Lost Economy Plus- help!
Nov 4, 2013, 4:29 pm
#16
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
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Posts: 50,262
OP booked E+ and is being offered E+, just not the seats he wants. But, UA never guaranteed a specific seat. So, he's got three options:
1. Accept E+ as offered.
2. Accept E- and request a refund online now.
3. Accept E- and fly the segment, at which point the E+ assignment fee will be automatically refunded.
Not sure what else OP wants done. If he can find a carrier which doesn't change schedules or aircraft configurations and can make what isn't available magically reappear, he should grab it for his upcoming TATL.
1. Accept E+ as offered.
2. Accept E- and request a refund online now.
3. Accept E- and fly the segment, at which point the E+ assignment fee will be automatically refunded.
Not sure what else OP wants done. If he can find a carrier which doesn't change schedules or aircraft configurations and can make what isn't available magically reappear, he should grab it for his upcoming TATL.
Nov 4, 2013, 4:36 pm
#17
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
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This nonsense about seats aren't guarantee is just weasel legal wording protecting UA poor track history of maintaining seating. From what I can tell UA is on the 3-sigma side of most airlines in scrambling seat assignments. This is just poor operational performance and happens far too often on UA.
Nov 4, 2013, 4:42 pm
#18
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: MRY - CNX - TXL
Programs: UA 1K / *G / Marriott PE / Expedia Gold+ / Hertz PC
Posts: 7,058
One time flying from Berlin to New York I paid BusinessFirst for 2E and then when it came closer to the flight they moved me to 1E and that was the only aisle seat available which I ended up sitting in.
I've continued to fly United since that experience.
I've continued to fly United since that experience.
Nov 4, 2013, 4:50 pm
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 6
This exactly. I would have thought that with the flight change, UA would have kept my original booking of two seats together in E+, rather than just demoting me to regular E. It is just disappointing since I made these reservations a long time ago.
And yes, I understand it is not the worst thing in the world and that the flight is not that long. I was wondering what my options were, hence me coming here.
Thanks for those who let me know that the refund will be automatically generated if I do end up sitting in regular E. I appreciate the help.
yeah...that was me being needlessly snarky 
And yes, I understand it is not the worst thing in the world and that the flight is not that long. I was wondering what my options were, hence me coming here.
Thanks for those who let me know that the refund will be automatically generated if I do end up sitting in regular E. I appreciate the help.
Last edited by FlyinHawaiian; Nov 4, 2013 at 5:51 pm Reason: merge
Nov 4, 2013, 5:16 pm
#20
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Chicago
Programs: UA1MM*GL/1K, AA, BnVy PlatL, HH Silver,
Posts: 681
35 years of flying pmUA and I never lost a seat assignment, other than when upgraded...and then the one I picked in F was the one I sat in...always. COua apologist/company insiders need to give it a rest; fix the crappy res system that you haven't invested in since the 1990s. this seat nonsense is insane and doesn't happen on a world class airline...period. Bring back Apollo already which can run a global airline since UA painstakingly developed and invested in it while CO saved money by sticking with 1980s IT technology into infinity....it isn,t working, CO folks.
Nov 4, 2013, 5:44 pm
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Houston
Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 12,698
Preferably something vaguely comparable to UA's operation, not Cape Air or a similar operator in the south pacific.
Nov 4, 2013, 5:47 pm
#22
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Houston, TX, USA
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Posts: 7,972
That's right. If you don't want to accept two E+ seats apart, then just sit still and do nothing. As others suggested, look closer to the travel date for seats to open up. Do an online check-in and check at that time for seats. If all else fails, then just keep your E- seats and UA will automatically refund your up-charge once your flights are complete and the computer sees that you flew in E-. Don't fill out a web form or request a refund.
Nov 4, 2013, 5:49 pm
#23
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Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: ORD / DUB / LHR
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35 years of flying pmUA and I never lost a seat assignment, other than when upgraded...and then the one I picked in F was the one I sat in...always. COua apologist/company insiders need to give it a rest; fix the crappy res system that you haven't invested in since the 1990s. this seat nonsense is insane and doesn't happen on a world class airline...period. Bring back Apollo already which can run a global airline since UA painstakingly developed and invested in it while CO saved money by sticking with 1980s IT technology into infinity....it isn,t working, CO folks.
Guess what - seat assignments weren't an issue at CO either. This isn't a limitation of SHARES that I'm aware of, so not sure where you're getting that from?If I do a quick search, I find many, many more complaints about lost seat assignments in the good old UA days than I do on CO btw...
Nov 4, 2013, 5:59 pm
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 6
That's right. If you don't want to accept two E+ seats apart, then just sit still and do nothing. As others suggested, look closer to the travel date for seats to open up. Do an online check-in and check at that time for seats. If all else fails, then just keep your E- seats and UA will automatically refund your up-charge once your flights are complete and the computer sees that you flew in E-. Don't fill out a web form or request a refund.
Nov 4, 2013, 6:21 pm
#25
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
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that was not the point of the post -- the point is the frequently at which the new UA is doing this is far beyond reasonable levels IMO. IME and understanding the frequency of this is much higher than the occasional issue of other airlines (and no I have no conclusive data). A lower level of this is understandable but folks getting hit multiple times, as frequently reported, is not good operational performance.
In simple words, seems others have been and are doing better than UA in this regard.
In simple words, seems others have been and are doing better than UA in this regard.