Originally Posted by
jewels421
So, it's not like it's will be something that will be flagged at check in, since there are reasons why a non-elite would be in E+ without paying.
Non-elites are in E+ all the time without paying. I have been on flights that were completely full and 5 people were boarding in boarding group 1 and 2. I have no doubt that most of the people on these flights were in E+ simply because they checked-in late and there was no more seats in E-. This particularly true on flights to leisure destinations like Vegas and Mexico.
I flew to Hawaii recently and sat in a (paid) seat in E+ in an exit row. Next to me was an Italian couple who a) did not speak English, b) were on the first trip to America, c) had never heard of Mileage Plus or Star Alliance and d) had no idea why they were in the seats they were except that when they checked in at the airport, those were the seats they were given.
It is for this reason that I will never pay for E+ again. It is aggravating to pay for the seat and sit next to people who are in E+ only because they checked in at the last minute.