Yeah, my megaMophie solves any issues with power availability.

How many miles are you requesting for suffering through this horror?

Will either of these devices charge/power a MacBook Pro®?

Depending on what generation MacBook Pro, yes.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204360

Being polite and helpful costs nothing, and other people using the outlets while you are not is not "hogging". You're just annoyed that you lost your upgrade and ended up with a middle seat in Y.

I'm wholeheartedly sure that if you wanted to use a socket, you'd have worked out a way to share with them, so I find this thread a disappointing reminder of how people can make their own lives so much more crappy than they need be.

I know this is going to be an unpopular position, but here goes. <donning flame-retardant suit>

When my wife and I travel together, we sit next to each other and we never grab aisle/window. Why? Well, first we like each other's company. But also because we figure that the inconvenience of shared space & armrests is minimized when couples sit next to each other. I can imagine reserving window/aisle (hoping the middle will be empty) and then moving if middle is taken.

But if a couple is sitting window/aisle and won't move to sit next to each other, then I assume they essentially are just in it for themselves and they don't give a crap about the comfort & convenience of others. And so I'd feel no inclination to do anything to make their flight more comfortable or convenient.

why they heck do you care if they need both outlets if you aren't going to use one? Just seems like you're being stubborn

I don't see what's wrong with trying to get an aisle and window with an empty middle, but I also don't see the point of not moving to middle and aisle if someone else sits in the middle. You'd think it's better as a couple to be sitting next to each other (and thus only have 1 person have a stranger on one side) than to be sitting apart (and thus both people have to deal with a stranger on one side).

My wife and I have done it many times. We don't really interact much on flights nor do we cuddle nor are we afraid of strangers. If it makes us more comfortable and it is what we pre-selected then that's what we book.

My husband and I almost always sit with one of us in the middle. But, we are flying HKG-ORD-BWI in Y later this year and took 7AC on the ORD-BWI leg. I like to look out for others...but after a 15 hour flight and a 3 hour layover, there are limits.

Sorry, I don't really understand the purpose of the post. What is being complained about or asked about.

None of us were there. Whether the couple was being rude to your or extremely nice, you are under no obligation to inform other people of how the airplane works. If you had no need to use the outlet and the other two were using them, it seems like the perfect fit. If you had needed the outlet, the they are supposed to unplug anyways before takeoff so there would be your chance to get to one of the outlets.

As for a couple moving together so you can have the aisle or window, they are under no obligation to change their seat either.

It sounds like your beef is with UA for causing you to lose your upgrade due to the delay. I'm sure if you write in to them, they'll throw you a voucher or some miles.

You could easily turn that around. One could say that you are just in it for yourself and don't give a crap about the comfort & convenience of the couple by expecting one of them to take the middle seat in order to make you comfortable. Seating assignments are first come first serve. The person who comes first should have no obligation give up the comfort and convenience to someone else that may or may not come along later. Just because you like to sit directly next to your significant other, it doesnt mean that every feels the same. I never saw the big deal of sitting apart even on the other side of a plane. Most flight's arent that long, a couple should be able to survive a few hours apart.

If you're a frequent flyer carry a small power strip like this one or this one.

I always carry a mini-power-strip in my carry-on, along with a 4-port USB charger and USB power pack. While I carry them primarily for me, and primarily for use at the hotel, I often will offer it when other travelers need them. AC outlets and power ports on airplanes are far more common than they were 10+ years ago, they still seem in short supply. Even when I don't speak a common language with another traveler, I've never been refused when I offer to share the already-in-use outlet.

I do wonder sometimes why United couldn't have made one of the outlet blocks on each 3-seat pair a double outlet. They managed to do this on the 747, with two outlets on each pillar in the middle 4 seats.

Somewhat different question: I just flew RT IAD-MCO on a 737, both trips in first. On neither flight did my outlet work; I was trying to charge my dying laptop both times. Both times the green light was on. I don't often use the outlets; is there a trick I"m not aware of? Do they not work to charge laptops but only smaller devices? Or did they just not work (it's conceivable this was the same aircraft in both directions)?

Do you have a high performance laptop? The current draw is not very strong so you may only be able to sustain a charge while using it, or slowly drain battery.

For a travel laptop usually it's fine. The biggest issue I have faced is the socket itself is too loose. But it has not been a big enough issue that I have ever looked into getting yet another plug thing to carry around as suggested in this post.