United E+ access a thing of the past?
Sep 26, 2006, 9:47 am
#46
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Australia
Programs: QF, SQ
Posts: 326
Originally Posted by Jetstreamer
Just returned from a UA mileage run with E+ seats booked before the change and I can report that I had no problems keeping these seats. Checked in at LHR and no mention was made of the change by the check-in agent which wa sa shame as I was all ready to make a scene 
Using the easy check-in machine for the other flights it is not possible to change seats to another E+ seat as they all show as assigned/blocked, even though on my SEA-LAX flight I had a whole 3 seats to myself (and E- was pretty much full). My IAD-SEA flight was cancelled and they were happy to rebook me into E+ on my reroute via SFO, although they only had seats in E- for the long IAD-SFO leg.
In summary if you have E+ seats reserved you get to keep them but you can't change them either in advance over the phone or at the airport.
Hope this helps if anyone is worrying.
Using the easy check-in machine for the other flights it is not possible to change seats to another E+ seat as they all show as assigned/blocked, even though on my SEA-LAX flight I had a whole 3 seats to myself (and E- was pretty much full). My IAD-SEA flight was cancelled and they were happy to rebook me into E+ on my reroute via SFO, although they only had seats in E- for the long IAD-SFO leg.
In summary if you have E+ seats reserved you get to keep them but you can't change them either in advance over the phone or at the airport.
Hope this helps if anyone is worrying.
Same here - Am lying by the pool here in Palm Springs and had no problems on my LHR-SFO sector in Economy Plus.
Sep 26, 2006, 1:42 pm
#47
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: London (UK), Wellington (NZ)
Programs: AirNZ AP *GE, Aegean *G, BMI Gold, BA Exec club Gold, UA MP, QFF
Posts: 303
Originally Posted by Malaysian16
Same here - Am lying by the pool here in Palm Springs and had no problems on my LHR-SFO sector in Economy Plus.
Thanks for reporting back.
Sep 27, 2006, 7:56 am
#48
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: wirral
Programs: bdgold
Posts: 135
Just phoned UA to check on my seat requests for flights booked TPA-CUN in NOV.
on the Y class fare segment , Y+ seats remain.
on the T class segments, my seat requests have disappeared!
And to add insult to injury, on one of those T class segments, they can not allocate seats as Y+ is blocked and Y- is full!
I'm really annoyed at this. This trip was booked in May, and being BD*G were given row 2ABCD on the T class segments, CUN-ORD-TPA.
CUN-ORD is now not possible to reserve any seats, and for ORD-TPA they have reallocated us in row 15ABCD which, 3 TIMES the UA agent assured is Y+ on the ORD-TPA flight. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't row 15 on TED Y-.
Do we have the lies to go with it also now?
regards
on the Y class fare segment , Y+ seats remain.
on the T class segments, my seat requests have disappeared!
And to add insult to injury, on one of those T class segments, they can not allocate seats as Y+ is blocked and Y- is full!
I'm really annoyed at this. This trip was booked in May, and being BD*G were given row 2ABCD on the T class segments, CUN-ORD-TPA.
CUN-ORD is now not possible to reserve any seats, and for ORD-TPA they have reallocated us in row 15ABCD which, 3 TIMES the UA agent assured is Y+ on the ORD-TPA flight. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't row 15 on TED Y-.
Do we have the lies to go with it also now?
regards
Sep 27, 2006, 3:10 pm
#49
Join Date: Apr 2004
Programs: BMI Gold
Posts: 153
I just flew MUC to ORD and onto SFO with UA. At MUC I asked for an E+ seat and was told, "only as an upsell". That was a long hard slog 
At the checkin for the domestic segement from ORD to SFO - I got E+ without even asking and this was on a packed 747!
At the checkin for the domestic segement from ORD to SFO - I got E+ without even asking and this was on a packed 747!
Oct 2, 2006, 3:11 pm
#50
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: In the skies of the world
Programs: SAS Gold, FB Gold, BA Gold, EY Silver
Posts: 3,167
I also promised to report back.
I'm currently at SFO airport flying LAX-SFO-SEA today. The check-in agent made absolutely no fuss about my advanced E+ seats at LAX.
I still have another three flights with E+ seats assigned, keeping my fingers crossed things will be just as smooth on those flights...
I'm currently at SFO airport flying LAX-SFO-SEA today. The check-in agent made absolutely no fuss about my advanced E+ seats at LAX.
I still have another three flights with E+ seats assigned, keeping my fingers crossed things will be just as smooth on those flights...
Oct 2, 2006, 8:26 pm
#51
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Oxford
Programs: BMI Gold, Hilton Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 85
I flew ORD - BOS this evening, I did not have pre-assigned E+ and as per the above posts I was not able to choose E+ seating. The machine tried to sell me it for $35. I refused the charge and went to the Red Carpet Club, the agent there told me "all you have to do is ask honey" and issued a new boarding pass in E+.
