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Random seat changes to UA itineraries after having an assigned seat [Consolidated]

Old Jan 4, 2015, 2:37 pm
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Last edit by: sexykitten7
Archive thread - Random seat changes to UA itineraries after they are booked & purchased [ARCHIVE]

Potential causes {draft list -- needs work}
  • Aircraft equipment changes (appears can be an issue even if the new aircraft is the same type)
  • Computer "glitch" -- common explanation, real source unknown
  • Weight & Balance issues
  • Federal Air Marshal {FAM}
  • Seats needed for passenger with medical / disability / .... issues {particularly a bulkhead issue}
  • Pet in cabin {no bulkhead}
  • Accommodating an high elite or VIP {somewhat unlikely, not standard company policy, and more likely to occur in a premium cabin}
  • Accommodating a family group {not very likely and not standard company policy}
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Random seat changes to UA itineraries after having an assigned seat [Consolidated]

Old Mar 12, 2019, 6:54 pm
  #31  
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
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Originally Posted by lincolnjkc
and if I was going to ride in Y 21 is where I'd want to ride
And I thought I was safe in my seat 21C (or 21D).......
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Old Mar 12, 2019, 7:05 pm
  #32  
 
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Originally Posted by StuckinITH
And I thought I was safe in my seat 21C (or 21D).......
As long as my 21A or F is unmolested... I would hope FAMs prefer aisles.
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Old Mar 12, 2019, 7:15 pm
  #33  
 
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Originally Posted by lincolnjkc
As long as my 21A or F is unmolested... I would hope FAMs prefer aisles.
You are safe. The only time I saw FAMs in action on a flight they were in aisle seats in Business Class. Would be difficult for them to jump fast to take care of a situation inside the plane from a window seat........
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Old Mar 13, 2019, 8:23 am
  #34  
 
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Originally Posted by lincolnjkc
I thought it was reported in the recent past (9 months?) that FAMs were going to start to be deployed in the Y cabin for reasons I don't remember at the moment (most disruptions/physical issues happen in Y? TSA wanted to make them miserable for some reason?) and if I was going to ride in Y 21 is where I'd want to ride

That said I don't buy that multiple moves with the original seats being available is a FAM in this case but I could be wrong.
Thats right, what ever happened with this?
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Old Mar 13, 2019, 9:26 pm
  #35  
 
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My aisle seat in E+ on a TATL 772 got changed to a middle in the middle. I had been watching this for the past month as I noticed that the seat map would get odd- I assumed as it was because of PE seating.

Really quite pissed about this. I've spent 47 minutes on hold trying to see if I could get it fixed, no luck getting a human. (Coming from 1K where it seems I never waited, do they not prioritize at all for phone calls below 1K?) This year a fell to plat because I refused to fly OCONUS- and UA is showing me the wisdom of my way. Really hacked because for some reason, it had to be ticketed as a B fare. No GPUs, so maybe my miles upgrade will hit, but doubt it as a PLAT. Expensive fare, middle seat, crappy service.
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Old Mar 13, 2019, 9:50 pm
  #36  
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Originally Posted by chavala

Thats right, what ever happened with this?
The FAMs told management "coach is for handbags, not airplane seats"

I highly doubt they will get any of them to voluntarily ride around in coach all day, and if the issue is forced, I suspect lots of resignations coming up.
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Old Mar 14, 2019, 7:27 am
  #37  
 
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Originally Posted by goalie
While I can't speak to your specific seat issue, it has been my experience (and probably for many others as well), that if your seats are changed anywhere between t-72 and t-12 hours of flight time and the aircraft itself has not changed (type, reg number &/or etc) AND your were told the seat change was done for "operational reasons", your seat was probably given to/taken by a FAM
Except the original seats were still open.
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Old Mar 18, 2019, 8:16 am
  #38  
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So frustrating...

Received a text that due to an aircraft swap, I lost my seat assignment EWR->HKG...except when I checked (immediately), the seat map is the same pmCO 777 that is always on the route. Only difference is I was booted from my seat.

I thought maybe it was being switched out for a reconfigured craft, but this just sucks.
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Old Mar 18, 2019, 8:38 am
  #39  
 
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Originally Posted by PushingTin
My aisle seat in E+ on a TATL 772 got changed to a middle in the middle. I had been watching this for the past month as I noticed that the seat map would get odd- I assumed as it was because of PE seating.

