It's the one in *A where UA flyers can get into exit row on almost every flight by simply using a telephone.

So what? Since those 4 seats stay free 98-99% of the time for FTers to take them 24h before departure, what's the problem? I leave the philosophical stuff to others and prefer to stay practical.

Again, you do not know the facts. Because SENs and HONs actually can pre-assign exit rows in longhaul Y anytime, not just during the 24h window. However, they don't fill these seats in 98-99% of all cases, leaving them free for YOU and any FTers "in the know" to take.

If it isn't important, why complain? As a UA elite, you can always pre-assign a seat in the premium area in the front of the Y cabin. Whereas *Gs flying UA will get the kettle area in the very back. Oh, and I make my calls whenever I please, whereever I please.

flysurfer,

mostly even 23:59 prior to departure these exit row seats are not bookable.
and since when , a SEN can reseve a exit row????

dp

1) Exit row seats can and will be assigned at check-in less than 24h before departure.

2) The SEN/HON exit row perk (longhaul) has been in place for as few years.

Of course, both issues have been discussed and explained in the LH forum over and over again.

i just called LH and was able to reserve a exit row..
^

anyway, the staff first told me that it is not possible.

after asking two times, he told me that the first leg was already taken.
but he than did assign it on the return.
anyway, it seems that the exit rows are taken all the time by SEN/HONs in eco .
for 3 bookings only one i was able to book one, and these are 3month ahead ...

anyway, as i never was able to reserve a exit row before, it seems that you have to call quick...

i was accidentally thinking that reserving exit is not possible as it was always not bookable.

dp

Sorry, but wrong again! If you'd care to spend the next days/weeks checking 100 random seatmaps of longhaul LH flights (those that depart more than 24h from the time you check), you will find that 98-99% of them have free seats in exit row. On many flights, especially those between Germany and the U.S., ALL exit row seats will be free. Those flights are the most interesting ones for the UA crowd.

On LH shorthaul Y, ALL seat assignments don't start until 24h before departure, so within the 24h window, all seats (including exit rows) are fair game for everyone grasping the concept of telephone check-in. On my last 30 LH shorthaul segments, I sat in exit row 27 times. The three failures were as follows:

� Once it didn't work because the plane (AVRO) didn't HAVE an exit row. I reported that incident on FT.

� Once it didn't work because a CPT agent mistakenly assigned the wrong row, which I didn't realize. I reported that incident on FT.

� Once it didn't work because the C cabin curtin moved behind exit row, so it wasn't available to Y pax, anymore. I reported that incident on FT.

On the remaining 27 shorthaul LH segmemnts, I was sitting in exit row, usually travelling as a UA*G, not SEN.

You know...it's not like we are getting free food or free booze...we are just wanting to get a chance to get a semi-comfortable seat. Not asking for the world...just some comfort. This still seems like a slap in the face to the newly grandfathered HP flyers like myself.

Agree.
I was a "loyal" customer for UA, since I booked (and gave my money to UA and not to LH) my flights from DTW to FRA (with stop in IAD) normally with UA.
Now, since I do not have access as *gold in E+ anymore, there is no reason for me anymore to go with UA. Rather take direct LH flights (DTW-FRa) and in addition, I get free beer too.. .

United 1P. Funny thing this year is that the trip I just returned from was the first on UA iron this year. Long trip on LH, however. My experience with LH over the past number of years is that I will avoid them if at all possible. Exit rows notwithstanding, the only thing LH and legroom have in common is that they both start with the letter 'L'. FRA to CPT is brutal. PDX to FRA isn't much better. UA is nothing to brag about, but at least I don't have my knees jammed into the seat back in front of me praying that the passenger up there doesn't recline and destroy my kneecaps. And this problem with LH is nothing new. Now, SK and SG have a bit more legroom in C, so they aren't as bad. But, LH could go out of business tomorrow and I would not miss them.

It's not really a big surprise that legroom in C is higher on these airlines than legroom in LH Y.

Beg your pardon. C was short for Coach (cattle car), not the ticket class.

Speaking of cattle cars, even Southwest Y is more comfortable than LH Y on their 744...

But I always ask myself why the UA elites are so avid to fly on LH over the pond even in Eco. There is plenty of shiny UA metall flying over every day but there are so many preferring to fly on "cattle cars".

Maybe it is the free beer, wine, coganc on LH eco which attracts those people....

... or the possibility to upgrade to a real business class with an UA SWU. But this will be - as intelligence reports - be abolished shortly....

More E+ seats for me I suppose - I'm an avid boycotter of LH. Curiously I don't mind Southwest, especially when headed to Las Vegas.

To your question, another factor - LH cuts deals with consolidators for their connection routes to Asia (eg. India) so you're seeing a lot of travelers on LH flights purely for price reasons, connecting to another LH destination.

Same goes for UA flights within Asia, I see a lot of group tours (students, seniors) in UA E...I enquired once out of curiosity why not SQ or JAL/ANA (it was a SIN-NRT flight) and it was price/price/price...they didn't even have FF #s on their BPs...