Flew PIT-IAH today. We started (at IAH a few days ago) with a Plat, Gold, and kid on a single itinerary, plus a second kid on a reward ticket. The PNRs were split when we were put on the upgrade list on the outbound. Seat assignments on the return were supposed to be 11A-D, and we had called United to get the reward ticket into E+. We show up at PIT today and find the wife (Plat) still in 11D, but the other three of us in random middle seats in E+. I am not aware of an equipment change and today's flight was a 737-9, so it's unlikely they switched away from a larger aircraft. The ticketing agent couldn't help and neither could a phone agent (neither of which surprised me), but the gate agent was full of crap about how a seat assignment is not guaranteed, yada yada. He ended up putting me and my 6 and 9 year old in row 15 which, he assured me, was still E+. I will charitably assume that he was unaware of which 739 version this was, because row 15 on this bird was not E+. As my wife is swapping on board from 11 to 15, the flight attendant asked what was up and she loudly exclaimed her displeasure. Three different groups of passengers in the near vicinity shared similar stories and, indeed, we had another seat change fiasco on a recent BOS-IAH flight a few weeks ago. Social media friends were full of these stories, too.
WTH, United? Splitting families up and putting them all in middle seats in different rows? Don't give me any BS about splitting the PNRs being the reason for this - that does not give cause to randomly change seat assignments (plus, if their system for tracking PNRs cannot link those that started on the same itinerary, then they need a new system). Lying (er, being misinformed) about what is an Economy Plus seat and what is not? Twice in a month? Not impressive.