Equipment change - how are seats reassigned?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Japan
Posts: 5,577
Equipment change - how are seats reassigned?
I was booked from LAX to NRT on an old triple 7 ( 2-5-2 )in the coveted seat 21 H, right past the crew rest area with unlimited legroom, happy camper. Because I am paranoid about where I sit, I check my itinerary more than once on a daily basis and find out today that the equipment has changed to a new configuration type triple 7 ( 3-3-3 ). I have been reseated in 30 J, middleseat in E+ last row. Is there a computer who reassigns seats without rhyme or reason? My profile obviously states aisle seat preferred. There were plenty of aisle seats left, I reseated myself and picked an aisle seat, but every time I open the seatmap I've been put back in my middleseat
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
To answer your question, the best anybody can figure is that UA tends to reassign as few people as possible. In other words, only those people affected by the change. Once that happens, you get the next best seat in your ticketed cabin (including E+ if you are originally in E+).
Check the seat map to see what's left, may well be that keeping you in E+ means a middle. You then have the tough decision as to whether a better location in E- is better than a lousy seat in E+ (presuming that there's anything left in E-).
Next best is get to LAX super early and beg at the counter, Club and gate. Forget the "I got bumped with the plane change" and just ask. With an equpt change there will be lots of people ranting at GA, so the nice guy is more likely to get his way.
Check the seat map to see what's left, may well be that keeping you in E+ means a middle. You then have the tough decision as to whether a better location in E- is better than a lousy seat in E+ (presuming that there's anything left in E-).
Next best is get to LAX super early and beg at the counter, Club and gate. Forget the "I got bumped with the plane change" and just ask. With an equpt change there will be lots of people ranting at GA, so the nice guy is more likely to get his way.
#3
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: TPA
Programs: UA 1PP MM
Posts: 328
I was booked from LAX to NRT on an old triple 7 ( 2-5-2 )in the coveted seat 21 H, right past the crew rest area with unlimited legroom, happy camper. Because I am paranoid about where I sit, I check my itinerary more than once on a daily basis and find out today that the equipment has changed to a new configuration type triple 7 ( 3-3-3 ). I have been reseated in 30 J, middleseat in E+ last row. Is there a computer who reassigns seats without rhyme or reason? My profile obviously states aisle seat preferred. There were plenty of aisle seats left, I reseated myself and picked an aisle seat, but every time I open the seatmap I've been put back in my middleseat
#4
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Berkeley, CA
Programs: UA Gold, peon everywhere else
Posts: 989
There was another thread somewhere where somebody had a similar issue, and the story (IIRC) was that the seat reselection had taken hold, but that there were actually two different places that the seat assignment could be read from, and the website was grabbing from the wrong (stale) one...
#5
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,599
I was booked from LAX to NRT on an old triple 7 ( 2-5-2 )in the coveted seat 21 H, right past the crew rest area with unlimited legroom, happy camper. Because I am paranoid about where I sit, I check my itinerary more than once on a daily basis and find out today that the equipment has changed to a new configuration type triple 7 ( 3-3-3 ). I have been reseated in 30 J, middleseat in E+ last row. Is there a computer who reassigns seats without rhyme or reason? My profile obviously states aisle seat preferred. There were plenty of aisle seats left, I reseated myself and picked an aisle seat, but every time I open the seatmap I've been put back in my middleseat
#6
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: SFO and OAK
Programs: FAF, Hyatt <>, SPG PLT
Posts: 2,240
It is my opinion that UA has contracted the same monkey who throws darts to predict stock market performance to do seat reassignments on plane changes:
http://www.financialabundanceinc.com/node/400
At least that has been my experience for as long as I have been flying UA.
Unfortunately the stress of the merger has caused said monkey to take up smoking:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DndWHW6pmc
Poor thing is gonna get lung cancer
http://www.financialabundanceinc.com/node/400
At least that has been my experience for as long as I have been flying UA.
Unfortunately the stress of the merger has caused said monkey to take up smoking:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DndWHW6pmc
Poor thing is gonna get lung cancer
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Japan
Posts: 5,577
Try doing a dummy booking and seeing which seats are actually available -- it may be that your pick did stick, but the website is out of sync.
There was another thread somewhere where somebody had a similar issue, and the story (IIRC) was that the seat reselection had taken hold, but that there were actually two different places that the seat assignment could be read from, and the website was grabbing from the wrong (stale) one...
There was another thread somewhere where somebody had a similar issue, and the story (IIRC) was that the seat reselection had taken hold, but that there were actually two different places that the seat assignment could be read from, and the website was grabbing from the wrong (stale) one...
