Originally Posted by
onthesam
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I disagree with the sentiment that as an unpublished benefit, 1K should be grateful for the time that UA allowed us to select those seats in the first place and not despair about elimination of access to the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.
I agree that the practical inability to use GPUs/RPUs diminishes their value but that is a separate issue from whether 1Ks are allowed to select former GF seats in advance. As I read it, 1K may still get seats there, just not reserve them far in advance anymore.
I doubt United would have gone to the trouble of pushing out a change to policy like this (and rather abruptly after publicly announcing 1Ks would get to select seats in those cabins) if there hadn't been issues with higher level elites (GS) not being able to select them. The way I read it, flights that don't fill the former GF cabin with GS will still allow 1K to change into them but UA wants to give first priority to GS. I don't have a problem with that.