And this is exactly why UA should stop the charade of selling international first class tickets. It is only going to irritate people who don't know the minutia of what their IFC product has or doesn't have, what fare classes apply, etc.

They should just give it up and hold back any seat assignments in the cabin until they know for sure the flight will have them and then offer them for sale at some reasonable price, give the left-overs to GS, maybe 1K's, and so on, and offer the same service as in business.