Takes a big load off my shouldera as I am paranoid with seat ssignments.
I got burned now twice, two weeks ago on a trip to BRU I picked seat 20J, this flight switched equipment to the old version, so we were reseated in a regular row. Now this time the old version has been switched to the new one and I lost my good seat again. By the way how do you pick a seat that is decent in both configurations?
#8
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,599
Happ
I got burned now twice, two weeks ago on a trip to BRU I picked seat 20J, this flight switched equipment to the old version, so we were reseated in a regular row. Now this time the old version has been switched to the new one and I lost my good seat again. By the way how do you pick a seat that is decent in both configurations?
I got burned now twice, two weeks ago on a trip to BRU I picked seat 20J, this flight switched equipment to the old version, so we were reseated in a regular row. Now this time the old version has been switched to the new one and I lost my good seat again. By the way how do you pick a seat that is decent in both configurations?
In C - 8B, 8C, 8G, 8H, 9B, 9C, 9G, 9H aisle seats in all configurations.
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Japan
Posts: 5,577
#10
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: MCI
Programs: UA MileagePlus
Posts: 748
Yep - this sucks United.....!
I was in an aisle E+ on a 2-5-2 777. It then went to a 3-3-3 777 a few days ago - reassigned to an aisle E+. Check in last night, all is good. Check flight status today, back to a 2-5-2, and I'm now in a middle, no aisles available.
So it appears, changes one way are made to similar seats, but the other way around many people are probably getting screwed.
I was in an aisle E+ on a 2-5-2 777. It then went to a 3-3-3 777 a few days ago - reassigned to an aisle E+. Check in last night, all is good. Check flight status today, back to a 2-5-2, and I'm now in a middle, no aisles available.
So it appears, changes one way are made to similar seats, but the other way around many people are probably getting screwed.
#11
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Washington, DC, USA
Programs: UA-1Kmm, AA-EX Plt mm-, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 1,093
Yep - this sucks United.....!
I was in an aisle E+ on a 2-5-2 777. It then went to a 3-3-3 777 a few days ago - reassigned to an aisle E+. Check in last night, all is good. Check flight status today, back to a 2-5-2, and I'm now in a middle, no aisles available.
So it appears, changes one way are made to similar seats, but the other way around many people are probably getting screwed.
I was in an aisle E+ on a 2-5-2 777. It then went to a 3-3-3 777 a few days ago - reassigned to an aisle E+. Check in last night, all is good. Check flight status today, back to a 2-5-2, and I'm now in a middle, no aisles available.
So it appears, changes one way are made to similar seats, but the other way around many people are probably getting screwed.
#12
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: LAX/VNY (Hometown: CAK)
Programs: Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Bonvoy Gold, Regal Diamond
Posts: 743
Happened to me when I was out of touch from the Internet for a few days -- switched from a 2-5-2 777 to a 3-3-3 777, and went from a E+ window to an E- middle.
Luckily, when I was doing OLCI, I caught it, and was able to claim an E+ window (whew!).
So it doesn't appear to match like-kind seats, but your guesses are as good as mine.
Luckily, when I was doing OLCI, I caught it, and was able to claim an E+ window (whew!).
So it doesn't appear to match like-kind seats, but your guesses are as good as mine.
#14
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: CLE
Programs: UA Premier Silver
Posts: 74
Changed Aircraft - Randomly Assigned Seats
About two months ago I booked a TATL trip, with the two actual TATL segments being on a 767-400. I just discovered today that all of the 767-400s on these routes have been changed to 767-200s. They reassigned me to random seats (moved me from middle single to one of the doubles on either side). One of the reasons I used miles to book this trip was to be able to lay down and sleep. I've looked and it appears that the Business First seats are not lay flats. Can anyone confirm that? Also, do I have any kind of recourse here? Not looking for a freebie or anything. But I booked this trip based on the seating and it changed. I don't know what to do, pretty frustrated here.
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Jersey Shore/YYZ
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 12,521
About two months ago I booked a TATL trip, with the two actual TATL segments being on a 767-400. I just discovered today that all of the 767-400s on these routes have been changed to 767-200s. They reassigned me to random seats (moved me from middle single to one of the doubles on either side). One of the reasons I used miles to book this trip was to be able to lay down and sleep. I've looked and it appears that the Business First seats are not lay flats. Can anyone confirm that? Also, do I have any kind of recourse here? Not looking for a freebie or anything. But I booked this trip based on the seating and it changed. I don't know what to do, pretty frustrated here.
You can:
1. Call in and change the flight.