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3-class F seat now sold as Domestic F/Polaris Bus,GS or J/C/D 1K? may select pre-OLCI

Old Feb 5, 2019, 6:20 am
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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).

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3-class F seat now sold as Domestic F/Polaris Bus,GS or J/C/D 1K? may select pre-OLCI

Old Mar 6, 2019, 1:58 pm
  #511  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: WAS/TYO
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Posts: 296
Originally Posted by therossinator
I'm very interested to see if you can select one of those seats when you check in.
I'll report back, but I'm not too optimistic since my ticket's out of sync, and I was told that I can't OLCI.

EDIT: looks like the pax in 6L moved into a GF seat. Not sure if this is a GS or a 1K though. Currently T-28.

Last edited by JMBResona; Mar 6, 2019 at 3:49 pm
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Old Mar 6, 2019, 8:18 pm
  #512  
 
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So at the last half hour before check in opens, the remaining 2 GF seats were taken. Number of booked pax according to the flight status page hasn't changed, so maybe it's a GS with an unassigned seat? 1A remained blocked.

I ended up SDCing into open PZ to the earlier IAD-FRA flight on a Polaris-ized plane so all's well that ends well I guess.

Still, this whole ordeal stressed me out more than it should have--I agree with @chavala, it's not worth it...
After NRT-ORD in a week, I'm steering clear from these 772s.
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Old Mar 6, 2019, 9:51 pm
  #513  
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I’m still miffed by the moving of the goal posts by UA, especially on tix booked months ago when it was indeed a 1K perk.

I think I figured out a way to not get stuck in 2-4-2 on future bookings. I just booked an ORD-Asia itinerary in P class, but connecting through the west coast, with the transPac flights on 787s. A few hours before departure, I’m going to look to SDC if it’s a Polaris hard product or if there are GF seats available if an old 3-class.

Not a 100% guarantee, but sold out cabins notwithstanding, think within 4 hours of the flight, that is going to pretty much be the aircraft leaving ORD, and almost definitely the aircraft back to the US, since the plane in the air is all but guaranteed to be heading back to ORD.
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Old Mar 6, 2019, 10:26 pm
  #514  
 
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Programs: Gov't Travel Aficionado, UA Plat
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I’m on a 772 flying out of ORD at 12:05 PM but I connect to it from the SEA to ORD flight the night before at 11:30 PM. My fingers are crossed, but if GF seats are really selectable at check in, I don’t see how I could be in a more favorable position.
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Old Mar 6, 2019, 11:11 pm
  #515  
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Thumbs down

Originally Posted by therossinator
Im on a 772 flying out of ORD at 12:05 PM but I connect to it from the SEA to ORD flight the night before at 11:30 PM. My fingers are crossed, but if GF seats are really selectable at check in, I dont see how I could be in a more favorable position.
From experience, being able to check in doesnt always mean the seats are released at that point...Under most circumstances, otherwise-blocked seats sometimes dont open up until T-24h. Ive seen it with 6J on that same 772, and 1C on the CRJ. I always connect so I have that same advantage too, but Ive seen those still blocked when I check in, but re-looking at around the 24h mark on the next flight, theyre suddenly available. Id expect about the same for former GF seats on the 772.
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Old Mar 7, 2019, 12:38 am
  #516  
 
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Confirmed: GF seats are selectable at check in no matter if you're within 24 hours of the GF flights or not. You don't even need to complete the online check in, it's just that the OLCI is the only venue that allows the selection.

Maybe you should try book the earliest positioning flight, check in for it and select the GF seat, then SDC back to the positioning flight you really want to be on.

