United to Hawaii in First Class - What to Expect?
Oct 13, 2023, 8:19 am
#136
Moderator: United Airlines
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Oct 13, 2023, 12:16 pm
#137
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: ORD / PHX
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Posts: 1,341
A lie-felt seat is unfortunately not a guarantee in F on most domestic routes, including to/from Kona. You won’t get compensation for not getting a lie-flat seat. You should get compensation for a broken F seat. I think you should also get compensation for having to move back if the seat could not actually be used. That’ll be a bit more difficult to get because you were probably not “officially” downgraded because I doubt you were given a seat assignment in economy. I’d push for a little more, but don’t expect a whole lot more. $150?
Oct 13, 2023, 12:44 pm
#138
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 71
A lie-felt seat is unfortunately not a guarantee in F on most domestic routes, including to/from Kona. You won’t get compensation for not getting a lie-flat seat. You should get compensation for a broken F seat. I think you should also get compensation for having to move back if the seat could not actually be used. That’ll be a bit more difficult to get because you were probably not “officially” downgraded because I doubt you were given a seat assignment in economy. I’d push for a little more, but don’t expect a whole lot more. $150?
It's a little unclear here on the seat and "downgrade" - if you were actually downgraded to Economy because the seat was not in service, you should be eligible for a $750 ETC per GG OVS DOWNGRADE.
But if the issue was an F seat that didn't recline and you were allowed to sit in Y since you preferred that, it's not a clear-cut case. It's certainly worth writing a complaint and seeing what you get though.
But if the issue was an F seat that didn't recline and you were allowed to sit in Y since you preferred that, it's not a clear-cut case. It's certainly worth writing a complaint and seeing what you get though.
When I compare the Y and F prices between KOA and DEN, I simply found 100 United-dollars an inappropriate compensation. Also find the practice to advertise a lie-flat seat and then sent a plane with a recliner questionable and "feel" that pax should be compensated.
Oct 13, 2023, 1:00 pm
#139
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Definitely not a "downgrade" in the technical sense since you had a legally occupiable F seat, but I think it is worth a well-worded complaint about the change to recliner F and the broken seat. Although DEN-KOA is First-marketed, there's a reasonable expectation of a lie-flat on that route.
Something like $300 to $400 ETC might be on the high end of what could fall out of the compensation tree; if you don't have status I would expect less than that. The United Consolidated Compensation Thread tracks these sort of things.. last seat-related comp I personally saw was quite a while ago but $400 ETC for a Polaris seat that had to be manually reclined by an FA (upright or flat, nothing between, request FA for transition).
Something like $300 to $400 ETC might be on the high end of what could fall out of the compensation tree; if you don't have status I would expect less than that. The United Consolidated Compensation Thread tracks these sort of things.. last seat-related comp I personally saw was quite a while ago but $400 ETC for a Polaris seat that had to be manually reclined by an FA (upright or flat, nothing between, request FA for transition).
Oct 14, 2023, 2:00 am
#140
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 71
Definitely not a "downgrade" in the technical sense since you had a legally occupiable F seat, but I think it is worth a well-worded complaint about the change to recliner F and the broken seat. Although DEN-KOA is First-marketed, there's a reasonable expectation of a lie-flat on that route.
Something like $300 to $400 ETC might be on the high end of what could fall out of the compensation tree; if you don't have status I would expect less than that. The United Consolidated Compensation Thread tracks these sort of things.. last seat-related comp I personally saw was quite a while ago but $400 ETC for a Polaris seat that had to be manually reclined by an FA (upright or flat, nothing between, request FA for transition).
Something like $300 to $400 ETC might be on the high end of what could fall out of the compensation tree; if you don't have status I would expect less than that. The United Consolidated Compensation Thread tracks these sort of things.. last seat-related comp I personally saw was quite a while ago but $400 ETC for a Polaris seat that had to be manually reclined by an FA (upright or flat, nothing between, request FA for transition).
