So Mark, I took your advice and called back, got the same response, called back again and talked to a lady (with a deep Indian accent) and she said that she applied the FF# to my account but that the IAD-MUC flight is packed and that there are no isle seats available.

She said that I can either pay $299 for the whole year or go to the airport for a different seat. She said she couldn't do it. My whole thing is that I don't usuallly travel United, so paying $299 is too much I think. I would rather pay the $600 and get a first class seat on the way there by buying miles.

Would they allow me to get the E+ for 1 way if I just go up there now? It's 1 month before the trip so I'm not sure if it's something I have to wait 24 hours to do? They wont' even give me emergancy row w/o having E+ status? There has got to be another way for me to not get stuck in the middle of 4 people! I would rather sit in the lavatory the whole trip than do that.