Not much to shout about but it is an extra 4 inches.

UA folks wave been poaching into our territory, including a 1K who was seated on my favorite seat when not upgraded (14C) - so how do we get into their E+ (without paying of course)

"Poaching into our territory"? What is the CO equivalent of E+? Oh right, it doesn't exist.

easy...pay the upgrade fee from E- to E+, or purchase E+ for the whole year.

Exit rows that are restricted to Golds and Plats until check-in.

I'd guess it's only a matter of time until we have a NW'esq relationship with UA in terms of elite benefits. UA's announcement of transitioning away from a cert based system to an EUA one indicates to me that they're planning on recp upgrades with CO - and when (not if) that comes to pass - I suspect we'll also see E+ access too.

In the interim your best bet might be to see if you can get a lounge agent to assign you a seat (RCC agents might do this and I suspect CO agents would do it, assuming they are able to assign seats on UA flights.)

I know that's not a good answer but sit tight and hopefully this'll be resolved within the next couple of months.

That's silly. Comparing an entire section of the airplane to an exit row just illustrates that CO has little to offer the UA flyer.

UA has exit rows too, you know.

I wouldn't hold your breath.

Yes and no -- the exit rows on CO are the poor mans version of first and on the bulk of the fleet, only 6 (!) good seats exist. As such, I think CO should be a little proactive in protecting these seats in limiting their access to Golds and Plats until check-in. Hence the concern that CO's "giving away" the already tiny number of differentiated Y seats before check-in catches folks attention.

I personally don't think UA kicking over E+ for CO in return for CO's exit rows is a fair trade -- just like I don't think it's fair for customer who's not a CO gold/plat to book exit rows on CO in advance. (And of course I'd argue that exit rows on both carriers for Gold/1Ps, Plat/1ks, GS seems to be a fair exchange.)

However as I said in a post upthread, I think this is all temporary and we'll see E+ access for CO elites & EUA harmonization by the end of 2010, rendering all this moot.
No need to now. The question phase was seeing who'd change and now IMHO the writing's on the wall as to where it's going. <shrug>

Anybody can choose your favourite 14C at OLCI - how do you know they didn't just pick it then?

Did you seriously take the time to ask them what airline status they were and how they arrived at 14C? I'm hoping not.

I don't understand your logic. What does EUA have to do with E+?

I don't see how its silly, they may not be much compared to E+, but they should still be restricted to Golds and Plats. So if UA elites can get into them before check-in then they are getting a benefit that is not in anyway reciprocated by UA to CO elites.

I assumed he found out the easiest and most logical way - by talking to him. Whats so about talking to another passenger on a flight?

Why can't you get a UA exit row seat?

CO needs E+

Talking to another pax, nothing. But feeling the need to find out why they are in "my" seat -

I know what my reaction would be if someone asked me how I arrived at a particular seat on an aircraft