emcampbe

this essentially exists in E+ - not always available together - but often are, especially on leisure heavy routes. Given the the nature of the airline industry, where changes, especially last minute, can happen often, it doesn't make sense - if a configuration changes, then there has to be seat re-assignments.

i get it, but as someone who travels with a toddler, I would at least be prepared for the possibility to give the benefit of the doubt.

Just an example - on the second flight we took with our baby (lap child), we selected seats in E+ for my wife and I on the A/B side of a CR7 (8A and 8B). UA failed to warn us, in advance that, hey, you can't sit on the A/B side of that plane with a lap child, as there is no extra oxygen mask on that side of the plane. GA calls us up before boarding, and gives my wife 7D instead and explains. Since it's a 2 hour or so flight, not a huge deal - not ideal, but not really an issue. especially since we're 1 row back from each other. Once onboard, wife asks 7C if he is willing to switch - she does it nicely, and he says no thanks, and that's that. As boarding is almost complete, baby is happy and 7C looks between in front of him and baby, then back to me and noticed there's an empty seat next to me. He says, actually, if that seat is empty, I'll make the switch. We hadn't talked to him since my wife asked, and hadn't been disappointed in his refusal. Not really our fault that we got split up (why UA can't warn u that we can't sit in those seats with a lap infant is another issue), but nice that someone was willing to help us make it a little bit easier. I tried to buy him a drink on the flight, but he was asleep the whole time. Not the only express config that has this issue - the ER4s are worse (only 4 rows in that aircraft have the extra mask).

I would definitely be reluctant to do this if I knew, for example, a family booked BE vs. a different issue that wasn't their fault. I definitely consider move requests, and have done it, when someone asks nicely and sincerely. But I won't if someone assumes that they can just sit in my assigned seat.

seenitall

What is being lost here is that OP did at one time have seat assignments 3-1. Therefore, it was not a BE reservation. For whatever reason, UA IT then scrambled these reservations and unilaterally split the family up -- not even giving it a 2-2.

Assuming that this was all on one PNR and the kids' ages were entered properly, I do not know why the reassignment algorithm would have been incapable of coming up with an appropriate assignment. But in any event, I find it curious that UA can hide behind a statement that there is nothing they can do about it now, and just wait until you are at the gate, or quite possibly, on the plane (from personal experience I have dealt with GAs who want nothing to do with resolving these situations and just want you to board and deal with the FAs and other pax yourself to seek a resolution).

Given that UA unilaterally shuffled the original seat assignments from 3-1, it is surely capable of unilaterally reshuffling the current seat assignments. After all, "seat assignments are not guaranteed."

The best face I can put to situations like this is that because there may be last minute no-shows, cancellations, etc., UA just hopes beyond hope that these will allow it to resolve the situation at the last minute without it having to do any work before TOD.

cardinal98

Having travelled with two under 2 years old, I'm not so confident. My experience was the phone agent told me the the gate agent would work it out. The gate agent told me the FA would work it out. And the FA threw up their hands and said there wasn't anything they can do. Ended up pleading with fellow passengers and got two and two. Middle seats on a KOA-mainland flight aren't much negotiating currency.

I agree with the other recommendations -- try both HUCA and T-24 (within minutes).

emcampbe

It happens...unfortunately in this specific case, there are kids involved.

From my experiences, the UA algorithim isn't that good, but does try to keep the seat letter the same, even when its not the same kind of seat, and then row, I think. For example, 2 days or so before departure, wife and I had a swap from the 3-3-3 domestic 777 to a 3-4-3 one (IAD-SFO). We were booked in E+, on the same PNR, in the window-aisle seat on the far side - forget the lettering. My wife was in her preferred window, me in my preferred aisle (with lap infant...well, no seat, of course). With the swap, my wife was rebooked in E+, same letter, I think the same row, which was now an aisle seat (even though her profile specifies window preference). My letter didn't exist in the new config....I was put two rows away, same side of the aircraft but in a window seat. Both still in E+. I think one of us had both seats next to us empty, so I moved one of us to the other row, leaving the middle empty, and luckily, it stayed that way so we had some extra room. Doesn't seem to be a good reason why I was put into a window seat at all, or why my wife and I were moved into different rows. Worked out in the end, but still.

This was even relatively clean, but it's not going to be like this everytime, and especially if moving to a config where rows that once existed didn't, it gets really tough to re-seat people and there are going to be people who get split up in a way that they shouldn't. Should they prioritize those with young kids on the PNR....probably. But there are other deserving candidates for prioritization as well...disabled who can only go into certain seats,, etc. It's always going to be a mess for someone. The other options may not be materially better....that would be to re-assign no one, and no one gets a seat assignment until they login to their reservation and pick a new one, or even to do not do any auto-assingments, then put the flight under airport control so no one can assign a seat until check in. Not sure that's a better option. Or re-assign everyone up to a certain row, then leave the back X rows blocked, allowing agents only to re-assign these seats. That might allow those who want to stay together to do so, but in the back of the plane, and some poeple might actually not prefer that.

