LimeyFlyer

So I'm booked on MUC-EWR on 4/7.. 3 or 4 days ago I noticed that there had been an equipment change to a hard product Polaris plane. All excited, I checked my seat and the system had allocated a seat that was great.

This morning, had a text message that the seat had changed... oh oh... yep.. back to the old metal.

Capping it off, did the online check in and this time received the "Go get yer boarding pass at the airport" result.

Such a roller coaster of first world problems, but it is the second time in the last couple of months they have teased me with the "real" Polaris.

StuckinITH

I hope that at least you got back your original seat or one that you like. One time, when there was a plane type change and a change back and I was in Economy, they booted me out of my Exit row seat.

onthesam

SSSSounds like you might be in for some Super Special Secondary Screening

EricH

This reminds me of when I was flying ORD-HKG upstairs on what was supposed to be a reconfigured lie-flat 744. I was so excited that I didn't notice the seats downstairs and when I got upstairs and saw the Barcaloungers I let out an audible sign of disappointment. I then listened as many others did as well.

On the plus side, I had the only truly memorable airllne meal of my life on the return.

mahasamatman

The most memorable meals often result in food poisoning. I hope it wasn't memorable in that way...

Wombat1

I had this happen to me recently and I ended up back in a vastly inferior seat to the one that I had on the original equipment. The cabin was mostly full and that seat had been given to someone else.

Dublin_rfk

I've had a lot of memorable meals and a lot of really bad meals so far, food poisoning or allergic reactions have not been part of any.

Austin787

An example of how great business class is now. Those lie flat 744 seats, which are still found on some 772s and 763s today, that people once got excited for are now a source of disappointment.

onthesam

I always looked forward to sitting up top in the recliner, window seat with the massive storage bins, before those lie flats were rolled out... Was always a plus when they came equipped with the flexi- reading lamps

docbert

15A. Used to be the best seat in the fleet. How things change

SFHokie

I had the pleasure of 15A on a SFO-SYD trip. Apart from not sleeping all that well, it was such a fantastic seat! Thought that was the best until I got 1A on a 744!

LimeyFlyer

Oh yes, I showered carefully this morning anticipating my special treatment, which indeed is the case.

I was so excited that I was at the check-in counter even before it opened. (For anyone who cares, its 3 hours before the flight departs) When it did, I was first one inline, and the security lady already had a piece of paper with my name on it and funnily enough, was expecting me. I may have it backwards, since it was early in the am, but I asked why I was super special, and she seemed to say that it was because they didn't know where I was coming from....doh.. I said "Munich" and everything was ok. (If they looked back at their records they would see when I arrived on a United flight)

(It also seemed like she had been the one to select me, like she had reviewed the manifest in the previous days...but again, may just be misinterpreting something she said.)

Seat wise... I made out for a change... I was previously on the aisle as part of a window-aisle, now I am in the one by itself in the middle, which personally is my preference since I don't have anyone crawling over me when I am snoozing. Most of the time in this position, I have also had the benefit of the service from flight attendants in both the aisles, which means twice the beverage cart service :-)

Just for anyone following along and is bored on a Saturday morning... UA31 was a little behind today.. and was a little bit confused, though the flight attendants have been wonderful (seems more like gate confusion)... a spot of bother with an emergency slide, and not being able to carry a number of passengers appears to have caused the confusion.

The local agents were terrific for me, recognizing me as I approached the additional security check point at the gate, telling me to head back to the lounge and they would come and find me when everything was figured out. I went back to the lounge, and a very helpful LH lounge lady booked me onto a LH to JFK in a couple of hours time in case the UA was canceled. (And conveniently enough the super special notation disappeared on that boarding pass... huh.. how does that work eh?)

Turns out that in any event, we were good to go, and I was picked up from the lounge with a couple of other folks, went to get my super special screening and got on the plane to find probably an 8 year old kid in my seat. Not wanting to be that guy, we eventually found me another aisle seat, after I looked sad about being offered the far left in the corner by the window seat. (I was happy to take any aisle seat so I don't have to be the climber.)

So, a few seat changes later, a little later than anticipated we are in the air, the crew is super gracious, the garlic bread smells amazing,the Chablis is fresh, and all is well in the world. (Though when did the internet access jump from $20.99 to $24.99.. grrrr....)

onthesam

Looks like you'll be landing ahead of schedule -- glad to hear the experience wasn't 100% sour. If every FT'er traveled with your positive attitude, there would be no complaints left on FT for me to read .