Feb 5, 2019, 6:20 am
Last edit by: Ari
As of Feb. 5, only Global Services are able to select FC seats. The ability for 1K to reserve seats was removed. Existing 1K seat selections appear to be kept. In June 2019, the advance access for 1Ks on J/C/D fares was restored. [It appears this is not the case.]
Ex-GlobalFirst seats are selectable for all confirmed business class passengers at check in, even if >24 hrs from flight with GF seats (in the case of positioning flights).
Everything You Wanted to Know About Where to Sit on a pmUA 3-Cabin 777 Version 2
Ex-GlobalFirst seats are selectable for all confirmed business class passengers at check in, even if >24 hrs from flight with GF seats (in the case of positioning flights).
Everything You Wanted to Know About Where to Sit on a pmUA 3-Cabin 777 Version 2
3-class F seat now sold as Domestic F/Polaris Bus,GS or J/C/D 1K? may select pre-OLCI
Feb 17, 2019, 10:43 am
#466
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Bucks County
Programs: UAL GS & Million Miler; Delta Lifetime Gold; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Platinum; Legion Etrangere
Posts: 1,609
If the only option is the 2-4-2 monstrosity, this GS has and will book LH or ANA. Thankfully, you don’t see that configuration much when flying out of EWR
Feb 17, 2019, 11:30 am
#467
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: SFO
Programs: United 1MM GS, Marriott Platinum Elite, Hilton Diamond, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 283
I bet there are some GS that will book UA biz now (and were not booking 2-4-2 previously) because they can get a the old GF seat.
Feb 17, 2019, 12:01 pm
#468
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BOS<>NYC<>BKK
Programs: UA 4.3MM LT-GS; AA1MM; Amtrak SE; MAR LT TITAN; PC Plat; HIL DIA; HYA GLOB
Posts: 4,392
Now, I book P or Z and am fine with the new Polaris product. My total spend with UA will go down this year as a result. I consider getting a GF seat on a 3-class plane as a bonus now, until everything is Polarisized.
Feb 17, 2019, 1:07 pm
#469
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: SEA, WAS, PEK
Programs: UA 3K UGS 3MM
Posts: 2,176
A negative consequence of this (for UA) is that I used to book D so I could use a GPU to upgrade to ON (GF seat). I'm lucky that for many years my travels have taken me to destinations where sUA 772s flew, avoiding all other types.
Now, I book P or Z and am fine with the new Polaris product. My total spend with UA will go down this year as a result. I consider getting a GF seat on a 3-class plane as a bonus now, until everything is Polarisized.
Now, I book P or Z and am fine with the new Polaris product. My total spend with UA will go down this year as a result. I consider getting a GF seat on a 3-class plane as a bonus now, until everything is Polarisized.
Even if GF was filled with upgrades like me, they were upgraders on higher margin tickets than would have otherwise been booked. I still don’t think CO properly modeled this when deciding to remove GF.
Feb 18, 2019, 3:06 pm
#470
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA 1K, NW forever
Posts: 1,390
In October I booked 2A/C on the 3-class 772 IAD-SFO, and last week when I checked I had been kicked back to 8A/B. I called UA and they said "the F cabin is under inventory management and will be available at the airport." Is this actually true? Is there any way to tell whether the F seats are actually assigned or are just being blocked? This is my 1MM flight so I'm keen to get in the F cabin...
Feb 18, 2019, 3:40 pm
#471
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,412
In October I booked 2A/C on the 3-class 772 IAD-SFO, and last week when I checked I had been kicked back to 8A/B. I called UA and they said "the F cabin is under inventory management and will be available at the airport." Is this actually true? Is there any way to tell whether the F seats are actually assigned or are just being blocked? This is my 1MM flight so I'm keen to get in the F cabin...
The GF cabin is only available to GS for pre-assignment, and we're lacking in concrete reports what happens after check-in.
Feb 19, 2019, 2:05 pm
#472
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: WAS/TYO
Programs: AA PPro, TP Gold, UA Silver, Bonvoy/Hilton Gold, Global Entry
Posts: 296
Admittedly I heard this from someone else, but apparently some 1Ks are being bumped from their GF seats at the gate because "a GS wanted it."
So it seems UA is really going all the way to keep the cabin available for GSat the expense of 1Ks.
So it seems UA is really going all the way to keep the cabin available for GS
Feb 19, 2019, 2:10 pm
#473
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Houston TX
Programs: United Premier 1k, Hertz Presidents Circle, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 408
Happened to me today....bumped for a GS
Feb 19, 2019, 3:17 pm
#474
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.8MM
Posts: 6,349
Had two flights booked when 1K were still able to select the GF seats. Both flights were swapped for Polaris. Now the "perk" as a 1K is gone.
Oh well...
Oh well...
Feb 19, 2019, 3:48 pm
#475
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MFR
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,885
Feb 19, 2019, 5:40 pm
#476
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Houston TX
Programs: United Premier 1k, Hertz Presidents Circle, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 408
Feb 19, 2019, 5:52 pm
#477
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: New York
Programs: UA 1K, 1MM, HH Diamond
Posts: 43
New Policy? Can't reserve empty J seats on 777-200 with old F cabin anymore
I have a flight in early March MUC-ORD that is a 777-200 and is showing the seatmap as shown in this thread: the old business class (48 total seats) and the new PE economy.
Last October, i had an upgrade for PVG-ORD clear and was able to select 2C as that was when they got rid of the F cabin, and let anyone in J select those very private seats IMHO.
