Originally Posted by
Eszpresszo
Perhaps. But, does that make it my fault that I paid extra for a seat the family needed to occupy? Shouldn't this have been taken up with the agent at check-in, instead of berating the FA attendant (and she was a very professional FA) when they got to their seats? I don't think boarding is a good time to start concerning yourself with where you seating, especially if it is important.
If there were no seats available for the entire family at booking, this presents a problem as UA (phone agents or airport agents) will not / should not move other passengers. The standard UA statement in this situation is "ask on board"
The present UA and other airlines' solution to family seating is only a partial solution. And the high cost of premium seats is a problem for the late booking family.
But agree this is not your problem.
The whole issue of ask "on board" is covered in another thread,
How do you handle a seat change request? Do you ever feel like a jerk for saying no? - FlyerTalk Forums