reinballe

Short version:
UA.com supervisor just told me that UA is launching a new version of their website next week, that will make it easy for co elites to make changes to reservations such as selecting E+ (which currently can require you to call UA).

Longer version:
I was just trying to get E+ seats on a reservation that was part of a vacation package. I could select the seats on UA.com but they would not stick.

Called in... after several transfers, I was asked to rate my experience on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the best. I answered 2, and the agent begged me to stay on the line for a supervisor to explain myself. So I did. He helped me out, and told me that these problem will disappear next week when the next version of ua.com is launched.

TWA Fan 1

I read the name of your thread and thought maybe UA was making an announcement about E+ remaining once the merger is complete, although I'm glad it will be easier for CO elites to snag E+ seats now...

Just imagine how psyched the UA elites are that they, in return for giving up their E+ seats on UA, have exclusive access to CO's "elite zone"

IAHtraveler

Good news! Lets hope it's true. Also, FYI: No need to call UA in these situations. If you call the CO elite desk and tell them what you want, they will call UA and get it taken care of. I've done this a handful of times recently with good results.

JSlo

That is hilarious.

tanlines

please tell me no one SERIOUSLY believes that E+ is going to be a "survivor" of the merger? ELR, yes; but 1/3 of a cabin of E+?? no way! Those E+ seats between the bulkhead and the exit rows are going to be history once they squeeze in an extra couple rows of economy seats.

JSlo

I agree. It's a bummer.

nova08

Same thing happened to me, I wasn't transfered but to be assigned E+ seats on 4 flights I was on the phone for 30 minutes, 25 of which were on hold.

acf573

Same for me (along with the extended hold time), but then after hanging up, I went to look at my reservation at UA.com and discovered that the seats hadn't actually gotten changed. Was going to call back eventually, but now hopefully I won't have to.

IAHtraveler

The discussion I had with someone high at CO said that the option is basically E+ and one less row of F, or an extra row of F and E- in the back. Can't guarantee that's 100% true, but I have no reason to doubt it.

entropy

I'll take it.

TWA Fan 1

When you put it like that, it doesn't seem like a good bargain, but remember, on a typical CO 738, it would be 4 fewer FC in return for 36 E+ seats (in addition to the 12 exit-row seats)...

That's totally worth it...

bocastephen

Works for me! ^

Richard Chen

I call outside peak hours (i.e. 9p-9a) which helps [i]a lot[/]i. My transfer from CO's elite line to UA's elite line was smooth and the UA rep put me into E+ without even 1 minutes' clicking and I was off in under 2 minutes'. The key is calling outside peak hours to avoid transfers & carefully noting the phone menu for the right department (not purposefully going to the wrong one or seemingly less frequented department as so many do).

It's what we have now and it's fine.

bocastephen

I was reading that to mean they would add an extra row of F in the existing fleet where possible - probably the 737s.

raehl311

I don't think this makes sense. If it did, why wouldn't they cut a row out of F to get in some more Y seats? I would guess planes fly with the F cabin full of paid fares pretty much.... never.

I also don't think it makes much of a difference. Let's look at the 757, for example: There are 6 non-exit economy plus rows, at 36" pitch, getting you about 216" inches total. If you switch those over to regular economy, you get one more row of seats. Airfare on one seat probably averages, what, $100? But only if the plane is full.

But the existence of economy plus provides UA the ability to upcharge $20-$70 per seat. Sell a dozen of those per flight and you're even, even if you assume you could have sold the 6 other seats.

There's also the benefits in product differentiation and elite programs.


I think E+ will stick because:

1) It's probably revenue positive
2) There are more planes with it than without it, so it's cheaper to put it into CO planes than take it out of UA planes.