By extension, we should all get our Y fares refunded if lower fare buckets are opened at T-24 then, no?

The buckets may be opened (to facilitate SDC), but fare rules (e.g., advance-purchase requirements) usually prevent new purchases in most of those buckets.

Yeah, I get it. We're just looking at it from two different angles. I agree it's not a great move from a business perspective.

As others have said though, you're really just paying to reserve a better seat in advance. So that's the value...no one else was guaranteed E+, in fact this situation is rare. Here's another way to look at it: what if This was UA policy? If policy were that anyone can get E+ at the gate for free, based on availability, would the person who paid be entitled to a refund then?

I realize I've moved into the theoretical here, but the point is that reserving the seat with $ still has value in that scenario, so why not in this one?

I am in the camp that thinks that no refund is due because the payment is for a guaranteed E+/Y+ seat. However, the airline could/should institute a policy as such:

If a passenger who previously paid for E+/Y+ wishes to get a refund then that passenger would stand in the E+/Y+ refund line to process the refund. Once the refund is processed the subject passenger would then be assigned a regular coach section seat. If E+/Y+ is being "given" away then the subject passenger would be free to join the completely separate queue(s) to compete/take her chances along with everyone else that has a regular coach section seat assignment. [i.e. one does not get to have a refund AND retain a guaranteed E+/Y+ seat assignment.] This policy should result in no complaints because one can either pay for a guaranteed E+/Y+ seat or take one's chances like all the other coach section ticket holders.

Shirley you aren't advocating another gate queue? Do you know how stressful those are?

Surely, if one wants a refund one does not expect a business to inconvenience other customers as it processes one's refund. Separate refund queues are quite common here in the USA. [at least at the "lower end" (read: economy class) stores] :D

The real point being that one should not be able to game the system by being in line to get a free E+/Y+ seat when one already has paid for an E+/Y+ seat only to cancel the paid reservation to get a refund after obtaining the free seat.

Another solution to achieve the same result is to limit a passenger to one transaction at a time in a given queue. Therefore, one could stand in line to refund one's E+/Y+ purchase AND be assigned a regular economy class seat. That person would then have to rejoin the end of the same queue in order to get the free E+/Y+ seat. Therefore, eliminating the need for another queue.

Yes, the refund queue will be located at the ticketing counter, on the other side of security.

Only if the airline is dumb enough to make a public announcement saying so.

Clearly the issue isn't that it was done. It's how. Everybody knows that E+ is given away once the back of the plane is filled. Nothing new about "free" E+ for non-elites. What changed here was telling everyone they could sit in E+ without paying for it via the PA system.

A slightly-better variant of the same thing would have been an offer to move anyone in a middle seat forward.

by one GA (likely UX) one time .... perhaps it is premature to storm the barricades asking for E+ access refunds (which most here get for free).

And UA insider is passing this thread amongst the higher-ups with everyone having a good laugh about "What's the silliest thing they're complaining about today?"

You're right, it was a one-off, not the norm. Somebody maybe in a bit of a rush and not really thinking it through, just knew that there was a plane to get off the ground and maybe a weight balance issue and the last time that happened they had to rearrange the plane after it had been boarded and it took an extra 30 minutes because nobody wanted to volunteer to give up a nice seat for one with less legroom etc...

That's close to the situation that Silvers have. They can pay for E+ at booking or wait until T-24 and try to get one for free. While I was a Silver I mostly paid instead of taking a chance and more than a few times I could have gotten E+ for free if I would have waited. But I wasn't willing to take that chance on a flight like ORD-SIN. (And for the record, the thought never occurred to me to ask for a refund)

Well that was easy...
 

Kudos for the simple logic simply stated.


SunLover

Can you share the route? DEN-LAS at 1pm on Wed?