lincolnjkc

My experience has been that if the old seat exists and is in the same class of service on the new seat map it will put you there, otherwise, it will reseat-at-random with seemingly some preferencing.

E.g. A few examples

1- Had a 738 turn into a non-slimlined 73G. I was originally in 20A (first exit row window). Since 20A didn't exist on the 73G I got bounced into 21B (second exit row middle) since 21A/C/D/F were already spoken for but it was still an exit row -- even though there were E+ and E- windows available.

2- Have had several 145s turn into CR7s or vice-versa in each case, if I started in 18A or 18D I was still there post-swap. Had a 145 turn into a 738 and my 18A turned into 21A (mainline exit row). OTOH in the same 18A/D situation, if the E145 turns into a 170 or 175 it's a bit of a lottery where you'll wind up since there is no exit row on those AC.

3- On an upcoming flight 7JK on a 772 turned to 7JK on a 763. Same seat available, still Polaris Business...

WineCountryUA

Believe it has been posted the history info is there but it take some significant experience and forensics work to backtrack. Not something a regular agent is going to do.

iluv2fly

When this happened to me, the GS agent said that no history exists with SHARES. I believe her.

bh22

In my particular case, the original seat was in exactly the same place on the new frame.

Thanks all for the info!

WheelsUpGal

I have had many changes of aircraft on a trip to Ireland I booked in May. It seems like if I sign in to my account on United.com and LOOK at the seating chart, I have agreed to the change. A lot of small time changes, too. I ONLY booked EWR - BNA with United because it was on a bigger plane than what I took to DC last year. But a month after I booked it, they changed it to the same tiny puddle jumper. I will NEVER fly United domestic again for that very reason. At least with SW you know what you are going to get. I now check both my International flights coming up weekly to make sure I have 'my' seat. They also kept splitting me from my niece who I am traveling to DUB with, even though I asked 3 times (every time it happened) for them to somehow combine the reservations or make note somehow (we used different FF accounts). Anyway, I'm gonna check every freakin' week from now on.

findark

I think most of us do this. I do it daily, although to be fair it's more of an idle fidgeting habit to open the United app on my phone than anything else

transportprof

They can't keep splitting your reservation more than once. Because once a reservation is split, it can never be unsplit. You and your niece are now on two separate PNRs, period. They can make comments in your file, but I'm not sure this will achieve anything, really. What is it about a combined reservation that you were seeking to preserve?

sholnay

Flying today from ord to sea, booked in 10C, all was fine, checked this morning and mysteriously I'm in 8B and not on the upgrade list (despite using GPU, which don't even clear on domestic flights, but I'll digress about the worthlessness of those).

No more aisles left, of course. 7F is open but the app won't allow a change so I call 1K line. She puts me in 7F. Maybe 10 minutes go by and I check the app and now I have no seat. I call again and of course no explanation or clue what happened, doesn't believe I was ever assigned a seat. She puts me in 7F again and I verify on the app. 10 minutes go by and I check again. Guess what? No seat. Now, I've done this bulkhead shuffle a few times before, I realise if I don't get this quick, it'll be gone and I'll apparently have no seat (also, still not on the ug list, though I'm on the 1k's list, im assured, just like I've been assured I have 7F or 10C for that matter). I call one last time. Agent confirms that I have no seat, and again I assume he thinks I'm lying or something, tells me he has no explanation but transfers me to tech. Tech says that everything is great!

Anyway, I'm in 7F now so at least I got a non middle seat - such a great way to start off the flight. I'm also 4 for 4 on this flight this year either being delayed, cancelled, or my reservation being messed up in some way. Can't wait to get a 1k form letter response about how much I'm valued!

AugustW

If there is an aprropriate previous thread please move. Else...

My wife and I were booked on a TATL flight on a 767-300 in 18 A&B. Checked in @ T24 still in same seats. Got a text at T18 that there was an "equipment change" and we were given seats on the new plane also a 767-300 with the EXACT SAME seating configuration. The new seats were 20 A&B with limited recline. I have been able to move into other E+ seats although a row apart. I understand if they say they needed our seats for crew but a BS equipment change to the exact same equipment just doesn't fly. As a 1K Do I have any recourse?

Thanks for any advice/information provided,

AW

Artpen100

Oddly enough, I got an EF alert of an equipment change on a TATL flight, and it was for a 767-400, same as the original. However, it stated that "(If the New Aircraft code is the same as the old, then we have detected a change in the cabin configuration)". I did check the reservation and the seat assignment was unchanged. So it does not always happen.

aacharya

I imagine someone else on the flight when checking in "later" sniped in once the seats opened. I doubt the GA or the phone agent is going to kick out the person to place you back in.

docbert

What flight/date?

There have been reports of this previously where UA (accidentally or otherwise) swapped the plane to a different type, and then swapped it back again.

eg, if they swapped it from a 2-class config to a 3-class config (which doesn't have row 18), realized their mistake, and swapped it back to a 2-class config. If this happens fast enough the notification system only reports on the 2nd change.

If you lookup the flight on Flightstats.com and then go to 'Event Timeline' you'll see exactly what happened - I suspect you'll see 2 tail changes very close to each other, with the first to a different layout or even a completely different type of plane (763 -> 744 -> 763)

Often1

What happened doesn't matter. If the seats are no longer available, they are no longer available. I would call UA and ask an agent to check to see if there is an error.

But, presuming that someone else grabbed the seats after you got moved, UA isn't going to move someone else. Two wrongs don't make a right, even for a 1K !

Keep checking the map and when you get to the counter / club / gate, keep asking.

Your alternative here and UA has zero obligation to do this is to ask UA to change your flight. But, do bear in mind that this was not likely a mistake, it was simply a swap followed by another swap.

findark

Yup. This is almost always the cause. The system will scramble the seats on the first swap and then you're just stuck.

rustykettel

Checking in my wife for flight tomorrow. Seat was changed from 10A to 10B, no windows left, no E+ aisles left, a couple of E- in the back.

EF alert on seat and aircraft change, neither fired.

ETA: called, nothing else available. Was due to aircraft swap. EF didn't see it.