LHR/EWR Economy Plus strategy
Apr 30, 2019, 5:34 am
#1
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LHR/EWR Economy Plus strategy
I'm a newly anointed Premier Silver member (let me take my achievements where I can get them) flying UA17 on Thursday. Because I have Silver, I have a "preferred seating" seat, which for now, is mostly empty. Economy Plus on the other hand, is already half full. I've never flown Economy Plus so I am not sure if it's really any better. My question is regarding strategy -- if at check-in there is an Economy Plus seat that I can get for free with Silver, should I take it? What if it's a middle seat?
Right now it looks like I may get 2 seats to myself in preferred seating, but I don't know if those will fill up near the end. I'll be flying this route solo in economy every few months, so I'm interested to know if Economy Plus is a better choice than hoping to get 2 to myself in the preferred section. Not sitting next to someone is more valuable to me than extra legroom, but the extra legroom of EP is guaranteed whereas I just have to sit until the last minute hoping no one sits next to me in economy.
Any tips from the gurus?
Right now it looks like I may get 2 seats to myself in preferred seating, but I don't know if those will fill up near the end. I'll be flying this route solo in economy every few months, so I'm interested to know if Economy Plus is a better choice than hoping to get 2 to myself in the preferred section. Not sitting next to someone is more valuable to me than extra legroom, but the extra legroom of EP is guaranteed whereas I just have to sit until the last minute hoping no one sits next to me in economy.
Any tips from the gurus?
Apr 30, 2019, 6:02 am
#2
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I'm a newly anointed Premier Silver member (let me take my achievements where I can get them) flying UA17 on Thursday. Because I have Silver, I have a "preferred seating" seat, which for now, is mostly empty. Economy Plus on the other hand, is already half full. I've never flown Economy Plus so I am not sure if it's really any better. My question is regarding strategy -- if at check-in there is an Economy Plus seat that I can get for free with Silver, should I take it? What if it's a middle seat?
Right now it looks like I may get 2 seats to myself in preferred seating, but I don't know if those will fill up near the end. I'll be flying this route solo in economy every few months, so I'm interested to know if Economy Plus is a better choice than hoping to get 2 to myself in the preferred section. Not sitting next to someone is more valuable to me than extra legroom, but the extra legroom of EP is guaranteed whereas I just have to sit until the last minute hoping no one sits next to me in economy.
Any tips from the gurus?
Right now it looks like I may get 2 seats to myself in preferred seating, but I don't know if those will fill up near the end. I'll be flying this route solo in economy every few months, so I'm interested to know if Economy Plus is a better choice than hoping to get 2 to myself in the preferred section. Not sitting next to someone is more valuable to me than extra legroom, but the extra legroom of EP is guaranteed whereas I just have to sit until the last minute hoping no one sits next to me in economy.
Any tips from the gurus?
A middle seat in E+ vs. an aisle/window in regular economy is going to be a personal choice on which is better. I’d suspect most taller people with long legs would prefer the extra legroom in E+, but other folks might not, especially one with a bigger figure who might prefer having an open side in the aisle.
Whether the potential benefit of an empty seat next to you is worth the risk, vs. guaranteed extra legroom if you select E+, again, is going to be a personal choice. I wouldn’t assume an empty seat next to you is going to stay that way (many seats get filled last minute, like Basic economy seat assignments, last minute bookings, people standing by for an earlier flight, affects of any other canceled flights that day that are rebooked onto your flight, etc.). If there’s a choice of various rows with aisles in E+, my personal view is to choose an aisle in the last 2-3 rows of E+. This is because when the GA assigns seats at the gate last minute, they tend to seat front to back, so the best chance to get a free middle next to you is best there (though as I mentioned, I always assume it will get filled eventually, but if there’s a chance, I’ll take it since in the worst case, there’s essentially no difference between a full row 2 rows from the front of the plane and 2 rows from the back of E+, unless I have a real tight connection where it’s real important I get off the plane as soon as I can.
Id suggest checking in right at 24 hours prior to departure, select the seat you want (either E+, or your current seat), and then continually check back to see if something better opens up. As flight loads change, especially last minute (last minute cancelations, people switching to a different flight, IRROPS, etc.) and folks potentially get upgraded, desirable E+ seats can definitely open up.
Last edited by emcampbe; Apr 30, 2019 at 6:08 am
Apr 30, 2019, 6:37 am
#3
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UA is filling those frequencies. Doesn't mean there won't be some empties on your flight, but the odds are that every seat will go out full. Unless you are tall and thin, I would almost always take an aisle over a middle. But, the specifics are really a matter of personal preference. So, you just need to think through what makes you happiest (or least unhappy).
Apr 30, 2019, 6:41 am
#4
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Thanks emcampbe and Often1, this is exactly the sort of advice I was looking for. I haven't flown this route often enough to know if it's always full, but I have gotten lucky and had a spare seat next to me a few times in the last year. I think selecting the E+ seat at 24 hours out and then checking again is probably the best bet. If I'm already checked in, when is the latest I can change my seat assignment?