Yes, it's technically not a de jure downgrade but de facto feels like one, when you spend most of a flight booked in F on a seat in coach. Will send in a "well-worded" complaint and try to shake the compensation tree a bit more.
What really bothers me is that I tried to get re-routed as soon as I heard about the B753 replacing the B752 (about 24h before departure), and the chat and phone hotline were just useless. UA completely ignored my request, as equipment change including the change from lie-flat to recliner is "not considered an irregularity". On a 7 hour flight, really? When I had a fairly minor delay on a BOS-SFO flight a week earlier, the "irregularity" gave me lots of free re-booking options for BOS-SFO and also for the completely unaffected married segment SFO-HNL (after an overnight stay in SFO).
Oct 22, 2023, 1:06 am
#141
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Join Date: Nov 2014
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Happy to (hopefully) make things clearer: The 752 (lie-flat) was replaced with a 753 (recliner). I had the meal they serve right after take-off on my F seat and then wanted to recline to get some sleep. The seat, however, would not stay reclined and kept going back to and lock in the upright position. It was very uncomfortable and caused some fairly serious back pain after a short while. Politely asked purser whether the behaviour of the seat was normal. She tried and said it was broken and "not serviceable", apologised that she does not have an empty F seat she can move me to and suggested that I go back to economy and use a serviceable seat there. Spent about 2/3 to 3/4 of the flight back in coach. Purser said she would push for some compensation but I should write in and complain, too. Before I could complain I was sent a 100 United-dollar voucher.
Oct 22, 2023, 3:57 am
#142
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 71
I would say a broken seat that doesn't recline is cause for complaint, particularly in F. I would not agree with same in substitution of recliner for lie-flat on a non-redeye flight. You will likely get better results by focusing on the seat being broken (as verified by the purser) and therefore causing back pain. You can draw a link between the broken seat causing pain and what was essentially an involuntary downgrade but complaining about the aircraft switch and going from lie-flat to recliner is likely to draw some eye rolls from whoever is reading the complaint.
I am focussing on the broken seat, as the purser sat down in it and confirmed that it was "unserviceable", but additionally also mention my disappointment of a change from lie-flat to recliner on an overnight leg. Not sure this should cause eye rolls.
The issue has now been passed on from "customer care" to "customer care management" and UA keeps requesting the same information, but I still hope for a decent offer and being able to close the case soon.
Oct 30, 2023, 12:28 pm
#144
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Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
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Only first meal on all UA flights with more than one service is pre-order. You’ll get your choice of a pre-arrival light meal. Don’t expect anything too grand and you won’t be disappointed.
Oct 31, 2023, 10:58 am
#145
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Rochester, MN
Programs: UA Silver, Hilton HHonors Diamond, IHG Plat
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What could I expect to find for midweek flights in terms of F miles redemptions one way late winter/early Spring? Assuming SFO to KOA/HNL would be the least miles, what would be a good one way redemption number to shoot for? What about the longer hauls DEN/ORD to KOA/HNL? Thanks!
Nov 22, 2023, 4:06 pm
#146
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,161
HNL-ORD in Premium Plus, lately…
Has the HNL-ORD redeye in Premium Plus been provisioned with the nice grey Saks wool blankets or the see-through thin blue ones? Or perhaps nothing at all? What about pillow size? Amenity kit?
Dec 17, 2023, 8:10 am
#148
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: WAS/TYO
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-FlyerBeek
Dec 27, 2023, 9:34 am
#149
Join Date: Jul 2005
Programs: UA 1K MM
Posts: 1,289
Flying back from OGG in a few days. Got an email for my meal selection in first - chicken katsu and mochiko chicken are the two meat entrees. Don't like fried chicken? -- caulfilower puree for you, as the vegitarian entree. UGH! Are any of the alternative meals a good choice?
Dec 27, 2023, 9:50 am
#150
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Flying back from OGG in a few days. Got an email for my meal selection in first - chicken katsu and mochiko chicken are the two meat entrees. Don't like fried chicken? -- caulfilower puree for you, as the vegitarian entree. UGH! Are any of the alternative meals a good choice?