Oct 2, 2006, 8:30 pm
#52
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Originally Posted by scozer99
I flew ORD - BOS this evening, I did not have pre-assigned E+ and as per the above posts I was not able to choose E+ seating. The machine tried to sell me it for $35. I refused the charge and went to the Red Carpet Club, the agent there told me "all you have to do is ask honey" and issued a new boarding pass in E+.
Oct 4, 2006, 9:03 am
#53
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: London, England
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 3,772
No seat blocking either
After saying never again it took me all of 3 weeks to book another UA flight, although in my defence it was only from LAX to LAS on Ted. Anyhow just booked the ticket on unitedairlines.co.uk and picked my seat in the back. However it used to automatically block the seat next to me but on checking it hasn't this time. I take it this is another policy change?
Oct 8, 2006, 10:06 am
#54
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Australia
Programs: QF, SQ
Posts: 326
Originally Posted by GUWonder
Good suggestion. I think I'll be going that route. Should be easy for all BD Golds.
On boarding, First and Business Class passengers as well as United's MP Elite members were invited to board. Usually, I take this as all Star Gold members too but a few of us (Star Gold holders) were rather embarrassed as the gate agent (who was rather rude) shouted back at the queue - "NO! Only First, Business and United Elite passengers (United Elite ONLY not Star) are allowed to board at this time".
On boarding, along with the rest of the Economy passengers, there were only about 3 MPlus passengers in their seats in E+. The flight was full and many non Elite/Star Gold passengers were assigned E+ seats (my neighbour didn't pay anything extra and had no idea what a frequent flyer programme was) - so I expect that would probably be on of my last Mileage Runs with United as Star Gold seems to have no additional benefit when flying United except for the RC lounge access (which were rather pathetic in terms of service/amenities).
I also think that they were rather sneaky with their free (alcohol with International connections) drink coupons at their RC lounges as one had to ask for them.
Nevertheless - I thought the international service on United was not bad (which I did not expect)
Oct 8, 2006, 10:34 am
#55
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Europe
Posts: 2,341
Originally Posted by Malaysian16
On boarding, First and Business Class passengers as well as United's MP Elite members were invited to board. Usually, I take this as all Star Gold members too but a few of us (Star Gold holders) were rather embarrassed as the gate agent (who was rather rude) shouted back at the queue - "NO! Only First, Business and United Elite passengers (United Elite ONLY not Star) are allowed to board at this time".
Oct 8, 2006, 10:55 am
#56
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: UK
Programs: Lots of shiny metallic ones.
Posts: 1,049
Originally Posted by jjpb3
Now that is alarming. Priority boarding is definitely a *G privilege. If this isn't a case of a bad apple gate agent, then this is a step too far for UA. They stand to lose a lot of business if this is the new policy.
Was there an intermediate announcement?
Oct 8, 2006, 11:04 am
#57
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Australia
Programs: QF, SQ
Posts: 326
Originally Posted by preiffer
Unless of course, they DID allow *G to board before General Boarding. They're still offering a "priority boarding" service then.
Was there an intermediate announcement?
Was there an intermediate announcement?
Oct 8, 2006, 11:10 am
#58
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Europe
Posts: 2,341
Originally Posted by Malaysian16
Nope - as once all F,C and MP passengers boarded - it was a free-for-all general scrum down at the gate. I have to admit on each of the 4 flights I took - there was no priority boarding announcement made for Star Gold. At LHR - the gate agents allowed Star Gold to board with F and C.
Oct 8, 2006, 12:15 pm
#59
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: London, England
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 3,772
But they still do give *Gs priority boarding as you get a boarding pass with the number 1 boarding priority on it so after the first, biz, global services, premier exec pax board you still get to board before the rest. Don't really see there is an issue here. They are giving boarding priority but are simply not making an announcement.
Oct 9, 2006, 12:21 am
#60
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: In the skies of the world
Programs: SAS Gold, FB Gold, BA Gold, EY Silver
Posts: 3,167
Just finished my fifth and last economy flight on UA with pre-assigned E+ seats and I got to keep my E+ seat assignments for all flights without a single comment from any of the check-in agents.
I did DFW-LAX this evening and as a matter of fact I was the only person in the whole economy cabin who had my own row.
Standard economy was almost completely full with almost all middle seats taken as well. In this case I have to say well done United!!
Not sure about UA priority boarding for longhaul flights, but on US domestic flights if you are *G you will have "Seating 1" printed on your BP and they usually start the boarding process by announcing boarding for "first class passengers and seating group 1", so definitely still priority boarding for non-UA *G.
I did DFW-LAX this evening and as a matter of fact I was the only person in the whole economy cabin who had my own row.
Standard economy was almost completely full with almost all middle seats taken as well. In this case I have to say well done United!!
Not sure about UA priority boarding for longhaul flights, but on US domestic flights if you are *G you will have "Seating 1" printed on your BP and they usually start the boarding process by announcing boarding for "first class passengers and seating group 1", so definitely still priority boarding for non-UA *G.