Hi. I usually fly AA so I'm unfamiliar with United. Sorry if this has been answered before but I searched and didn't find anything.

My father is trying to book a r/t JFK-HNL ticket (economy class). There is a layover in LAX. The JFK-LAX legs are both p.s. flights, but he does not have any status, and United.com won't let him select seats. I've tried to convince him this is just a website issue and that he should book the tickets, but he's unsure and thinks that he will somehow be charged extra (after the fact) for flying p.s. without status. I think this is ridiculous. Nevertheless, not knowing the ins and outs of United, I thought I'd ask here. Any workarounds to the seat selection issue (other than calling United reservations)? Anything else my dad should be aware of with regard to p.s. flights?

Thanks in advance!