I have a non-elite (no status on any airline) friend who swears that her paying a fee for an E+ seat means UA is less likely to move her to E- during IRROPS. Instead, she says, UA would sooner move a Silver* who paid nothing for his E+ seat.

*She's not sure she'd beat out a Gold or higher.

RNE, wondering if there's any truth to this.

She's giving UA way too much credit.

I've never had an issue with an agent sitting a companion next to me from a separate PNR. I did this a few weeks ago and today went to move our seats for an upcoming flight. My companion was able to change her seat to a different E+ seat online from the one the agent put her in with no issue. I don't remember this working in the past.

But it's a matter of money, not "credit." ;) UA would have to refund money to her, not to him.

And I'm telling you, UA's systems aren't that creative. They'll kick anybody out of E+ without regard to how you got into it. It's an equal-opportunity disrupter. :)

Is this pure speculation or do they claim to have direct evidence? My cousin's best friend's aunt evidence?

Systems? Gate agents aren't systems; they're people... people with decision-making authority... at least according to Travel + Leisure, "The gate agent has supreme power of seating assignments for every flight and dictates who sits where." Thus, a gate agent faced with a last-minute booking by an (irate) 1K may move someone out of E+. A lowly Silver may get the boot before a non-elite who paid for their seat. Now, even if my friend is correct, does this mean it's smart for a Silver to buy a seat they wouldn't have to? Of course not! However, it may be some solace to the non-elite seat-purchaser. Speculation? Sure. So what? FlyerTalk is rife with speculation.

99.9999% of all E+ removals are due to automated systems reassigning seats (poorly) during aircraft swaps.

The thing you're suggesting -- an irate 1K (really, GS) demanding an E+ seat and getting it -- is almost entirely FlyerTalk fantasy. I'm not saying it never happens. I am saying that your friend's conspiracy theory is, well, just that. The sort of agent who would break the rules for this imaginary irate 1K/GS isn't then going to say "oh, let me make sure that I don't cost the company money, but also that I don't mess things up for too high a Premier."

Let me put it to you this way: AFAIK, the screen where this rogue agent would have to do this nefarious deed doesn't show the reason that somebody's eligible for E+ in the first place. Unless they wanted to assume that all non-premier members in E+ had paid (certainly not true), they'd have to go into somebody's record

Like most conspiracy theories, this Is worse than impossible -- it's highly, highly improbable.

I've tried to move people that I put in E+ and the system always want to charge them for moving them online or via app.

If not on your PNR,
Can not do online, must call

I was looking at a paid F SFO-SAF round-trip yesterday. DEN-SAF (and SAF-DEN) were operated by aircraft with only a Y cabin. I was, once again, quite perturbed that a paid F fare doesn't include E+ on these segments.

However, the payment failed, and I aborted booking.

Today, I'm Gold, so it's irrelevant. But it still seems odd that if it were a two cabin aircraft, I would be in F and the (Y-paying) Golds and up would be in E+, but on a one cabin aircraft, the F-paying pax would be at the very back of the plane while the Golds and up would still be in E+.

Awesome, isn't it. But that's UA's programming into selling tickets. Only after you've purchased and mayhap status would you then switch seats. Or, if you have no status, no E+.

David

Can I Upgrade to E+ Using Miles?
 

Is it possible to upgrade to Economy Plus using miles? If so, can someone explain how to do it?

Also, I know MP Gold get complimentary upgrades to E+ upon booking for yourself and one companion. Does this occur when you choose your seat? In other words, do I just choose a regular Economy fare and the choose the E+ seat?

Thanks

It's not an upgrade -- using that word will just confuse people. It's a seat assignment. I know that UA was working on allowing people to use mileage for E+ but I don't know if they ever got around to it. The number of miles would likely make it a fairly bad deal, though.

Yes, precisely that. (Note that there are occasional reports that UA somehow 'forgets' this during booking; if you're eligible, but it's trying to charge you, skip seat selection until booking is complete, and then go back into your reservation. You'll be able to select E+ for free at that point).