Originally Posted by
ExplorerWannabe
I imagine the change came because of GS (who are even more loyal/high spending than 1K) complaining about not being able to get a FC seat selection after they were all consumed by 1Kers. It was a nice perk for those who were able to take advantage of it, its absence doesn't diminish any of the other perks that were promised.
FWIW there have been plenty of seats available for selection since the policy change on most routes ex-ORD, only those seats were selectable in advance by those 1K/GS who book confirmed J rather than those confirm in Y and play the upgrade lottery (GS included). This change will likely most benefit those GS who book Y and then waitlist upgrades.
Access to the F cabin used to an amenity (rather than a perk). It devolved from an amenity to a mere perk when they eliminated the ability use a GPU or simply purchase access to that cabin. Now that amenity is no longer available and the perk has been taken away. The final elimination of the F cabin is a huge loss (though maybe only for for a very small subset of travelers who used to fly in it all the time).
I disagree with the sentiment that as an unpublished benefit, 1K should be grateful for the time that UA allowed us to select those seats in the first place and not despair about elimination of access to the cabin.