Originally Posted by DC-USCP-UAPE

Flight update:

Overbooked, no upgrade as expected. Sat in E-Plus. OK, no problem, upgrading is a privilege not a right. I usually take extra empty water bottles through security and fill them at the Red Carpet club lounge and carry on board (learned this trick from a FAM). Get stopped boarding, bottles confiscated. Get in my seat and find that UA in their infinite wisdom decided to surround us with a school group of 12 year school kids - I guess they either really needed the extra leg room or were all preferred passengers so they got the E+. OK, calm down. No problem, right. Look at the movies - all crap. OK, I've got a stack of books. Go to turn on the overhead light - no go. Light's broken and FA confirms and says they are no seats to move to. Damn. Must sleep, only the kids have figured out the call bell makes this really cool sounds. Plus they like playing tag in the isles and walking over seats. The FA, retreated to their 'employee lounge' and we were left to fend for ourselves.

"Welcome to the jungle, it gets worse here everyday..." kept replaying in my head. 14 hours of UA hell I'm hoping to soon forget...

Btw: Elsewhere in the trip I was in NRT lounge they were calling for a NRT to SEA C downgrade. Like someone was going to downgrade a $6K ticket for $200 cash or $400 voucher. Anyway, it does support the concept that they overbook.