fastair

1) you are incorrect. Have you not read any news articles on PoS (persons of size,) who at times, are REQUIRED to buy a 2nd seat? While your primary mileage account will not earn miles, it happens as it permitted. http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...e/default.aspx So if there is a policy in place that requires the purchase of an adjacent seat, clearly it can be done (and is, although rarely...I may see it once every couple of months.)

2) No BS from me, I speak fact from experience and post what I speak.

burlax

No, you are incorrect. You may be REQUIRED to pay for an additional seat as a PoS, but you cannot book an additional seat or seats. If you cannot understand the difference, try calling reservations and asking them to book you a row of E- and explaining that you want to sleep there, and see what happens.

iluv2fly

My money's on fastair on this one.

burlax

Hah. Believe me, I tried. It's actually cheaper to buy 3 E- on some K or G fare, than to book into premium cabin. Guess what? You can't.

The quoted policy is for people who cannot fit in a regular seat. They won't let you use it if you're normal size.

fastair

Most likely you cannot book an entire row (unless the row consists of only 2 seats) you without question can book an extra seat. Most agents (res or CS) are goin to feel uncomfortable about the PoS issues (the rarety of it, and the fact that every time someone does need to, it is usually a celebrity who tweets about it) most agents aren't goin to ask you a ton of questions, as the fear of ADA type lawsuits and complaints come up.

You tell me you need to buy a seat, and an additional seat next to it, I am going to sell it to you (inventory allowing) and am not going to ask you what your purpose is.

So while your example of buying an entire row is most likely true, buyiing a 2nd seat happens, and most of the time, the purcahser is not questioned as to the intent of use of the extra seat. I surely wouln't question the purpose, and I ask more questions than the average agent.

I've had people in rigid casts as well purchase the seat next to them, but again it is pretty rare. And yes, in a 3 across 767 section, I have had a couple for no reason other than the extra seat, buy all 3 seats for the 2 of them. They didn't buy from me, but they boarded my plane. I was kind of surprised, as it complicates the boarding process. I need to show all 3 seats as boarded, but I need to then prior to printing manifest and sending weight/balance data to the load planners, remember to subtract one body from the count/manifest. I had to call the help desk to find out how to show the ticket as "used" so it didn't auto cncl the return flight, after I had offloaaded theseat for the weight/manifest.

Perhaps you should use the FT motto of "nicely end the call, then call again" the next time,j ust ask for the 2 seats, the 2nd as an extra, without explaining your purpose. It isn't like the res agent can verify your weight over the phone to dispute you. You may be correct in procedure (I am no res agent, the world of operations is a little less strict then the call centers and my knowledge of if UAprohibits the policy in ticketing is beyond by knowledge) but in practice it works. Also from a business standpoint, it is a win/win for the airline. Another seat at the same price they are willing to sell, with less cost associated with it.

PTahCha

You can certainly buy an extra seat, either as PoS, or for a musical instrument, or giant teddy bear from Costco.

wdrg

Precisely.

This needs to be reported.

burlax

Wrong. This is not what the policy is intended for and it is not what the policy states.

Well, you can certainly purchase extra seat(s) under that policy by LYING about your eligibility, but that completely destroys validity of your implicit argument that if the OP had wanted to sleep in the E-row, he should have purchased it. From the business standpoint, UA would prefer that you pay a few thousand for limited recline F on a transcon than book a row for under $500.

fastair

Per the work computer (not yet on the clock and posting from my phone) in front of me: "Customers who want to voluntarily purchase an extra seat in order to have a vacant seat next to them may do so at the same fare or mileage used to purchase the first seat... If purchase is made at the airport on day of departure, current fare available for the seat will apply. Seat assignment, meal selection, baggage allowance, and mileage plus accrual policy as stated on this page for a customer of size will also apply to the voluntary seat purchase."

That would be base miles (no bonus miles,) extra checked baggage (no extra carry on) and meals for each seat purchased.

Next time, prior to the use of the term "BS" in reference to my post, make sure you are correct and I am wrong. That is disrespectful, and worse has just been proven to be 100% incorrect. Post facts instead of incorrect opinions, or at the very least, qualify your opinion as something not based on fact/policy but as an opinion

burlax

I used the term BS because I attempted (twice) to do precisely what you implied the OP should have done - that is, booking a row of E- for the purpose of sleeping there. Both times, I called the reservations and explained what I was trying to do, and both times the supervisors who were brought on the line explained to me that I couldn't book a row of seats unless I had some sort of a medical need, and offered me to book a seat in F instead.

fastair

They were wrong, or at the time the policy was different. There may be a difference between booking an additional seat, and booking an entire row. The policy I quoted was for an extra seat, not extra seats.

Mama

I would not be surprised if the OP moved back to his original seat (stumbling through the service carts), and then instructed by another FA to move out of the "crew rest" seat again. :-)

wdrg

I've seen some complaints online about a pax purchasing 2 seats for himself and then having them split up into different areas or the extra seat being sold/given to someone else. The staff then says tough, you weren't guaranteed particular seats, call customer service and ask for a refund, nothing I can do, etc.

Is there a way to prevent this from happening?

fastair

Yea, the procedure is to move people so the 2 seats are adjoining.