Originally Posted by
wilp888
This subject about full fare tickets keep on coming up but I think United has it right in this instance. The full fare passenger that does not have status on United is not a frequent customer of the airline. Simple as that. Any business values frequent and repeat customers and why should United be any different? Perhaps, on this particular flight, this one passenger spent more on his full fare ticket than some elite members but who's to know when he's going to fly United again whereas the 1Ks, the 1Ps and the 2Ps are flying United over and over again. It may sound unfair to deny a passenger with a full fare economy ticket a seat assignment in E+ but is it really unfair?
The comparison to other business might not be relevant as most other businesses have standard pricing. I may be a regular at a restaurant, and get a bottle of wine sent to my table by the owner, but my steak costs the same as the first-time guest.
It is UA that says those E+ seats are available for an extra fee, and a full fare should qualify. Someone who pays $150 for a cheap ticket and is offered an E+ seat for an additional $60 should get the seat ahead of the guy who put down $800 for the full fare seat? That, it seems to me, would insure you would not get that big spender as a frequent customer.