Houston Chris

Perhaps this should go in a different discussion, but I'm not sure. Maybe it could start a new discussion. I am recently handicapped needing wheelchair for now, a 1K lifetime member. I bought a ticket for First, was assigned 3B from PHL-IAH. I had handicapped listed in my profile, and still had to call Premier line to check and they added this into my passenger notes in my reservation. At gate before preboard. One seat still open on seating chart in1 B , booking list showed First not booked full. I asked Gate Agent to put me in 1st row to accommodate me and my needs.. She said she could not do this, yet I have read that this can be done and have seen it done. Boarded first on plane, nobody else in First. I asked Flight Attendant to sit in First
Row. She said she could not seat me there. YET, I have seen it done before. Ended up stuck in 3B. Very uncomfortable, guy in 3A kept getting up and climbing over my legs during flight. Can anyone explain what is policy or practice here? Did I get wrong service? Do I have any options for remedy or compensation?

Ocn Vw 1K

Houston Chris, welcome to FlyerTalk. I agree with your thought that this is worthy of its own thread, as it's actually the reciprocal of random seat changes imposed on customers.

Accordingly, I set this up in a separate thread. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator.

TimInSF

Anyone can change their seat to the first row of F after purchasing a ticket. I would imagine by the time you got to the airport row 1 was already full. You should have moved your seat as soon as you bought your ticket. Once that row is full, it is not fair to the people who already have a seat in that row to move to accommodate you. Perhaps some of them had mobility and other issues as well? You can not always tell.

I personally do like row 1, but many people find it limiting due to reduced legroom from the bulkhead. It is nice that no one is reclining into you from the row in front, but your complaint above is about someone next to you stepping over you. The same thing would happen, and it could be a bit worse in row 1 because of the bulkhead.

I can see you wanting to be on the aisle, and moving people to accommodate that, but not the first now specifically. Remedy is to be more proactive in teh future in advance of your flight and not wait until the last minute to try to address your needs when it is too late.

How do you think you deserve any compensation? If you had moved to a seat in row 1 when you first bought the ticket and they moved you that would be one thing, but you did not so you are responsible here.

Tim

Sorry. I don't mean to come across as unsympathetic, just trying to be honest.

mtftw

Often1

I believe that UA operates 737's on that route, so there should be no safety bar to sitting in Row 1. If by chance, this was a smaller aircraft with 2-1 seating in F, it is possible that Row 1 is an Exit Row and thus you would not be eligible to be seated in it.

Even if your disability does not disqualify you from Row 1 seating, there is nothing due you as you were seated in F and paid for F.

PTahCha

The rude way is to simply squat in the seat you preferred, set up your medical equipment, and tell the person in the seat to buzz off. Or in this case, is exactly what happened to me.

However, being in a wheelchair does not entitle you to a specific row of seating.

mduell

Yes, you can request it.

They may or may not grant it depending on the GA and other factors.

WineCountryUA

As mentioned, if there is no exit door, you are eligible to sit in any row if the seat is not previously booked.
UA does block some seats for special needs and they are not released for others until check-in
It is best to arrange this in advance and not wait till you get to the gate -- it gets much more difficult at the gate.

For more on working with UA concerning your request see Customers with disabilities

and in particular
Seating accommodations for customers with disabilities

To contact the United's 24-hour Accessibility Desk call 1-800-228-2744.

Houston Chris

Seat on 1st row showed open on map at gate. One seat showed as not booked. I was at gate 1st when GA arrived. She would not change seat. Nobody has answered my first two questions from my original post.. Thanks.

COSPILOT

Define your questions, as I thought they were answered. You can select seats available at booking, after booking, and even after checking in.

jsloan

There is no compensation for seat assignments, which aren't guaranteed anyway. It sounds like you wanted the agent to move the passenger from 1B to 2B and then put you in 1B? That wasn't going to happen. On domestic first flights, bulkhead first-class seats are not reserved for limited-mobility passengers; on some plane types, there are some bulkhead coach seats reserved.

I can't speak to what you've seen done or not done for other passengers, but I suggest your best course of action is to take WineCountryUA's advice and contact the Accessibility Desk to discuss your situation and the best way to proceed on your next flight.

3Cforme

It does, actually, and it took me 10 seconds to find this: See 14 CFR 382.81 c and d.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/382.81

TimInSF

Pretty sure I answered all your questions in my post (third from top) above. You may not like the answers, but I can assure you they are accurate.

What are you missing?

Tim

PTahCha

Section c deals with traveling with service animals, which is not relevant here.

OP only stated that they are using a wheelchair, not someone with fused or immobilized leg. Therefore, section d may or may not apply. Regardless, as @WineCountryUA had pointed out, such arrangement needs to be made via accessibility/medical desk, not at the gate or on the plane as OP had done.

Here's the guideline from DOT: Less than 24 hours before the scheduled flight, airlines must meet the qualified individual’s request to the best of their ability; but are not required to reassign a seat that is already assigned to another passenger.

source: https://airconsumer.dot.gov/guide/mod4/Block.html

Houston Chris

I don't know how to do these multi quotes... Sorry. Let me state again.
(1) I was at gate before GA got there.
(2) I was first to speak to GA
(3) One seat showed available on 1st row on display screen at gate.
(4) One seat showed on display screen as available in First
(5) GA said she could not move my BP from 3B to the open seat on the first row. She acknowledged that one seat was open.
(6) Why was I not moved? This was not an exit row.

Second part of scenario:
Is PT ahCha saying that after I was first on board that FA "could" move me to Row 1 but is not required to?

​​​​​​Is the problem that some FAs would do move a PAX from one seat to an already assigned seat and some would not? That is the discrepancy I have observed, that some have done this. Are not all FAs knowing what they can or cannot do? Thanks. It is confusing.