Random seat changes to UA itineraries after they are booked & purchased [ARCHIVE]
Oct 30, 2013, 7:11 am
#901
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Takoma Park, MD
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Plat, UA Premier Platinum, National Executive
Posts: 515
Seat changed when aircraft did not change
Is that possible? I made a reservation a month ago, and had a window seat and United changed my seat to a middle seat. There was no aircraft change. Now there are no other seats available.
Oct 30, 2013, 7:16 am
#902
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: LHR (sometimes CLE, SFO, BOS, LAX, SEA)
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 5,895
It's possible. One option is that the aircraft changed twice (X->Y and Y-X). A second option is a traveler sweet-talked an agent into changing your seat. A third option is that your seat was taken by a federal air marshal, which UA will not be able to tell you for security reasons.
You can call Reservations and ask UA to help explain the seat change history, or to help you find a better seat.
Anecdotally, my wife and I (on separate reservations) just went from 1EF to 2E/1F overnight on a sCO 757 with no equipment or other flight changes. We're just gonna assume that 1E is a federal air marshal and wink knowingly at them as they board.
You can call Reservations and ask UA to help explain the seat change history, or to help you find a better seat.
Anecdotally, my wife and I (on separate reservations) just went from 1EF to 2E/1F overnight on a sCO 757 with no equipment or other flight changes. We're just gonna assume that 1E is a federal air marshal and wink knowingly at them as they board.
Oct 30, 2013, 7:26 am
#903
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Takoma Park, MD
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Plat, UA Premier Platinum, National Executive
Posts: 515
I called reservations and they told me that they do not have seat history. And my seat was mid aircraft in coach.
Oct 30, 2013, 7:30 am
#904
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: DAY
Programs: UA 1K 1MM; Marriott LT Titanium; Amex MR; Chase UR; Hertz PC; Global Entry
Posts: 10,159
Happens a lot with United now. In my opinion, completely unacceptable.
If you complain, you will hear references to the legal contract of carriage, which basically means you have no expectations to a specific seat.
Flyer Unfriendly.
[Link to this thread removed by moderator - obsolete after merge]
If you complain, you will hear references to the legal contract of carriage, which basically means you have no expectations to a specific seat.
Flyer Unfriendly.
[Link to this thread removed by moderator - obsolete after merge]
Oct 30, 2013, 10:47 am
#905
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, MM, NR; HH Diamond, Bonvoy LT Gold, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Diamond, others
Posts: 12,159
I wonder if there's a way to force them to reveal the reason they arbitrarily moved your seat. Perhaps claiming that they did it for illegal discriminatory reasons would force a response.
Oct 30, 2013, 1:23 pm
#906
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: LAX
Programs: UA1K, HH Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 212
I've had my fair share of random seat changes back when it was really bad (complained but it didn't change anything), but now after a year with no issues we just got moved from 14J/K on the 744's UD to... 10J/K, possibly the worst seats on the plane in BF! This is a revenue flight in late November.
One of our original seats is still available, but there isn't a single pair of seats we can move to except those pack of 4 in the middle. So incredibly pissed...
One of our original seats is still available, but there isn't a single pair of seats we can move to except those pack of 4 in the middle. So incredibly pissed...
Oct 30, 2013, 1:54 pm
#907
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: UA-1K, Hertz-Gold, Marriott-Gold, PC-Platinum, SPG
Posts: 2,777
Oct 30, 2013, 1:57 pm
#908
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: LAX
Programs: UA1K, HH Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 212
Oct 30, 2013, 4:41 pm
#909
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: AADULtArer
Posts: 5,693
Exactly why no one "reserves" their seat due to the numerous things that can happen, requiring re-accomodation.
Oct 31, 2013, 5:25 am
#910
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: SQ, QF, UA, CO, DL
Posts: 2,893
it continues this week
four domestic segments in two days for two of us traveling on separate itins. All my seats were changed to unassigned or different seats! What is going on????
Oct 31, 2013, 6:03 am
#911
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: LAX
Programs: UA-1K, Hertz-Gold, Marriott-Gold, PC-Platinum, SPG
Posts: 2,777
Oct 31, 2013, 6:44 am
#912
Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UA 1K & 1MM/AA Gold & 1MM/HH Gold/Marriott Titanium
Posts: 2,928
Flying DCA-IAH in a couple of weeks on A319 and seat magically changes from 2B to 1E. I absolutely loathe bulkhead seats on this plane but alas row 2 is now fully booked. I called res and the agent sincerely apologized and even offered to change my flight to anything I wanted from BWI, DCA or IAD. I'm assuming I got FAM'd.
Oct 31, 2013, 2:34 pm
#913
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 254
How do you save the screen shots of the seat assignments?
Oct 31, 2013, 4:06 pm
#914
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Canada
Posts: 132
I have a random seat change happened to me last week. The strange thing is that I printed my boarding pass with the "correct" seat that I had selected. Several hours later, I checked my United.com account and it showed a different seat number. I called the 1K line and the agent confirmed that my seat is now showing a different seat than what was printed on my boarding pass. She could not explain it and indicated that the seat on my boarding pass belongs to someone else so I cannot be moved back to it. There has been no equipment change or anything like that. When I get to the airport, I asked the check-in agent to move me back to my original seat. She said that another person was assigned that seat. I showed my boarding pass and she checked with the supervisor if she could change me back to my original seat and move the other person to my "new" seat. The supervisor okayed it as it seems that I checked in first and I have a higher Mileage Plus status. However, this was a strange experience that I went through.
Oct 31, 2013, 8:14 pm
#915
Moderator: Budget Travel forum & Credit Card Programs, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYJ/YVR and back on Van Isle ....... for now
Programs: UA lifetime MM / *A Gold
Posts: 14,429
OK since no one helped you out, here you go:
Size the window to whatever size you want to save, hold ALT key, then press Print Screen key, open Paint program (under accessories), click Paste or hold CTRL key and press V @:-)
Save image as, and voila. I've saved screenshots of my seats many times, as well as alternate flights in case of IRROPS or SDC possibilities.
Size the window to whatever size you want to save, hold ALT key, then press Print Screen key, open Paint program (under accessories), click Paste or hold CTRL key and press V @:-)
Save image as, and voila. I've saved screenshots of my seats many times, as well as alternate flights in case of IRROPS or SDC possibilities.