*Elite only seats in MCE
May 26, 2018, 12:24 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Arizona
Posts: 5,689
*Elite only seats in MCE
So what happens on full fight with the "*Elite only" seats in MCE? Is their some secret benefit? Or are they just so I can sit next to other AA elites so we can discuss our silly status and how we were 69 on the free upgrade list? Can basic economy get these seats at the gate when they are filling up empty seats? You already have a bunch of smart non elites getting MCE for free when they are assigned at the gate. Is this another sociological game AA plays like showing no isle/window seats to a non elite when they purchase to extract xtra money even though there are really more isle exit seats?
May 26, 2018, 5:43 am
#3
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 7,043
May 26, 2018, 6:21 am
#4
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
One of the most frustrating things for last minute business travelers is that one can easily get stuck in a middle seat in the rear while quite willingly paying a substantial premium for a full Y fare while a person who flies once every 2 years and has BE on top of it, gets assigned a better seat (to the extent that anything is better).
On routes where there is competition, the carrier which can offer a better seat, gets the business.
On routes where there is competition, the carrier which can offer a better seat, gets the business.
May 26, 2018, 7:20 am
#5
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: NYC/LA
Programs: DL Plat, AA Plat Pro, Marriott Titanium, IHG Diamond Amb
Posts: 7,487
Exactly. And it also means that even when we have good seats but are rebooked during irrops, we have a better chance of not ending up in a middle seat in the back.
Jul 19, 2018, 4:33 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kirkland, WA
Programs: AS 75K,UA Gold 1.6MM, Hilton Dia, Marriott LT Plat, Hyatt Glb, Natl Exec, Hertz 5*
Posts: 3,657
Many years ago United would actually block the middle seat for top elites, wherever they were sitting, and the system was programmed to give those seats away last. Those were the good ole days, when they would actually program in to their systems a better elite experience. It's good to see at least some level of blocking but the locations of these * seats seem weird to me.