canadiancow

Carry-on isn't a *G benefit though.

Checked luggage is.

YOWgary

Yeah, I didn't write that clearly.

BA, LX and SN all offer "hand baggage only" fares, under which the checked-baggage allowances for elite members do not apply.

So, providing my carry-on meets their size rules, I can take it in the cabin, but as a *G or OWS I'd have to pay to check it.

canadiancow

Oh. That's... is that even allowed?

I'd be writing into *A about that.

Or heck, even write into AC about how another airline is not honouring the *G status they've given you.

Jasper2009

Indeed, it's quite pathetic.

Both LH and LX have introduced fares which exclude the *G baggage allowance. In fact, even LH/LX HONs (who typically spend >30k Euros to earn that status) don't get a free bag.

Since LH is one of the major players, I doubt *A will go after them.

YYCYYZ

NZ - they often "block" middle seats for me so I don't have anyone next to me (which is great in Y) and the SDs often will come and introduce themselves to me and say "we've ensured you don't have anyone beside you and if you need anything during the flight please ask for me"

SQ - received an op-up from SIN-SYD which was nice (flight was oversold, guy beside me was also *G)

LH - op-up at gate from FRA-CDG

LX - had someone met me in ZRH to help me with a tight connection

UA - used to get E+, but as noted this has changed. Never received any other service from UA.

CA - blocked middle seat (told me they blocked it at the checkin counter in HKG).

mendy7511

I travelled LH a few segments this week with my wife and infant. When I asked for an empty seat next to us, I was told they cannot block the seat.
I know in the past they did, but I think they do not any anymore.

As some posters mentioned, UA no longer offers E+ for free to *G.
I asked on a few segments this week and was told no.
The only one where I got E+ was when I had no seat assigned and at the gate they gave me E+, presumably because E- was full already.
The E+ situation with United is a really problem now because over half the flight was reserved for E+ so what ends up happening is E+ is mostly empty while E- is packed.
If E+ was only a few rows and it was an empty flight, you could count on the middle seat next to you being empty in E-. With 60% of the Y cabin E+, the E- section is packed to the gills before they would even think about assigning E+ seats for free.

I will be thinking twice from now on before buying a Y ticket on UA.

MB24

This has worked for me a few times too--I deliberately didn't choose a seat at booking. Of course you run the risk of a middle seat way in the back if E- ISN'T full.

canadiancow

I loved that. I'd get E+ in a place like SDQ, and I'd have four rows of three seats to myself, while E- was 100% full.

YOWgary

The other way of looking at this is that buying E+ in advance is now about a 50% at getting a middle seat blocked off as well.

Standard-Y seat, a bit of extra legroom, middle seat blocked... in some parts of the world they call this "business class". I don't agree, but for forty bucks I call it a bargain.

I know, I know, anything that isn't .....ing about the airline makes me a filthy apologist traitor. I'm sleeping fine tonight.

INEC

I agree with the surprises of many. *A airlines should not be allowed to have "hand luggage" only fees - nor should "no lounge access," "no priority boarding," etc. fees be allowed.

Being part of an alliance means taking the good (*A passenger business) with the bad (*G passenger benefits). If airlines want to generate revenue or save costs, they can charge for or take away non *G benefits (miles, seat selection, seat blocking, etc.). Sadly, I doubt that *A will do anything about this for member airlines who don't confirm.

YOWgary

AFAIK the fares to which I refer don't restrict lounge access or priority boarding, but I booked the more useful fare for the luggage allowance.

Also worth noting that those hand-baggage fares largely don't earn miles in the host or partner programs, though I could never get a straight answer on whether it would count for an AQS.

I don't have any problem with them selling those fares - I'd rather see kettles fly BA than Ryan - but I agree entirely that they should continue to honour alliance policy.

canadiancow

I think generally if a flight earns 1 or more AQM, it earns 1 AQS. Otherwise, it does not.

drvannostren

I would suggest never to EXPECT anything, even seat selection sometimes. I hadn't flown any airline that didn't allow free seat selection in a long time. Obvs some airlines charge for E+ or preferred seats, but LOT wanted $25 even for me to just pick an aisle seat. I did just in case, but if the flight is like 70% on the way out I won't be paying on the way back and I'll just hope to seat myself .

I generally find that you get nothing when it comes to the aircraft and in the air. On the ground the benefits are standard basically which I really like. But I think the biggest benefit is using it as a card to play in certain situations or that it'll work in your favor in certain situations.

I got an op-up, for a flight I thought I might miss the cut-off for on ANA, it was only GMP-HND but I got a nice J seat, presumably because Y was oversold and I had status. UA is fairly stingy, but that's ok, they wanna reserve E+ for their own elites, I get that. But personally I think T-24 they really should let other elites grab E+ for free as well, but that's a bit OT. I'm probably 3/6 on just asking. IAH has flat out refused me whenever I've asked, DEN I asked twice and got E+ twice for free. Got it once out of PTY as well.

canadiancow

"I'm Gold" as you point at "Star Alliance Gold" on your boarding pass tends to work well in stations where the primary language is not English

Not that I've had much trouble elsewhere.

YEGTigger

I got a free SDC and a free E+ seat out of a UA gate agent this week in LAS going to SFO. Probably the friendliest GA I've ever met, ever. But, other than that I haven't gotten anything out of UA beyond the rules in a while.