Originally Posted by
LHR/MEL/Europe FF
it has been widely discussed in the thread ICN-ORD to resume F class - for the 77W only 2 seats are available for general advance selection - 2G and 2K. This is regardless of the number of seats sold. My flight was showing A6P6 right up until departure and still only those two seats were available.
Even at ICN where I arrived at 0600 on a connecting flight, 5 hours before departure I was told only 2G and K were available. Once the flight opened for check-in I offered any seat I wanted.
We eventually went out with 1A and 2A occupied.
Not really going to be an issue unless the plane fills up - it would be safe to assume single pax are not going to want to take the middle seats and will move to the windows if possible, leaving the two middle seats for couples.
While the availability of only 2G and 2K on the 77W has been widely discussed, my experience of the past 2 weeks is contrary to that discussion. Over the past 2 weeks I have obtained 2D and 2G (2 middle seats for myself and companion) for one-way F awards (using UAMiles) between JFK and ICN in February, 2014.
As any elite flyer (at least on UA) is well aware, one must frequently call the elite desk multiple times to find an agent willing to do what you want. Well, to my surprise that strategy works on the Asiana 800# as well.
After being told on two occasions that only 2G/2K were available, I politely indicated the importance of being guaranteed a seat next to my traveling companion on a 14 hour flight, and that I would appreciate having a supervisor intervene. Sure enough, about 3 minutes later I had 2D/2G.
Then, about a week later I attacked the second one-way segment. Of course, being able to prove I'd gotten 2D/2G on the first flight made the supervisor approval on my ICN to JFK much quicker. 2 minutes later I was set.
For me, "persistence" and unwavering "politeness" broke the 2G/2K paradigm. Good luck to others!