Standby and e+
Mar 8, 2019, 5:16 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: NYC
Programs: UA 1k
Posts: 146
Standby and e+
9.8 times out of 10 on flights sfo/ewr, the stand by folks take middle e+ seats, when there are plenty of middle seats available in regular y. In fact, flying ewr-sfo tonight, and all of the middle e+ filled up and there are windows available in e-. Is this a bunch of silvers flying standby? This seems like an inconvience to a low 1k like me.
Mar 8, 2019, 5:22 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
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Non-revs? Why do you think employees should be relegated to E-?
Not sure where you get the idea you are owed or promised an empty seat next to you. GG extraseat, if you want one guaranteed. You got the seat you paid for. If you want another one, buy it.
Not sure where you get the idea you are owed or promised an empty seat next to you. GG extraseat, if you want one guaranteed. You got the seat you paid for. If you want another one, buy it.
Last edited by IAH-OIL-TRASH; Mar 8, 2019 at 5:27 pm
Mar 8, 2019, 5:29 pm
#3
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 4,374
The reason is customer centricity.
Employees are no more entitled to E+ than OP is entitled to an empty middle seat.
It comes down to who gets the short end of the stick.
Employee in E+ --> customer gets short end, employees get long end.
Employee in E- --> customer gets long end, employees get short end.
There is no win-win. The airline has to choose one person to please and one person to shaft. OP complains of being shafted. That is a fair complaint because OP is a paying customer.
Employees are no more entitled to E+ than OP is entitled to an empty middle seat.
It comes down to who gets the short end of the stick.
Employee in E+ --> customer gets short end, employees get long end.
Employee in E- --> customer gets long end, employees get short end.
There is no win-win. The airline has to choose one person to please and one person to shaft. OP complains of being shafted. That is a fair complaint because OP is a paying customer.
Mar 8, 2019, 5:34 pm
#5
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: NYC
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Makes sense. Didn’t consider nonrevs, but should have. I certainty don’t feel entitled to an empty middle (I’ve probably had 2 empty middles in the last 150k miles between sfo/ewr)... maybe a little tired of no chance of an upgrade & then seeing the amazing perk of an empty middle taken away as we board, while e- has empty non middle seats.
Mar 8, 2019, 5:36 pm
#6
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,531
It also speaks to the non-customer centricity of western corporations.
Mar 8, 2019, 5:42 pm
#7
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Uh, where do you get that assertion from???? Let’s stick to facts.
Additionally, I’ll provide a simple example for you. 15 NRSAs standing by. 10 E- seats and 5 E+ seats (2 of which next to 1Ks). Are 15 boarded? 13? 10? The answer is 15.
Additionally, I’ll provide a simple example for you. 15 NRSAs standing by. 10 E- seats and 5 E+ seats (2 of which next to 1Ks). Are 15 boarded? 13? 10? The answer is 15.
Mar 8, 2019, 5:47 pm
#8
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Employees are entitled to what their employer either contracts or chooses to give them.
There is no short end of the stick from a customer perspective. OP failed to purchase the extra seat. It is none of his concern whether UA leaves it empty, sells it at full Y or gives it to an employee.
There is no short end of the stick from a customer perspective. OP failed to purchase the extra seat. It is none of his concern whether UA leaves it empty, sells it at full Y or gives it to an employee.
Mar 8, 2019, 5:49 pm
#9
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Makes sense. Didn’t consider nonrevs, but should have. I certainty don’t feel entitled to an empty middle (I’ve probably had 2 empty middles in the last 150k miles between sfo/ewr)... maybe a little tired of no chance of an upgrade & then seeing the amazing perk of an empty middle taken away as we board, while e- has empty non middle seats.
Mar 8, 2019, 5:54 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 622
My experience is GAs will usually clear standby passengers in Y from front of cabin to back, regardless of status. The only time E- is filled first is on very lightly loaded flights where a whole row is available, or if 2 are traveling together and the only two seats together are E-. Since it happens literally front to back, I imagine the system preselects the front most seat and the GA just accepts it.
On PS flights, E+ middle may be preferred over E- window due to the meal and drinks.
On PS flights, E+ middle may be preferred over E- window due to the meal and drinks.
Mar 8, 2019, 6:08 pm
#12
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: NYC
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Posts: 146
My experience is GAs will usually clear standby passengers in Y from front of cabin to back, regardless of status. The only time E- is filled first is on very lightly loaded flights where a whole row is available, or if 2 are traveling together and the only two seats together are E-. Since it happens literally front to back, I imagine the system preselects the front most seat and the GA just accepts it.
On PS flights, E+ middle may be preferred over E- window due to the meal and drinks.
On PS flights, E+ middle may be preferred over E- window due to the meal and drinks.
Mar 8, 2019, 6:13 pm
#13
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,531
The case where a revenue passenger is standing by for a non-full flight, or there is a flight booked full that goes out with lots of empty middles, is rare.
Mar 8, 2019, 6:31 pm
#14
Join Date: Nov 2012
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Posts: 3,477
Sometimes I wish that on the CR2s they would assign the standby seats back to front as they put the standbys in the front and then they ask for volunteers from the front seats to move to the back for weight and balance.
Mar 9, 2019, 4:33 am
#15
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Pretty sure all of this stuff is pretty clearly spelled out, so employees probably are, by union contract, entitled to E+ on a space-available basis, whereas OP is not, unless they purchased EXTRASEAT, entitled to an empty seat.
I don't think that the U.S. is famous for having extraordinarily lavish benefits for front line employees. Non-rev travel is part of employee compensation at every major airline.
I don't think that the U.S. is famous for having extraordinarily lavish benefits for front line employees. Non-rev travel is part of employee compensation at every major airline.