Originally Posted by
mgcsinc
E+ is given away for free on most flights I'm on. That's how it works. It's totally normal. When E- is full, that usually means that some portion of E+ has been given away. E+ is not a separate class of service. GAs have to assign seats at the gate for this reason all the time.
I do think making this all evident through announcements is not great.
And if I had paid for E+, I'd demand a refund if UA gave it away for free.
A few years ago I was flying AF on my first 380 flight. I paid extra for more leg room, and when I saw a FA give one of those seats away for free, I went up to the purser and asked how I should apply for a refund. He asked why, and I told him what had just happened. He said I should return to my seat, and he would be back shortly. He did come back, and moved me to a premium economy seat.
If UA is going to undercut their own policies, they should pay the price.
Originally Posted by
KenInEscazu
If it was a weight/balance issue, the GA would have been wise to announce it as such. "Due to a weight/balance issue, we are offering x number of complimentary E+ seats to passengers currently seated in E-. We are going to start with offering this free UG to Group 2 pax. Please, Group 2 pax only approach the podium now if interested."
It would have explained the "why," and kept the stampede from getting out of control. Better for UA. Better for pax. I'll bet this thread wouldn't even exist if it had been handled that way.
Even if that was the reason for moving the people, if they are going to make an announcement like that, they should expect people to ask for a refund.