My upgrade for my March MUC-ORD cleared today and I went into the mobile seatmap and saw Rows 1-2 "full" so picked another seat.
I saw the same on the seatmap on the website.
On a whim, I went to book the same flight and 2 seats in Row 2 on the seatmap were listed as empty.
I called 1k line to ask them to put me in the empty 2C and the agent said due to equipment swaps, the system is not letting Rows 1-2 seats be chosen. She would only say they
want to make sure someone that bought a first class ticket, would get one of the seats in Rows 1/2, the old F, if the equipment did not swap to the new Polaris with 50 seats.
So I assume the old metal with 8 F seats, -1 blocked for pilot (and missing on mobile app seat map), and 2 shown as FREE on that booking page, means more than 5 people bought F tickets but
don't have seat assignments(?).
What am I missing?
Last October, i had an upgrade for PVG-ORD clear and was able to select 2C as that was when they got rid of the F cabin, and let anyone in J select those very private seats IMHO.
My upgrade for my March MUC-ORD cleared today and I went into the mobile seatmap and saw Rows 1-2 "full" so picked another seat.
I saw the same on the seatmap on the website.
On a whim, I went to book the same flight and 2 seats in Row 2 on the seatmap were listed as empty.
I called 1k line to ask them to put me in the empty 2C and the agent said due to equipment swaps, the system is not letting Rows 1-2 seats be chosen. She would only say they
want to make sure someone that bought a first class ticket, would get one of the seats in Rows 1/2, the old F, if the equipment did not swap to the new Polaris with 50 seats.
So I assume the old metal with 8 F seats, -1 blocked for pilot (and missing on mobile app seat map), and 2 shown as FREE on that booking page, means more than 5 people bought F tickets but
don't have seat assignments(?).
What am I missing?
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Feb 19, 2019 at 8:09 pm Reason: Moved to consolidated thread
Feb 19, 2019, 6:11 pm
#478
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 622
I have a flight in early March MUC-ORD that is a 777-200 and is showing the seatmap as shown in this thread: the old business class (48 total seats) and the new PE economy.
Last October, i had an upgrade for PVG-ORD clear and was able to select 2C as that was when they got rid of the F cabin, and let anyone in J select those very private seats IMHO.
My upgrade for my March MUC-ORD cleared today and I went into the mobile seatmap and saw Rows 1-2 "full" so picked another seat.
I saw the same on the seatmap on the website.
On a whim, I went to book the same flight and 2 seats in Row 2 on the seatmap were listed as empty.
I called 1k line to ask them to put me in the empty 2C and the agent said due to equipment swaps, the system is not letting Rows 1-2 seats be chosen. She would only say they
want to make sure someone that bought a first class ticket, would get one of the seats in Rows 1/2, the old F, if the equipment did not swap to the new Polaris with 50 seats.
So I assume the old metal with 8 F seats, -1 blocked for pilot (and missing on mobile app seat map), and 2 shown as FREE on that booking page, means more than 5 people bought F tickets but
don't have seat assignments(?).
What am I missing?
Last October, i had an upgrade for PVG-ORD clear and was able to select 2C as that was when they got rid of the F cabin, and let anyone in J select those very private seats IMHO.
My upgrade for my March MUC-ORD cleared today and I went into the mobile seatmap and saw Rows 1-2 "full" so picked another seat.
I saw the same on the seatmap on the website.
On a whim, I went to book the same flight and 2 seats in Row 2 on the seatmap were listed as empty.
I called 1k line to ask them to put me in the empty 2C and the agent said due to equipment swaps, the system is not letting Rows 1-2 seats be chosen. She would only say they
want to make sure someone that bought a first class ticket, would get one of the seats in Rows 1/2, the old F, if the equipment did not swap to the new Polaris with 50 seats.
So I assume the old metal with 8 F seats, -1 blocked for pilot (and missing on mobile app seat map), and 2 shown as FREE on that booking page, means more than 5 people bought F tickets but
don't have seat assignments(?).
What am I missing?
Feb 19, 2019, 7:04 pm
#479
Used to be MBS PremExec
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Saginaw, MI (MBS)
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Marriott Titanium w/Lifetime Plat, Hilton LIfetime ♢, National Exec, Amex Plat
Posts: 5,722
Wow. I know GS are almighty when it comes to UA, and I get it to an extent...But this is beyond ridiculous. We 1Ks were offered a perk, we made plans based on said perk, and now we have reports of it literally being taken away on the spot. UA moving the goalposts is not cool under any circumstances.
I’ve got 2A next month on two very long flights. For the same money and no further “time” on my part, I intentionally booked the GF seat when I could have taken the 777-300 or even a 789...Both are better than 2-4-2 business. But I chose my routing based on the fact UA allowed me to book that GF seat, or worst case (a wash to me), new Polaris.
Now, with PE going live next month, and the shift of re-configured 772s moving to SFO (for the most part) the likelihood of a 3-class out of ORD increases greatly.
I’ve got 2A next month on two very long flights. For the same money and no further “time” on my part, I intentionally booked the GF seat when I could have taken the 777-300 or even a 789...Both are better than 2-4-2 business. But I chose my routing based on the fact UA allowed me to book that GF seat, or worst case (a wash to me), new Polaris.
Now, with PE going live next month, and the shift of re-configured 772s moving to SFO (for the most part) the likelihood of a 3-class out of ORD increases greatly.
Feb 19, 2019, 7:24 pm
#480
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 3,904
Maybe it hurts towards earning GS, but if I'm not mistaken, UA doesn't really care if you book LH or NH. They all share the revenue if I'm not mistaken.