Access to E+ Seating on UA Flight
 

I just booked a r/t through the CO Elite Desk 800# for me, my wife and and our 2 small kids. The outbound flight is operated by UA and the return flight is by CO. For the return flight, the CO person put all 4 of us in the CO "plus" seating based on my Silver status. For the outbound, since it is a UA flight, the CO person did not have access to UA's seat map and told me to call UA directly.

UA is telling me only me and 1 companion can get E+ seats now, not all 4 of us as per CO rules, and to ask at the airport for upgrade on day of flight.

I thought the CO and UA rules have merged so that I was treated the same regardless of which status and which plane. Who's right here?

It is always metal based. UA 2p (equivalent to your silver status) can only bring one person in to e+. You can ask nicely and hope that the gate agent will do that for you, however, they are under no obligation to do so.

thanks.

Where did you hear the CO and UA rules had merged? Or were you just hoping?

Purchase E+
 

Given that you are travelling with small kids, I would not risk waiting to the gate. Depending on the flight, there may be no E+ by that time. Better to purchase the E+ supplement for the kids and have all 4 of you together or don't purchase and have them move the 2 of you back to E- (or figure out whether there may be seats in E+ and E- close enough for comfort.

Remember, E+ doesn't do much for small kids because all it does is give you extra pitch.

I must have mis-heard the interim rules. Just like the extra room since I'm taller and I also like the front 1/2 of the plane if possible.

The front 1/2 of the plane on any CO planes has ZERO extra legroom at all, just like the back 1/2 of the plane, except bulkhead and exitrow.

E+ on CO won't start install til next year.

OP is referring to his outbound flight which is on UA.