Checking Seat Availability
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Tokyo
Programs: AA EXP 1mm, United 1K
Posts: 38
Checking Seat Availability
I should know this, but is there a UA equivalent feature to AA's great "Check Available Seats" tool. What's the best way to see how many seats are left on your flight?
Thanks.
Thanks.
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: USA
Programs: UA Platinum, 1MM
Posts: 13,472
Unfortunately, UA does not even approach AA's site functionality.
You will have to make a dummy booking by pulling up the flights you want to view seat availability on and go all the way to the information/payment page as if you wanted to buy the itinerary and then choose "Select Seats" to pull up the seat map.
A big pain in the behind. Make sure you to log in if you are an UA elite or you will not see the E+ seats available.
You will have to make a dummy booking by pulling up the flights you want to view seat availability on and go all the way to the information/payment page as if you wanted to buy the itinerary and then choose "Select Seats" to pull up the seat map.
A big pain in the behind. Make sure you to log in if you are an UA elite or you will not see the E+ seats available.
#4




Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: EWR, PHL
Programs: UA1k 3MM, AA Plt, peasant on everybody else, elite something or other at a bunch of hotels.
Posts: 4,648
A dummy booking will only show you the seats that available for assignment. This does not necessarily mean that they are available for sale. As one example why this is, groups will buy blocks of seats that are not assigned until check-in.
To see what is available for sale (as a previous poster mentioned), go to flyaow.com/classual.htm and enter your desired flight information. This will then show you how many seats are available to be sold in each fare bucket.
However, if all you are interested in is to see what seats are assigned/unassigned, then the dummy booking technique will work. If you aren't an elite level flier, make sure you go for a full fare ticket so you can see all seats, including E+. (Though that does not mean that you could get them assigned to you.)
To see what is available for sale (as a previous poster mentioned), go to flyaow.com/classual.htm and enter your desired flight information. This will then show you how many seats are available to be sold in each fare bucket.
However, if all you are interested in is to see what seats are assigned/unassigned, then the dummy booking technique will work. If you aren't an elite level flier, make sure you go for a full fare ticket so you can see all seats, including E+. (Though that does not mean that you could get them assigned to you.)
#5
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Boston, MA, USA
Posts: 223
I have a question. Can you see seat for international flight?
Currently, we have four people travel together, but 2 people seat on 33FG, another 2 people seat in 34AB. I called the UA agent a few time, everytime they said there are no seat open, they cannot put us seating together or back to back.
Any other way that I can login UA and see if seat is open up?
Thanks,
Lee
Currently, we have four people travel together, but 2 people seat on 33FG, another 2 people seat in 34AB. I called the UA agent a few time, everytime they said there are no seat open, they cannot put us seating together or back to back.
Any other way that I can login UA and see if seat is open up?
Thanks,
Lee
#6




Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Chicago, IL, US
Posts: 2,210
Originally Posted by 1kBill
To see what is available for sale (as a previous poster mentioned), go to flyaow.com/classual.htm and enter your desired flight information. This will then show you how many seats are available to be sold in each fare bucket.
#7




Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: EWR, PHL
Programs: UA1k 3MM, AA Plt, peasant on everybody else, elite something or other at a bunch of hotels.
Posts: 4,648
Originally Posted by glg
Why on earth would you bother using that page? It's just an ad-laden copy of the old ual.com search page. It sends your input into the same ITN engine, and it doesn't have some of the search features that are on the current one. 

Re: your comment about the ads, I never notice them. So, just for grins, I went into the site right now. I have very few ads, so I am guessing the my ad blocker function is working quite well.
#8
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: SDJ (Sendai, Japan)
Programs: UA
Posts: 283
Originally Posted by 1kBill
Well, in my experiences, the ual.com page rarely shows availability in the various fare buckets while the classual site always does. This presupposes that the OP was really asking about seats for sale.
#9




Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Chicago, IL, US
Posts: 2,210
Originally Posted by 1kBill
Well, in my experiences, the ual.com page rarely shows availability in the various fare buckets while the classual site always does. This presupposes that the OP was really asking about seats for sale. If they were actually asking about seats available for assignment, then they need to make a fake booking.
Originally Posted by 1kBill
Re: your comment about the ads, I never notice them. So, just for grins, I went into the site right now. I have very few ads, so I am guessing the my ad blocker function is working quite well. 

#10




Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: EWR, PHL
Programs: UA1k 3MM, AA Plt, peasant on everybody else, elite something or other at a bunch of hotels.
Posts: 4,648
Originally Posted by JAPGUY
There are "flight details" links in the "select flights" page, which always show all fare buckets (except awards) for me - at least in the expert mode.
Go figure.
#11
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend




Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: D.R.E.A.D. Gold card holder
Posts: 53,215
Originally Posted by 1kBill
Although I have my preferences set to expert mode, for some reason, I just don't get this display most of the time, only occasionally and I don't know why.
#12




Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 3,218
Had the same problem as 1kBill. Couldn't understand why my expert mode had been turned off. Apparently, the way to fix this (and to see the available inventory by fare code) is to always start the search by choosing the "MULTI CITY" option and then to search by schedule.
#13
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: SDJ (Sendai, Japan)
Programs: UA
Posts: 283
Are you really clicking the "flight details" links of each individual flight in the selection page? This was what I meant...

