SF1K

Spoke to a couple of people. Last one said "operational/security". I'm not pushing any further. I'll hope that 15A rear-facing window will swap with my partner in 14A Forward facing window. Only other option is to move my partner to row 13 rear facing window and thn hope 13 rear facing aisle will swith with me in 15B also a rear facing aisle.

johnden

I've been in 13B/J on a 747-400 and have noticed a FAM in 14B/J. My seat was back facing their seat, when they got up to go the the lav, their weapon was pretty obvious. As was their refusal to drink anything alcoholic for a very long flight and their constant getting up to wander downstairs every hour or so. When you add it all up, they are pretty easy to spot on a long flight. Plus, common sense dictates they will be mostly be near the cockpit.

It would be far more effective to pay airlines to hire FAMs as flight attendants. Of the Israeli method of training pilots/FAs to resist hijackings and giving a hiring preference and bonus to former special forces.

bocastephen

Why? It's not like they really do anything useful. We all know what they look like, how they dress, where they prefer to sit and how they behave on board - and especially how much revenue they steal from the airlines by poaching premium seats.

Their view is exactly the same from the 2nd row of coach in an aisle. Let them sit there instead. Unfortunately in this case, the design of the 747 screwed the OP....but I would always be booking a rear facing UD seat anyway.

lincolnjkc

This is true, but not the only reason you may get mysterious, unhelpful answers pmUA agents may just be confused.

I had a trip booked CLE-ORD-CLE last week, 20A (738, first exit row window) out and 21A (73G) back. I was sitting in ORD on a different trip a few days before just checking upcoming reservations and noticed that my 20A had turned into a 21B and 20A was showing occupied on the app.

Since I had time to kill, I visited the ORD CSC and got an (pmUA) agent who was genuinely trying to be helpful but "No, I can't tell you why your seat changed...no I can't change you back...No there aren't any windows or aisles open..."

After I got back to CLE, I stopped by the CLE CSC and asked the same question... "Oh, yeah, there was an equipment change -- it's now a 73G, and 20A doesn't exist anymore. Let me move you to 7D for now..."

(Wound up being able to grab 21A on both flights and it was the same ship for both segments... wish I could have just left my bag on board)

UALatSFO

I had the exact same thing happen to me about a year ago going from LHR-SFO with my family of four on the upper deck. We check in online and when we get to the airport they proceed to tell me that my daughter does not have a seat and they will have to seat her downstairs. I asked how this happened and the check in agent and she had no idea. When I finally got hold of the global services agent, he tells me that it is govt/security that took the seat. After a lot of discussion (which wasn't easy), they were able to rearrange us on the upper deck. ....and yes, when we boarded, the passenger fit the description of an FAM.

PushingTin

Happened to my brother and his wife with two sub 18 month old and a 4 year old. Flight booked months ago, all four together on a ORD-HNL flight. Looked at the website t-24 and all is cool. Show up to check I in and they are scattered about the cabin. My brother tried to get it fixed, couldn't and then said ok, now deal with my wife. UA claims that they never had seats, BS. She eventually works with them to get last row together.

Why does UA:
1. Do this?
2. Lie about it
3. Not man up and fix it?

AA2MM

Different PNRs, because booking them on different days.
Pre-reserved seats in 14JK for them. 2 days ago, while casually checking one's return upgrade WL...to find UA has moved the 14J sister to 12J, facing the bathrooms.
I had to move both of them downstairs now to 6CD.
Could she be displaced by an air marshall ?
I have never experienced this with UA, in all the years of flying in BF.

ZZYZXROAD

Next time my family and I are on the same PNR, I will need to take a screen shot of seat assignments or some form of proof in hand.

lincolnjkc

The eTicket Itinerary and Receipt fulfills this role nicely. You just need to "Add email address and request receipt" to update it if you intentionally change seats [and of course, don't click this if you've found your seats unintentionally changed]

That updates the "cached" for lack of a better term receipt and if you simply "view" the receipt it will show the seat assignments as of the last time a receipt was "requested"

azzurro

I recall a post not to long ago saying 14J on 747 is a preferred FAM seat. Perhaps one of the mods knows where that thread is and can post here for you? Thanks Mods, you folks are great!

PushingTin

Why can't UA make it so that you get an email when they move your seat? Clearly people that fly a lot, are travelling with family members or have special needs have expressed that this is an issue for them. Why can't UA send out emails when seats are changed???

I do feel a bit differently about the families that are scattered around a cabin and ask for help with seats. I assumed it was people cheaping out and not paying for seat assignments. I guess UA is screwing them over more than I think.

Kacee

UA does not charge for advance seat assignments.

Seriously? This is an airline that can't send an e-mail when it changes your flights.

UA-NYC

737 changes from a no-mid-lav to one with the mid-lav. A semi-intelligent program would put the family of 4 in the next available clump of E+ seats (as there are plenty, both parents are 1K so no eligibility issues).

United's system puts them in row 38 - last row of the plane.

As usual, SHARES :-:

Always Flyin

Why? If the original seat is still available, you can reassign yourself on-line.

If the original seat is not available, it doesn't matter how many times you call or what proof you have, they will not move you back into the seat.

QBK

Summary: Babysit your reservation. But you already knew that, right?

Background: So, I have a 5-segment r/t to SYD coming up. Applied GPUs at booking, cleared 2 of 5 segments immediately (the CR7 ones, naturally). One of the TPAC segments cleared a couple of weeks ago (yay!), so now I'm a week out and still waitlisted on the remaining 2 segments.

What happened: Today, as usual, I check the reservation. Hey, IAH-LAX has cleared! (and, as usual, I have the red message telling me that the reservation is out of sync).

However, I also notice I've lost seat assignments on both of the upgraded domestic segments, and the waitlisted TPAC segment. They aren't changed, they just vanished, and I have no seat assignment. Humph.

Fortunately, all three seats are still available, so I just went and reselected them. (Not a triviality -- I had 1A on both CR7s, and 21C on the 777). But if I'd been out of touch for a while, I would have lost those seats and probably been seriously POed.