Today I actually tried to book a r/t flight from IAD to OAK on UAL -- I must be a glutton for punishment. I went to the website, entered my desired dates and flights, got a quote of $217, but noticed that the return flight only had middle seats. I decided to call UAL for two reasons: 1) I had a $25 off coupon; and 2) I wanted to upgrade (since there were only middle seats available in coach). When I called I was quoted $297. When I asked for the discrepancy in price, the agent said that on the internet you do all the work. When I pointed out that such a policy rendered the coupon worthless, she essentially said so. As for an upgrade, there were no seats available for the flights I requested or for that matter, for the next week. Guess what: 1) I'm flying JetBlue to Oakland; and 2) I'm moving my UAL miles to Diner Club points.