palmetto86

Over the past month or so, I've been on several PMUA flights that weren't particularly full (~70%) and noticed that the majority of empty seats were middles in E+.

I'm comparing these flights to other previous ~70%-filled flights where there were lots of GMs in E+ and the back of the plane was empty.

Has the new UA stopped GAs from assigning people without seat assignments to E+? I know this still happens frequently when loads are high, but I feel in the past even on low load flights it was common to see GMs get put into E+.

Has anyone else noticed the saving of middle seats in E+ when flights aren't full? Or has this always been the case and I'm just noticing a pattern now, since I've been on a lot of low-load flights?

jhayes_1780

IME, Your just noticing it now. I had not seen a GA give a "free" E+ seat in a few years (and I have seen tons of GM's/non UACO elites) ask.

demkr

I have seen Continental do head counts on several flights in F and in the "premium" coach seats. Good. It's about time they crack down on poachers. On the rare (and quite pleasant) occasions I have an empty seat next to me in F or E+, I can see eyes wandering and the temptation to sit there. If only they had this kind of aggressive checking at the SFO elite line near the int'l terminal connector!

sbm12

Nearly every airline does "head counts" in all sections of the plane every time. The FAs provide that information to the pilots for W&B planning.

jgcii

I was actually surprised Sunday night on my UA flight out of MSY - first time on UA metal - that the FA went and got someone who was "unhappy" in back and brought her up to sit in an empty E+ middle.

Funny aside - lady comes up to the row and immediately says to the woman seated on the aisle "Is that your bag under the seat? Because I need to put my stuff away down there!" She was not so much rude as aggresive... but I was thinking she just complained her way into an upgrade and then wants to be picky about it.... What can ya do?

Now I dont know why the woman was allowed to move but it seemed odd to me

chrisdenver1

Squeaky wheel gets the grease!!! I'd be embarassed in trying to pull such a scam.

palmetto86

I guess I should have stressed the empty middle seats in E+ part more. I've always seen GAs turn down GMs that ask for E+. The empty middles seats I've noticed over the past few weeks have made the E+ cabin ever nicer!

They used to be lazy about giving away E+ seats to GMs that didn't have seat assignments, since it's easy to fill planes from the front backwards.

emcampbe

They've been protecting the E+ cabin, but IME, more in the last year - year and a half or so (maybe 2). I've not only seen the FA's doing it, but in some cases, the GA's.

The best example of this was a earlier this year, when one of my two favorite staff at YYZ (they're mostly pretty good though), came on board, did an E+ count, and pulled 2 back into E- (I was turned around and watched from my seat in the F cabin). While I wasn't able to write a GTEM fast enough to give to her (for that, plus just her general friendliness and customer-centric nature), I did leave it for her when I left YYZ the next time.

Often1

Software now audits the freebies to prevent this. GA needs an explanation as to why an E+ seat was given away. Also, note that on mainline aircraft which have the CC readers and don't take cash, the FA's can sell E+ onboard.

E+ actually is within reach for many people and they are willing to pay for it. No reason to give it away.

FlyHigh74

Delete

channa

I've seen GAs do this in an IRROPS or oversale rebooking for non-status folks.

If E+ is open, it seems small enough to give it away if someone has been inconvenienced or helped out the airline.

FriendlySkies

On my last few flights, the FAs have been very aggressive in announcing that E+ is only for people that have pre-booked it, and if you would like to move into E+, that you'll need to visit UA.com or talk to the GA. SFO-LAX announced it about five times.

Scottrick

I was sitting in the row in front of her new seat, and I agree she was a little short, but not rude. Actually, I'm quite surprised to recognize your story since I've never run into another FTer on a flight yet (but I don't look very hard).

I've noticed staff being more aggressive about protecting seats in the last year. Everything from GAs telling GMs at the gate that an upgrade to E+ will cost them, to FAs protecting bins and seats, telling potential poachers that pax in E+ have "paid more for their extra space."

Say Vandelay

On my last UA flight that had empty seats in the exit row, as soon as the cabin door closed and in almost one synchronized motion, every off-duty UA and CO crew member riding in E- jumped up and grabbed those seats.

jgcii

I am thinking we need to get a campaign together and have all FTers wear some sort of pin or maybe give hand signals so we can identify each other!!