This has frequently happened to me as a 2P. The new program basically is a guaranteed middle seat.

Say what? As a 2P you are generally getting India or Manila.

As a 1k I've sat in plenty middle seats. But a middle seat in E+ is better than a middle seat in E-.

Link

I'm trying to make up my mind about what to do for next year. Here's my situation: I've already qualified for 2P for next year, but only have one more trip scheduled this year. I'll end up at about 35K EQM for the year. No way to do any MRs. It's pretty doubtful that I'll have more travel this year (I generally know months ahead of time).

Next year, according to United, the downgrade of 2P (no E+ until checkin, no second bag) won't happen until Feb or Mar. I will definitely qualify for 1P sometime in Aug or Sept. So I have 4-7 months of uncertainty regarding my seat assignments. During that time I have two TATL flights (one with my daughter) - though the second might be just after I've qualified for 1P. I would hate to end up in E- for any of those legs - domestic I can live with.

So, I'm trying to think about my options, which seem to be:

1. Wait and see. - Seems most appealing. I could book all of my known flights before the end of 2011, reserving E+ while I can and hope that those seat assignments don't get taken away. I won't know about dates for the May DEN-LHR trip I'll take with my daughter until mid-late March though.
2. Try to qualify for 1P now (would probably require buying CO EQM with Elite Maximizer). Seems stupidly expensive so probably not really an option.
3. Buy the annual E+ option. I really hate to do this, but maybe I will. Doesn't help with the seat for my daughter to/from LHR, though.

Which is a long-winded way of saying that I'm leaning toward #1, but wondering what the chances of those E+ seats being taken away whenever 2P loses the option to prebook E+. Any thoughts/suggestions would be helpful.

To answer question 3; as long as you and your daughter are on the same reservation, the annual E+ option is good for you and one companion on the same PNR.

My guess is that UA will offer a discounted E+ option for 2P's, IIRC, UA Insider mentioned this was under consideration.

Although I rarely check bags at all, I have checked my full 3x bags on several occasions. Comes in handy when you're bringing a lot of stuff back from a long trip, for example, or are moving / helping friends or family move. :)

Book as much travel with E+ seating as you can before the new rules kick in. I expect the seats will "stick." As for travel booked after the rules change, how about buying E+ seats only when you really need them and thereby avoiding the annual-option fee? Obviously, this piecemeal approach only makes sense if it would be less expensive than the annual-option fee.

Thanks. I didn't realize (obviously) that the annual E+ option allows a companion. Very good to know, and if it ends up being discounted, perhaps even a reasonable deal - though not as reasonable as the old practice of giving them to all elites.

Thank you. Definitely what I would hope for, and plan for, except the TATL trip with my daughter. If I end up buying 4 E+ seats (2 for each each way) just for that trip and just on the ORD-LHR/LHR-ORD legs it could equal the cost of the annual option. But, I think a wait-and-see approach may be the best thing to do. I'll have enough experience after the change to know whether to go ahead and buy the annual option if/when I need it.

Yes it is handy. Saved me and traveling companions >$1k this year alone between number of bags and the extra 20 pounds.

This is exactly right. Several years ago the only way to get the current Silver benefits was to fly 25,000 miles on UA and *A. That came at some cost since UA would not always be the lowest fare on a given route. Over time there were other ways to get Silver benefits (UA began selling E+, credit cards started offering EQMs, etc.). Under the new 2P, for someone at a UA hub who flies between 25,000 and 49,000 miles per year (me) the tradeoff is whether to spend on a PP or MP credit card + buy E+ access and get benefits that are now better than 2P or to fly exclusively on UA and US and go for the 25,000 miles. Given the availability of low fare carriers WN (no RJs!) and F9 out of Denver (both have reasonable seat pitch options), it is a no brainer for me - buy the card and the E+ option for those times when flying UA internationally or where UA has the most convenient domestic schedule. Fly WN or F9 on all other occasions. The fare savings will more than pay for the card and the E+ access. The only downside of not being 2P on UA is the 49% of the time that the UDU clears (according to UDUSTATS), though this percentage is likely to go way down with the new UDU priority list. I have to admit that the UDUs where the one thing that kept me with UA rather than F9 or WN in the past; it was always fun going to the airport knowing you held a lottery ticket for an upgrade, and watching your number go up and down (mainly down) on the upgrade screen.

And is there a better feeling than to hear, "please see me at the gate ..."

:D

Won't be that thrilled if the "see me at the gate" is for a middle seat BP.

Not to go over the last 100 pages, sorry, but was it answered prior whether or not reaching 75K THIS YEAR makes any sense for NEXT YEAR? I'll be 1MM next year for sure, but wonder if since I'm going to now be at about 67K this year I should go for 75K for any reason to get Platinum, or will that only go into effect STARTING next year?

In 2012 there will be significant benefits being a Plat versus being 1P.
Improved upgrade priority, lower award fees, 2 RPUs (CR1s), higher elite RDM bonus (75% vs %50) are just some. The changes start in 2012 and your 2012 status will be based on what you do in 2011.

If you achieve the level this year, then your benefits will continue through next year which the above poster listed.

Right, except your bonus will be cut to 75% in March. :mad: