lotemblizej

I also sleep better in the older seats for the padding but also because they are like a coffin and once lying down you really don't hear much cabin noise. For longer flights (10+ hours), the Polaris seats are far better IMO, but for a transcon I would be happy with the old seat. In fact, I recently booked a IAD-LAX flight precisely because the a/c was switched to the HD with older seats. I had many a good flight in those seats (I especially liked the rear-facing seats because I found the head was positioned better for sleeping) and for nostalgia sake am happy to get another chance to fly them!

Atxtrav

Thank you for all the helpful info and replies. I am digging thru other threads related to what happens if I don't get a seat tomorrow or am downgraded to a lower class. It seems unlikely that I will. I was presented with the bidding options. I don't want to hijack or tangent this thread. Now the game is getting home and not overpaying for my path there. Thanks for the posts.

jsloan

I like the "1-2-1" configuration myself, although my favorite is the rapidly disappearing 2-2-2 config. That said, there's slightly less room per seat in the "1-2-1" config than the 2-4-2. The added privacy comes at a cost. Airlines market it as 1-2-1 to give the illusion that it's four-across, but it's not; the rows overlap. And, as mentioned, for groups > 2, the 2-4-2 config may actually be a significant improvement, assuming you can get seats together.

Sorry, no. I mean, you can ask. But UA has no additional obligations on an international flight just because it is marketed as Polaris. In the CoC, they mention a change of seating configuration as being IRROPS, snd I personally would consider this a change of seating configuration. UA hasn't always had that same POV. There's no "compensation" due for this change; it's not a downgrade. UA may give a voucher as a customer service gesture.

Agreed.

Lux Flyer

So it is unlikely you "won't get a seat", you hold a confirmed booking for your cabin still even without the seat being assigned. Just the cabin is massively oversold due to the decrease in the # of J seats with the equipment swap, which is why you're being given the option to bid (along with everyone else in that cabin) as UA tries to voluntarily move people either back to Y or to a later flight. Given this is a J oversale on an international itinerary, these offers can go for a substantially higher amount, and given the likely size of this oversale, it would not be surprising if UA has staff working this flight in advance trying to move people/provide compensation before the oversale ever goes to the airport.

Since you are departing FCO, it wouldn't hurt to lookup EU261 regulations to familiarize yourself with what you will be entitled to, if they can't provide a J seat despite going through the oversale process. There is a specific section on downgrade compensation they are required to provide under the regulation.

You shouldn't need to pay anything, as long as your seat is confirmed (this is different than having an actual seat assignment, you can be confirmed but not have a specific seat assigned). If they delay your return because of this, they have a duty to care under EU261 for whatever length of delay that is. Additionally, since your cabin isn't Polaris hard product due to the equipment swap, you can be rerouted voluntarily with no additional charge on any routing that is valid for your fare to regain a Polaris flight (or be moved to a different day/time within 7 days) as long as there is space available on those flights to confirm you. As has been pointed out, not entirely sure on the UA 3040/3039 as these are recovery flights, but other UA885 flights in the coming days are options, or if you still are set on 6/21 travel, could also look at routing through MUC/FRA. A couple itineraries that might be worth asking about (though I haven't checked availability on these)

FCO UA 8805 FRA 0655-0855 X/ UA 8832 IAD 1030-1335 [this would be LH operated so wouldn't be Polaris]
FCO UA 8801 FRA 1005-1200 X/ UA 988 IAD 1220-1510
FCO UA 8801 FRA 1005-1200 X/ UA 8827 IAD 1310-1600 [this would be LH operated so wouldn't be Polaris]
FCO UA 8886 MUC 0805-0935 X/ UA 107 IAD 1220-1525

United has a Polaris policy specific for "United Polaris Aircraft Swap" that details exactly what they would offer in this situation, what a passenger is allowed to do, and what they are entitled to if they are dissatisfied with the equipment swap. As far as I'm aware its not published on their website, but you can ask any of the reservations or airport agents to look it up in their policy manual under those exact words and they can read off to you exactly what the options are for this situation.

uastarflyer

the OP says this is FCO-IAD. Which means somebody decided to send a domestic configuration from a UA hub to FCO on EWR/IAD-FCO. This is the mistake. Cancel the EB if need be. Or just crapshoot everything everywhere which is what COdbaUA has reverted to, which is ridiculous.

Virtually all passengers want better food and lower cost too. The mistake was made the previous day - a policy mistake that implements to send just anything to just anywhere.

As to the passenger issue, is there any EU claim that could be initiated?

Edit: EU261 answered above thanks!

jsloan

EC.261 is exactly why they sent the domestic plane in the first place. Better to irritate people with a different configuration than to cancel outright.

If OP is accommodated in J, no compensation will be due. "They changed the layout of the J cabin" is not covered under the EC.261 rules.

If OP ends up in Y, a 75% refund will be due.

uastarflyer

What about Premium Plus ticketed customers?

And the domestic plane was sent from the US. It wasn’t swapped in FCO. 45 days ago these frames were all grounded, now they’re sending these domestic frames to Europe? What next, Japan?

jsloan

Same deal; 75% refund if they fly in Y. I suspect UA will try to move people through FRA/MUC/etc. if possible.

Again, if they'd canceled the flight, EC.261 would have kicked in for everyone. This was presumably the least-bad option.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

Please show where UA defines a “Polaris cabin”. UA uses a variety of planes internationally, and not all have all the direct-aisle-access “genuine” Polaris pods. You’re confusing marketing with hardware. UA can fly the 777HD, supply the Polaris soft product and market it as Polaris, which is exactly what they are doing. Instead of a pre-conversion 767 (for example) , it’s a 77HD. Both are lie-flat birds, both would have Polaris soft products. Are you saying everyone’s who’s booked an unconverted 767 is being lied to when they buy Polaris?

uastarflyer

These days everyone is being lied to when they buy Polaris, based on the soft product.

Keep in mind they are absolutely shafting Prem Plus customers.

tuolumne

Same. Nostalgic about landing and watching the wing while facing rearwards. It's just plain cool. Forgot how comfortable the seats are too.

Did 1L SFO-ORD and frankly had nothing to complain about - Made a new connection because of the IPTE seats that I wouldn't have made otherwise. Also I had 5 window shades to myself...no Polaris seat offers that...

uastarflyer

I just wish the 777s with IPTE would have 2x the number of IPTE seats installed on them. And keep them domestic

IAH-OIL-TRASH

100% - Passengers who were booked into PP on PremiumPlus- equipped a/c and who are now in E+ are the ones really not getting what they paid for. Someone who's going from a lie-flat w/ Polaris soft product to another lie-flat with Polaris soft product is not suffering as much as someone going from PP (with associated PP amenities) to an E+ seat. Those people will not be getting PP space or meals. Some of them may fimd themselves in 10-across E+, which is miserable for a TATL flight

weero

I was wondering about that too. But we have no hard data what happened to them in the end.

I find the Premium Plus hardware quite acceptable. Just the meal service isn't.

I am just wondering - as the OP take umbrage with the old lie flat seats - how he will feel about the United Club .....

colpuck

You prefer not to go at all?