Originally Posted by
HaleiwaFlyer
I agree with you that there is no promises and that isn’t the argument here. The seat selection menu have distinct seat icons, why else would United put distinct seat icons unless United themselves want to showcase a difference in their own hard product??? Otherwise, every icon would just be a recliner seat. Because a business class ticket is the same right??
It's far easier to program your seat map display to only consider the layout of the aircraft and update the legend accordingly, then it is to make the seat map display change depending on both the layout and the route that aircraft is flying on. In UA's eyes, lie-flats on a domestic business route are the same hard product regardless if it would have been marketed as Polaris internationally or not. Passengers can get a flight change or voucher if their flight changes to not have a lie flat at all. But all UA is marketing, and is quite clear from the seat selection process, is a lie flat seat in a United Business cabin, there is no further commitment beyond that.
Originally Posted by
HaleiwaFlyer
My point is that we tend to skew our perspectives as frequent fliers that we let a lot of things slide and brush them off during operational issues. Most consumers don't view it that way, and we tend to give the benefit of the doubt to airlines because for most of us, flying is a passion/enjoyment and understand the minutia of airlines. But how much leeway should we give as consumers?
I think your argument works against the point you're trying to make. The average consumer isn't going to care, or probably even know, whether it is a "polaris" hard product lie flat seat or the old lie flat seat. They're booking and see that they're going to get a lie flat seat, and when they fly they get a lie flat seat. The issue isn't the big deal it is being made out to be here unless you have the perspective as a frequent flyer to even know there is a difference between the two styles of seat. At which point you should also know enough that on a domestic business flight the specific style of lie-flat seat isn't guaranteed.