What does "Advance seat assignments are restricted for this flight" mean?
 

Booked an award flight (domestic) and tried to select seats on United.com. The seat map is there, desired seats available but cannot get the website to assign seats. Call 800# and am told that seats are "restricted" until about 2 months prior to flight, which is 10 months out.

I'm a no status pax, but am surprised that on an award in First that United is now forbidding me from selecting seats? You gotta be kidding me...

Is this true or a glitch?

I had a similar problem with an economy award ticket. I thought maybe since we lost our status now that we didn't get seat assignments with the new website. Our trip is three segments. If I tried to select seats for all three segments at once by clicking on the button to go to the next flight, they wouldn't stick. If I selected one flight at a time by hitting the continue button, they appeared to assign and have stayed so for several days now.

Were they saying that ALL seats in 1st were restricted, or were they saying the particular seats you selected or wanted to select were restricted?

Also, I wonder if part of this is because there is more swapping of aircraft with variations in seating right now since UA is now free to use CO or UA metal and they do have different seat patterns, even in 1st where a CO plane might have more or fewer rows than a UA even if its the same plane type.

That is a good question. I have always been able to select seats on award flights, even when I had no status.

It will be interested in seeing if it has something to do with the 3/3 system cutover.

I have the same First Class seat assignment plus some other issues. About a week ago I call UAL (about 5am and 45 min wait) and got my other issue straightened out. I asked to fix my seat assignments and after another 10 min hold was told they would have to call another desk and they themselves might be on hold over 30 minutes. Suggested I try online again at a later date once their computers glitches were fixed. My flights are in November so I'll wait awhile. Ug!

I'm going to guess a glitch, but it might be tied to not having status as well. Last time I booked a ticket 1 year out with miles (US-Indonesia) I was able to book seats without an issue.

Were you primarily a PMUA or PMCO flyer? If PMUA, I'm guess it might be an integration issue.

That was my experience as well. I booked seats to Thailand and was able to select seats all the way, 330 days out.

But this was done prior to 3/3.

It would be comforting to hear of someone was able to select F/C award seats in the last 2 weeks.

Were they saying that ALL seats in 1st were restricted, or were they saying the particular seats you selected or wanted to select were restricted?

All first class seats are restricted. Since my original post, I've tried to add seats online with no luck. I can select seats but they won't "stick".

I also discovered that my booking is confirmed but not yet ticketed, awaiting Hawaiian Air to confirm an intraisland flight. (I know I can't get a seat assignment on HA).

Hopefully that clearance (automated, I presume) will happen within the next day so they don't cancel the whole itinerary...arghhh.

That makes no sense at all. It must be a system glitch. I've book econ and bus award travel and have assigned seats for the whole family.

FWIW, I have/had the exact same problem getting seat assignments for a business class award itinerary. I booked the first leg (one way SFO to SYD) in mid-March for a departure 330 days out and then booked the second leg on 3/30. I can't seem to pick seats for any of the flights.

I wondered the same thing about the equipment. It seems highly unlikely that they would change swap out a 747 on that route.

Been too afraid of hold times to call.

I wouldn't try to contact UA unless you have a few hours free and are prepared to be disappointed.

I am having similar problems with upgrades on paid bookings my myself and wife for this coming January 2013.

On our original booking, we were on a A320 to SFO and onward conx . The upgrades had been approved to first class on that service.

The flight was rescheduled later so we had a misconnect and were put on the earlier flight also an A320 on the same day. Our bookings and upgrades were transferred to that flight and we were put in “R” class.

OK so far.

I have been unable to select seats in F nor can of my other 2 family members. A United agent said they could see we had F upgrades approved but the new UAL have not decided which aircraft will fly the route( currently A320 on map) and will not release any first seating for that until probably May.

Weird because I was able to select upgraded seats on other flightson later dates.

The agent said she could see no way in which to note in our PNRs that we had already paid for the upgrades and were eligible if and when they come up.

I am not sure this is the correct reason but who knows?

Looks like I have to keep a daily eye out on the schedule for when the a/c configuration is decided and then look for upgradeable seats !

I have made 3 family bookings in the last 6 weeks and none has come thru without hassles.

My wife and I are both 1Ks and had hoped for better from the merger.

Booking with the new UA has become a nightmare .

We book 2 seperate award tickets from VCE-IAD on 3/15 for a November flight and were able to select seats.

The VCE-BRU leg is with Brussels Airlines in business, this one we were not able to select seats. Not a big deal, as this has happened with an alliance airline.

The BRU-IAD leg in Global First we were able to pick our seats. We booked them seperate and used each of our accounts for the award tickets.

May be a glitch.......

Sounds like a glitch to me.

I booked (just last week) UA award travel using US miles: DCA-ORD-HKG out bound and HKG-SFO-DCA return. I was able to go on the UA website to select and confirm seats with no issues. I am a Star Gold but I'm a non-elite on UA. YMMV.

I Think it's a Seating Hiccup - Regardless of Status
 

I've booked two one-way F awards for ORD-SYD and MEL-ORD, both in Feb/Mar 2013. In both cases, I was unable (as a 1K, 2MM) to choose seats at time of award booking or for about 3 days. Then, a few days ago, the seatmaps appeared, I picked my seats and now they show up just fine.

I'm guessing it's a glitch and part of the overall A/C and seat assignment screw-ups occurring the past few weeks. Give it a few days/week and check back.

More shocking (but a change I really do like) is that the new UA seems to actually be offering 2 F award seats on the same flights to Australia. In the old days, you could almost never find 2 F (out of 12) on the SFO or LAX flights.

Thanks, Jeff! ;)

I give credit to someone in UA- I emailed 1Kline and, despite no reply meaning I do not know who or why the problem was fixed, it was.

Thank you United.