sbarth

I wrote UA Customer Care when I saw those 737-800s and -900's with JUST EIGHT seats in FC. I got back this ominous message:

"Your concerns about our route structures and the type of aircraft we operate truly matters to us. Please know our Scheduling and Route Structure teams regularly analyze how and where our aircraft and staff might work most efficiently and cost-effectively. Your disappointment with the reduction in first class seat capacity is understood and had been documented."

"Constructive feedback, whether positive or negative, is always appreciated as it helps us to consider future changes and improvements in order to maintain our loyal customers and encourage new customers.
Please know we are continually evaluating our decisions that impact your choice of airline for your travel needs."

If this is indeed a real change, other people might want their disappointment documented also.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

It's just a form letter.

sbarth

sure hope you are right that it is a form letter....

taipeipeter

If that's a form letter, it is unfortunate that its author(s) write so ungrammatically. (I'm less picky with random emails and internet postings.)

Often1

Not only is this a form letter, but it's a blow off form letter. There are 8F on those aircraft because that is all UA believes that it can sell.

UA would be running widebodies with a 3-class international configuration if there were the demand.

Is there?

sbarth

I have been buying tickets on UA's websites for years. I have always seen 737-800's seat maps mainly with 16 (sometimes 20) FC seats, and 737-900's with 20. This is new and disturbing to me. I have been buying A and P fares in some markets, but if there are really going to be just 8 seats in FC on the 737's they will be very expensive and hard to get. No one else is concerned enough to write UA about this?

IAH-OIL-TRASH

8 F seats might be enough in some markets if they go to roundtrip scheduling for the a/c and the segments are short.

cpyankees25

Isn't this just a situation where they put a placeholder seat map on flights a while from now? Giving them the flexibility to switch to an eight-seat A319 if needed with future schedule changes? All 738s and 739s are 16 or 20 seats in F.

transportprof

Or could it be part of Oscar's new strategy to increase elite upgrades? Sell no more than 8 F and give the rest to GS & 1Ks?

sbarth

I do hope y'all are right. I was just dismayed about the reply from Customer Care...if really a form letter, then that's good, but why did CC agent mention my concern about reduction of FC seating capacity?

blackllotus

In this case, "reduction" refers to a potential equipment downgrade for your flight. If your flight goes from a 739 to an A319 then the F capacity on that flight will have been reduced. As noted multiple times in the other thread, all flights that have shown an 8 F 739 have either had an equipment swap or have turned out to be on full 20 F 739s. If United were going to reduce the number of F seats in the 739 then we'd find out through official channels.

goodeats21

There is no change to the number of First Class seats on the 737s.
There is a whole other thread related to this:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ding-swap.html

dmurphynj

This is being worked up into a lather over nothing ... placeholder seat maps; nothing more ...

goalie

And with the OP cross-posting the letter that they received from United in the thread in the above quoted post and cross-posting is not permitted per Flyertalk rules, please continue the discussion in that thread

goalie
UA Forum Co-Moderator