. Evidently at some time early in the morning the operations folks found that the original 767 wouldn't be available and planned to use a 757, but then found another 767. Or maybe the original 767 wasn't used on its scheduled incoming flight to Denver because of a maintenance issue, and it was repaired in time to ferry it to Denver.

I wondered about the barcode myself.

ORDnHKG

Apprently you didn't fly UA enough to see what is that mean by upguage. It is not about .bomb problem, it is all about mechanical, or the plane stuck at somewhere due to weather. If they have a spare at the hangar, then they take it out. I have seen enough on ORD-SFO, from 2 class 777 to a 3 class 777, or from 3 class 777 to a 747, or either downguage from 3 class 777 to a 757.