Last edited by therossinator; Mar 7, 2019 at 1:30 am Reason: Corrected myself per post 517
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Old Mar 7, 2019, 12:55 am
  #517  
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Originally Posted by therossinator
Maybe you should SDC to get the earliest positioning flight, check in for it and select the GF seat, then SDC back to the positioning flight you really want to be on.
If you can SDC at all, then you can check in and take the GF seat

You would have to book the early flight first, and hope to SDC it back.
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Old Mar 7, 2019, 4:53 am
  #518  
 
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Originally Posted by findark
If you can SDC at all, then you can check in and take the GF seat

You would have to book the early flight first, and hope to SDC it back.
This is doable but it's a lot of work for something that is not a sure thing. I just a had flight out of ORD which had an aircraft swap from Polaris to the old the config while in the air on my inbound one-hour connection. I am sure the opposite happens as well,
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Old Mar 7, 2019, 9:45 am
  #519  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: ORD
Programs: UA 1K
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ORD->Asia on old 777-200 configuration - old Global First blocked off?

Hey guy, I tried searching but couldn't find the answers to this. As you know the Global First / Polaris First class went away but there are still some Global First seats left on older configuration planes. During booking, you can see that some seats are taken and some are open, but when you go to book, row 1 & 2 are blocked off. After purchasing, row 1&2 cannot be chosen and 1K hotline couldn't help relocate me to those rows either even though they are now considered Business Class.

Can someone shine some light into why I can't select a seat on row 1 & 2 with my Business Class ticket even though its now considered Business Class? And follow up is how are some of these seats already occupied and some are open?

EDIT: ANSWER: Only GS can select seat prior to departure, but 1K may be able to get moved by GA on departure day if available.[/SPOILER]






Last edited by WineCountryUA; Mar 7, 2019 at 2:55 pm Reason: moved to exisiting thread
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Old Mar 7, 2019, 9:52 am
  #520  
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You're not GS. Enjoy the 8-across seating in back.
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Old Mar 7, 2019, 10:06 am
  #521  
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Supposedly, at check-in the OP will be able to choose a seat in Rows 1 or 2 if still available then. Also, there has been one report of an FTer that paid a D fare was contacted by United they moved the seat to one in the former First Class area. That must have meant that there were no GS and that that FTer was chosen due to the higher fare paid (meaning that would not happen to P or Z fares or upgrades)
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Old Mar 7, 2019, 10:08 am
  #522  
 
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Thanks for the link. Looks like us 1K plebs are gonna have to sit in the back of Business Class =D
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Old Mar 7, 2019, 12:34 pm
  #523  
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Yeah, per the memo that was leaked, GS only up to T-60h, then you might get lucky and a UA agent will move you proactively, then you can choose from what's left at check-in.
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Old Mar 9, 2019, 6:28 am
  #524  
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
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I just had a great flight from ORD to NRT in an ex-Global First window seat. I was able to select the GF seat at check in (although I didn't actually check in until there was a GF window seat available, I was still able to select a GF seat once the online check in window opened for me). No funny business, aside from 2 PAX getting upgrades cleared about T-23 hrs and getting the remaining ex-GF seats. I'm not sure how you can get upgrades cleared so soon after checkin opens, but it didn't affect me. I didn't notice that the service was anything special up front, but the amount of storage was absolutely unreal. Now that I've checked it off of my "UAL Bucket List," I think I'll try to stick with the real Polaris seats from now on if I can help it.

Overall I think the better compromise would have been to allow GS to select in advance and only allow 1Ks to select at check in. Would have saved a little bit of face and shown that they value their 1Ks over the rest of the MileagePlus elites. I have no doubt that on a plane this large, the 1Ks would have been able to fill those seats quite handedly.

Last edited by therossinator; Mar 9, 2019 at 6:34 am
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Old Mar 13, 2019, 7:03 am
  #525  
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Programs: UA 1K
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Is there any recent experience on seat assignments when going from [777 with old first class] ==> to [Polarized 777] and then ==> back to [777 with old first class].

Flying to PVG and was orginally in old first seat 2K. They now changed to polarized and in 2L.

I'd rather be in an odd numbered polarized seat that is by the window (1L is taken). But I'm worried about changing to 3L as I'm not sure what will happen if they change back to a non-polarized. Would my current 2L revert back to 2K in first automatically? And if I change to 3L now, would I not get back in 2K if they revert to the non-polarized?

Thanks for your insight.

Last edited by roxie; Mar 13, 2019 at 7:36 am
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