Really quite pissed about this. I've spent 47 minutes on hold trying to see if I could get it fixed, no luck getting a human. (Coming from 1K where it seems I never waited, do they not prioritize at all for phone calls below 1K?) This year a fell to plat because I refused to fly OCONUS- and UA is showing me the wisdom of my way. Really hacked because for some reason, it had to be ticketed as a B fare. No GPUs, so maybe my miles upgrade will hit, but doubt it as a PLAT. Expensive fare, middle seat, crappy service.
Yikes!

Have been considering dropping to Platinum next year but I still fly over 100,000 miles. Knew service was not as good for Plat but that is atrocious.
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Old Mar 18, 2019, 9:54 am
  #40  
 
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Originally Posted by goodeats21
So frustrating...

Received a text that due to an aircraft swap, I lost my seat assignment EWR->HKG...except when I checked (immediately), the seat map is the same pmCO 777 that is always on the route. Only difference is I was booted from my seat.

I thought maybe it was being switched out for a reconfigured craft, but this just sucks.
Not that it makes it any less frustrating but it still could have been swapped and swapped back before you got the notification. Last year I had an E175 change to E170 and I had a call from United Reservations (asking if I would be willing to take a different flight and when none of the options worked, confirming my seat new in the smaller cabin since row 3 doesn't exist on the 170) about 2 hours before the text showed up.
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Old Mar 21, 2019, 3:10 pm
  #41  
 
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Change of Equipment on long haul flight - 1K moved to worse seat

My coworker was on EWR-SHA flight (UA86). She is a 1K and was advised that morning that because of equipment change her seat was moved from the coveted middle aisle seat in the 2-2-2 to a side aisle seat. Was told the change of seats were done randomly.

When she explained to UA customer service that she purposefully took the middle aisle seat so not to be bothered by a seatmate during the flight and requested to be moved back , she said they were unable to do this. She complained to no avail and also tried doing the same to GA but again no success.

She is 1K and it also was a paid seat..... does this make sense that they couldnt do a swap over a person who might have had less status or an award seat? Im sure the plane wasnt filled with all 1K pax.

Interestingly enough my mother is a travel agent and I called her before the flight took off and she said there was 1 middle seat open but blocked. I told my colleague this and she inquired when she was on the plane but was told this was saved for the 2nd pilot. So she couldn't move there.

In the end they credited her $450 that she had previously paid on a change fee.... so I guess this is reasonable....its not like the moved her to Economy....but was just surprised they wouldn't move a 1K to another seat in Business as a swap.
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Old Mar 21, 2019, 3:24 pm
  #42  
 
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The CoC says seat selection is not guaranteed.
jasonp622 likes this.
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Old Mar 21, 2019, 3:40 pm
  #43  
 
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$450 Credit for not getting the seat they wanted? Where do I sign?

Maybe the cabin was full. (consider a blocked seat not to be available.It is most always the same seat, and is contractually obligated to provide for the crew. So, If it is full.. there is no seat to assign them to. Is it being suggested that they should look thru the list and bump a lowly gold or silver? With that logic, maybe your 1K co-worker was bumped out by a GS. Busting someone out of a seat, simply to accommodate someone with a higher status doesn't sound like a sound plan

Was is possible that they were bumped out to accommodate a Federal Air Marshall?
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Old Mar 21, 2019, 3:47 pm
  #44  
 
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Originally Posted by xzh445
$450 Credit for not getting the seat they wanted? Where do I sign?

Maybe the cabin was full. (consider a blocked seat not to be available.It is most always the same seat, and is contractually obligated to provide for the crew. So, If it is full.. there is no seat to assign them to. Is it being suggested that they should look thru the list and bump a lowly gold or silver? With that logic, maybe your 1K co-worker was bumped out by a GS. Busting someone out of a seat, simply to accommodate someone with a higher status doesn't sound like a sound plan

Was is possible that they were bumped out to accommodate a Federal Air Marshall?
She was bumped due to equipment change..... shifted everyone around was what she was told.

Im not saying $450 wasnt fair....It is even with the inconvenience of not being in the middle 2 seats of a long haul 2-2-2.... ( truly first world problems I know)....my question was more as a 1K would she have more preference after the reshuffling of seats to have a similar requested seat (which was the middle 2 seats)
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Old Mar 21, 2019, 3:59 pm
  #45  
 
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This is one of the reasons you'll see that many FT'ers monitor their seat assignments often, even daily or even every few hours during those last few days before flight departure when swaps are more likely. Appeasing 1 miffed 1K isn't worth moving someone from their seat without a good reason. Status wouldn't be adequate, because what if a GS bumped her from her seat? Or someone who paid full fare FC?

I'll admit that I've been on the other side of this issue as well. Caught a plane swap as soon as it happened and grabbed a much better seat than the one I had before all the seats were reassigned.
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