And when do Basic Economy seats get assigned? If they assign them front to back, does that mean BE ticketholders are more likely to end up in "preferred" seating?
And when do Basic Economy seats get assigned? If they assign them front to back, does that mean BE ticketholders are more likely to end up in "preferred" seating?
Apr 30, 2019, 7:28 am
#5
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BE ticketholders get random seats assigned at check-in. In the US, they don't get to check-in until at the counter day of. For transatlantic BE, I believe seats are assigned at OLCI - but consider most BE folk are infrequent flyers, who wont' have passport information uploaded, and can't check in. Although there might be exceptions, E+ is not going to be filled by BE before you get to pick your seat.
Apr 30, 2019, 7:29 am
#6
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BE ticketholders receive seat assignments at check-in, unless there are no standard seats remaining, in which case I believe non-elites receive a "SEE AGENT" assignment and will get put into whatever is left at the gate. Many reports of BE pax with status being put into E+ automatically, but few enough of us fly BE that there aren't all that many reports 
Most of the EWR-LHR frequencies are 767, on which I would prefer basically any non-middle seat over any middle seat. It's pretty hard to go wrong in the back of a 767 - it's one of the few passenger-friendly seating arrangements left on UA. If you're an aisle person, a center aisle is a decent gamble for an empty middle.
You can change your seat assignment via the check-in interface at any time up until you board.
Most of the EWR-LHR frequencies are 767, on which I would prefer basically any non-middle seat over any middle seat. It's pretty hard to go wrong in the back of a 767 - it's one of the few passenger-friendly seating arrangements left on UA. If you're an aisle person, a center aisle is a decent gamble for an empty middle.
You can change your seat assignment via the check-in interface at any time up until you board.
Apr 30, 2019, 7:52 am
#7
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Are you sure that is correct? I thought that online seat changes (i.e., not associated with a check-in) are inhibited once the flight goes under gate control -- about an hour or two before the flight.
Apr 30, 2019, 7:54 am
#8
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Apr 30, 2019, 8:52 am
#9
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I fly this route several times a year for business. I would say your chances are good to get an aisle or window E+ seat at the 24-hour mark, although that may depend on the day of week you are flying, etc.
But don't be this guy I saw on my last LHR-EWR flight: Mr jtwiz joined me on my business trip and we were seated in E+, seats K and L. This guy sits in our row, seat E. He spreads his stuff all over D and F. Basically daring anyone to change seats to one near him. (FYI. That row was showing completely empty on the app.) We roll our eyes and go about our business. But Karma struck back!
A family of 3 with a disabled elderly passenger are brought on the flight at the last minute and where were they heading? You guessed it - this guy had to pack up his belongings and then it turned out, he didn't even have E+ seating. He was very unhappily escorted to the rear of the plane. I love when things go right!!
But don't be this guy I saw on my last LHR-EWR flight: Mr jtwiz joined me on my business trip and we were seated in E+, seats K and L. This guy sits in our row, seat E. He spreads his stuff all over D and F. Basically daring anyone to change seats to one near him. (FYI. That row was showing completely empty on the app.) We roll our eyes and go about our business. But Karma struck back!
A family of 3 with a disabled elderly passenger are brought on the flight at the last minute and where were they heading? You guessed it - this guy had to pack up his belongings and then it turned out, he didn't even have E+ seating. He was very unhappily escorted to the rear of the plane. I love when things go right!!
Apr 30, 2019, 11:53 am
#11
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Personally on a 767, I would much rather go for an E- in a set of two than a middle in E+, but YMMV.
Apr 30, 2019, 11:56 am
#12
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Im actually trying to think of the last time I flew on a 767 - I started flying UA 13 years ago, and I don’t think I’ve been on a UA 767 ever. Probably the last time was on AC in about 2005.
Apr 30, 2019, 3:44 pm
#13
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This is why I started flying United again! This plane configuration is great for economy seats. When I have to fly on these 10-abreast planes I get really anxious. 7 across feels positively luxurious.
Apr 30, 2019, 4:28 pm
#14
Join Date: Sep 2014
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BE ticketholders get random seats assigned at check-in. In the US, they don't get to check-in until at the counter day of. For transatlantic BE, I believe seats are assigned at OLCI - but consider most BE folk are infrequent flyers, who wont' have passport information uploaded, and can't check in. Although there might be exceptions, E+ is not going to be filled by BE before you get to pick your seat.
Once E- is filled up, I think they hold off on assigning E+ seats to BE until more like T-4 to give silvers and SDCers a chance to choose an E+ seat.
Basically, BE pax, along with people who didn't select a seat at purchase, last-minute purchasers, SDCers, and misconnectors, not to mention stand-by passengers, really mean that unless the flight is very low load you won't really know until the last minute. If boarding is starting and you see 9 empty rows, that's a good sign.