United 1K return cancelled, booked on American
 

Hello... my wife is a 1K; we booked DCA > IAH > RTB for both of us and our two sons. At check-in, we learned that due to a schedule change for the RTB outbound, we would not arrive IAH in time to connect to DCA so would have to overnight in Houston and continue in the am. As we needed to be in DCA that day and there is no United flight out of RTB on the day before, the agent booked our return on American, RTB > MIA > DCA. On arrival to IAH, en route to RTB, we were notified that my wife had been upgraded to business. However, we did not expect or want this, as we already had three seats with our sons (D-E-F)... my wife was in D and they gave that seat to another passenger (and I was in 12A, full flight). On boarding, the passenger who got my wife’s D seat did not want to give up the seat on a trade, so we had to make a series of trades with other passengers. Fine and good until we get to Roatan and I’m looking at our return flights... now they’ve split the record with me and my sons on one American confirmation/locator number and my wife on the other. I’m seated with my sons, but American wants $37 to seat my wife with us. And, we now have to pay $30 and $40 for checked bags! Not terribly happy, particularly about the bags... does anyone have any advice on how we might proceed? Our return is in about ten days, so we have some time to deal with this. Thank you in advance!

Pay.

Your wife might be able to ask for reimbursement from UA later. But all charges must be paid to AA.

Thank you, Gary! We’d be happy to work it this way.

First of all, I'm sorry for the extra hassle when traveling during what is already a stressful time. But I have to ask--wouldn't the simplest trade have been for your wife to give her business class seat to the passenger who ended up in the D seat? Unless that's what you mean by saying they didn't want to give up the seat on a trade (but that would be a very unusual refusal indeed)?

Because you can't trade a CPU seat. That's why.

That does seem to be a reasonable consideration, I suppose. However, while we were put off by the passenger’s attitude, nothing was to be gained at that point other than rewarding her for poor social behavior. We were on a tight connection with a literal stack of covid + pre-check documents to be verified at a very chaotic gate, so we only had an opportunity to propose a seat trade after boarding. That said, our concern here is the split reservation for seating and the baggage fees, neither of which would have been resolved by giving away our (my!) business seat.

Thank you for the clarification, Gary. :)

Of course you can. I've done it plenty of times.

No offense - Just because you have done that many times, it does not mean it is allowed.

In fact, I was once stopped from trading a CPU seat. However, it was eventually allowed as the person was my companion and next in line for CPU.

I hear what you're saying, and I've tried to get it solved at the gate in order to give the opportunity to the next person in line, but I'm not about to take an unwanted upgrade because UA's systems can't handle all-or-nothing upgrades at the gate. :) The simplest solution, when it can't be solved at the gate, is to give the upgraded seat to the person in the seat I want. The person on the top of the upgrade list might not like it, but their situation is no worse off than if I'd stayed in my assigned seat.

I've done it in both directions.

Not true. I once had to ask three different people on a flight so that I could sit with my family. I still remember that flight to this day bc I was shocked I was refused twice. I also remember bc the woman who eventually said yes was sitting in a middle E+ seat and she too was reticent. Of course,now, these are different times...

I've semi-frequently traded CPUs with other people I knew on the flight. I've never had any issues with it. I suppose maybe that's a little different than upgrading a rando. But I can't see any circumstance where an FA is going to object to you trading your CPU to your spouse.

it's really not UA's fault though. The OP should have not let the UG request go through which split the PNR and caused the issue on the AA side of the equation.

We can all agree to disagree. Bottom line - I stand correct that just because no one stops it, it does not mean the practice comforts M+ T&Cs regarding CPUs. And this is not even the main issue of the thread.

The split PNR is not really the issue, but UA rebooked OP's family to AA. I never said OP's wife would succeed in getting reimbursement. But instead, the fees are AA's issue, not UA. So unless OP has his own ways to waive the fees (status and/or credit card), OP must still pay the fees.

OP's wife, as a 1K, might have luck convincing an ETC or reimbursement. Hence, what I have said.

:confused: of course the split PNR is the issue