With the computer re-seating, someone isn't going to be happy...always, Again, unfortunately, this time involved kids. The likelihood is it will work out. But not much agents can do once this re-seating happens...its not like they can pull folks out of their seat assignments and 're-shuffle' them again. Imagine the threads on here...."I'm 1K and after getting kicked out of my original E+ seat due to an equipment swap, now I was kicked out again to accommodate a family"

Baze

There are lots of ways for a family to get separated. Cancelled flight, UA IT moved them (as in this thread), last minute emergency booking for family emergency, booking bulkhead row then a wheelchair passenger needs the bulkhead aisle seat. Just calling the family cheap is very narrow minded. Yes, there are cases of the family being cheap, but to assume that is the reason is not good for anyone. Too many threads and reports of families starting out seated together then somehow get separated.

Loren Pechtel

I've been on one where they moved everyone forward into the upgrade seats. They had misloaded our cargo, even after the move it turned out not to be enough and we had to go get a ballast weight loaded before it was safe to fly.

The bigger the plane the less likely it is to reach the point of moving passengers but it does happen.

Locally, we also occasionally get "weather" denied boardings that freak people out. Clear skies, the plane flew, how were they left behind due to "weather"??? (Reality: The weather was heat. The takeoff roll got too long, they had to shed some pounds to get it within limits.)

Richym99

Looks like the seat map is still fluid.

The single blocked seat in Y has moved again from row 21 to 7D and 31B is now open. Keep your eye on the seat map over the next 12 hours or so, when the tail number is finalised. (See post #39 ).

Still amazed at those posters calling the family lazy or going on about weight and balance, misloaded cargo etc. Guys, the changes split up the family seven days before the flight due to an equipment change, not on the day. The family are trying to put it right before the day.

eng3

The GA/FA will ensure that your kids end up sitting next to one of the adults. Maybe you'll be in two groups but your kids will be fine.

I would try calling in again closer to the departure date to see if the phone agent is willing to help you. Otherwise, they'll help you at the airport.

laxmillenial

Aren't there usually 2 blocked seats on a flight that open up at T-24? Could the OP call in and request these? I think they're reserved for passengers with disabilities, but if they haven't been taken, could the OP?

weero

Nothing in life is guaranteed ... you are not even guaranteed to even get on the plane if you have a ticket and seat, and you are - technically speaking - not guaranteed to ever arrive even if you make it aboard.

That doesn't change the very high likelihood that if you pay for a seat you get that very seat. Not once in my life have I been booted from seat, I have paid for (I get booted all the time by BA from the seat I reserved for free though). It is good enough for all practical purposes.
I go by maximum likelihood ... and I would have done injustice to the OP as my money would still strongly be on the family feeling entitled.

asquare

When traveling with my family (2 adults& 2 kids) I have seen it all. United's algorithm is pretty bad. My most recent flight we went from a 3-4-3 777 to a 3-3-3 777 to back to a 3-4-3 then they changed the tail number but still a 3-4-3 777 (HNL-SFO). With the last 3 changes all within 48 hrs prior to the flight. Each one of them scrambled our seat assignments and scattered us all over the plane going from a 3-1 situation (window through middle aisle) at the start to 2 (window-middle) and a random aisle on the other side of the plane and a middle in a different row, then when I got them all situated within a row of each other, the next plane change would happen, rescrambling us.

Ultimately by the time we got to boarding I had managed to snag an aisle middle and two random aisles so that I had barter goods to swap with people. Totally full flight, so the GA had trouble putting humpty-dumpty back together again since pretty much every family was scrambled on the flight after so many configuration changes. Luckily people were reasonably calm and accommodating, and we were prepared to sit apart anyway since my older one is pretty mature for her age and would still have been in eyeshot.

weero

In principle yes - such as the OP - by my clashes were always with people who were to lazy to prepare or expected everyone to cater to their perceived needs.

You see this mirrored in all the the "musical chair" threads on upgraded families.

But to a certain degree, you are right and I am wrong - airlines turned me into a worse person. They educated me that you have to stand your ground and that the person who is the bigger PITA wins the cake when it comes to flying. If you can out-whine, out-delay, and out-clamor the others, you get your way with airlines.They transmogrified me into this .

findark

There are normally at least 6 of these (7DE, 23BC, 25BC), but in this case all of them were assigned as of a few days ago. Now there is one left (7D).

As I noted earlier, though, when the pre-departure update rolls out tonight, the plane will get an extra three-and-a-half rows which will initially be unassigned (12DEF, 14, 15, 39). Hopefully the OP is reading and is ready!

Richym99

Tail number map has now replaced the generic seat map for UA643. Rows 14 and 15 are showing completely open as is row 39. 11D and 20E in E+ also open.

canadiancow

I've had UA kick me and my companion out of 1AB on a flight for no apparent reason, and no notification.

Paid P class.

Please tell me how to pay to ensure I sit beside a specific person.

Exactly.

If you want me to give up my F seat for a non-reclining E- middle, the answer is no.

But I'm generally very accommodating to reasonable requests, because I've been dicked around by multiple airlines, and I've been in IRROPS where my companion and I are booked into the last two premium cabin seats on a flight, and have had to ask others to trade.

That being said, if the family of four ends up in middle seats throughout the plane, that's not going to hit my (or anyone's) definition of "reasonable request".

You're much better off taking a middle and aisle/window that are still not beside each other, and then trying to trade middle for middle or aisle/window for aisle/window. I find it hard to believe a reasonable person wouldn't trade an aisle for an aisle to help a family.