Kacee

It's extremely common. Codeshare inventory is completely separate.

FlyingHighlander

I completely agree. I'm 6ft 2 with moderately broad shoulders. The PP seat width makes a massive difference to me over E/E+. No longer am I rubbing shoulders or suffering arm fatigue through proactively trying not to. Anything else is just gravy.

AirborneCattleCar

Got a complimentary upgrade from E+ to PP on IAD to FCO FRA (and then FCO). Disappointed my GPU didn't clear but par for the course.

The rest of my (non-premier) family on my PNR did not... in fact, they got "separated" from my reservation like 48 hours prior to departure. EP was only about half full, asked an FA if they could move up because they had been on my original PNR, got a brusque "no." Not sure why this happened, I'm a 1K and was able to use my status to get them free E+ when booking.

The only difference in service that I could discern from E+ to PP was that I was given an eye mask.

The seats are more comfortable, except have the same issue as all the other non-lie-flat seats in that there's no way to really sleep well. I was on the window and got maybe 2 hours of sleep. The recline is not nearly enough to actually make a difference in sleeping.

Really wish there was an "in between" dining option as the economy meals are insultingly bad.

whitethunder

Kinda curious on this one:

Was your family on the same reservation?
When you applied the GPU did you say that you would accept PP if no Business was open? (Did it deduct the GPU)

Just wondering as I am travelling with the wife to asia coming up, I do not want to be split up (I waitlisted for Business only)

myperks

fumje

Thanks for reporting your experience.

I have questions about a few details. How did you get a 'complementary upgrade'? Did you apply a GPU to your reservation? If so, when did you do so, and by phone or by website?

Also, what might an 'in between' dining option be like? The P+ meals are different than the Economy/Economy+ meals.

For future reference, you need to be in the same cabin as your companions to share the E+ seating benefit, whether or not you started on the same PNR. If you get them seated there and then subsequently change cabins (requires splitting PNR), sometimes they'll get to keep the seats, but that's not provisioned as a benefit. And if you are in the same cabin, if they're on the same PNR it's better to do it yourself (web or app), or if they're not then it's better to call. The FAs don't have tools to deal with that request.

myperks

fumje

Perhaps they are treating P+ differently, then. It's been my understanding that if you're in J you can't get someone moved to E+ (unless GS?), but also I admit I haven't ever tried to do that or had reason to do so.

findark

There is no PE on IAD-FCO, so I assume this was just a matter of being seating the larger seats while still flying Economy. If they were unassigned you should have been able to move same-PNR companions in the app..?

Soft product was Economy, because that's the class of service you flew.

fumje

Good catch.

I haven't lucked into a tail swap with a retrofit on a non-PE route. Do they normally distribute amenity kits even when the service isn't PE?

AirborneCattleCar

Sorry, my bad - it was IAD to FRA and then FRA to FCO. FCO to IAD on the return.

IAD to FRA seems to alternate with EWR a 777 that has these seats, or at least that's what it looked like when I clicked through a few layers of "Where is this aircraft coming from?". It was definitely PP, I took a photo of it when I boarded (see crappy, blurry photo at bottom of post). Also noticed the derpy overhead bin that was blocked off by the partition that others noticed on this thread. When I first bought this flight back in January, there was no PP on the seat map.

All on same reservation. I didn't say anything about accepting PP, because at the time of booking (back in January) my aircraft didn't have PP on the seat map. I was refunded all my GPUs.

I guess by virtue of the fact I didn't buy a PP seat? I booked this back in January, there was no PP on the seat map at all. I had booked us all in E+ with a fare outbound that allowed me to apply GPUs. About 48 hours in, I got an e-mail that had a different reservation for my family and then the original reservation had just me on it, and I noticed that all of the seat numbers had changed. I looked on the seat map and saw I had a PP seat, and that my family got the first non-PP E+ row.


It honestly looked like the same garbage they were serving back in E+ but I couldn't really tell. It was all on the same cart as what they served the rest of my party in E+.

We *were* in the same E+ cabin on booking, all sitting in one E+ row.

WineCountryUA

While the physical seats were on your aircraft presently IAD-FRA is not being sold to have PP (so some flights may have the PP seats and others will not)

In this situation, PP is sold as E+ and serviced as E+ (hence your experience).

As such, you should have been able to have the rest of the family to join you, but the FAs are the wrong people to ask (they are told not to allow such seat changes) -- ask the GA or do it on the UA app (may not be able). You may have to leave the plane to talk to the GA but that is possible. Best to have done before boardin

fumje

That is an interesting and surprising detail. I infer you had applied GPUs to everyone on the reservation. In that case, it sounds as though someone (or some computer) proactively split your reservation and moved only you to the P+ seats (still E+ cabin/service as noted by WineCountryUA). I don't think I'd appreciate that, actually. Did you attempt any time before boarding to move your companion(s) to rows 20-22?

AirborneCattleCar

I had applied GPUs to everyone on the reservation, and all at once right after booking.

I did not attempt to move anyone and that email about 48 in where I then had two reservations was the first I had looked at the seating since booking.

I didn't want to rock the boat because I was worried they'd just send me back to E+ and take away my PP seat.

ORDnHKG

Just because you were seated in a PP seat doesnt automatically get you PP service, as neither IAD-FRA or FCO-IAD are a PP route. If they dont sell PP on the route, then of course there is no PP service.