Giovanni

I just received Premier status this week - and I'm attempting to use Easy Check In for a flight tomorrow that I purchased before I had status. The system is showing several seats available in Economy Plus - but when I try to select one, the system won't let me. I called customer service - and the agent claims that these seats are not available.

I've been told to ask the customer service rep to delete my mileage plus number from the reservation, and add it back in - to get the system to acknowledge my status - but he refuses to do it.

What gives?? Is it common for Easy Check-In to show seats as available that aren't?

fzwinter

Congrats on making 2P. Now you just need to take the advice of FT - if you don't like what you heard from a CSR, then politely hang up and call back until you get the answer you want!

Mike Jacoubowsky

The advice you've been given (calling customer service to have them delete your MP# and then reinsert it) is supposedly correct according to the conventional wisdom at FT... and there are rarely times to question the conventional wisdom of FT!

It will probably be easier to get one of the customer service people to get the seat changed than to handle the mechanics of changing the MP info in your PNR. Best thing to do is a dummy booking on UA.COM using the highest-price, unrestricted economy fare. That will open up all available economy seats on the map, including E+. Keep that up on the screen while you speak with the customer service rep, and be nice, but persistant, about the availability of those seats. Confirm the following facts with the customer service agent-

#1: That you show up in the system as a Premier (2P).
#2: That this status entitles you to available E+ seats (other than exit row, when not assigned at the gate)
#3: That you have a seat map that shows E+ seats available, and thus there may be a problem with how the customer service operator's configuration is set up... could he/she check with a supervisor?

Been there, done that on what you've been experiencing. Actually, it had nothing to do with recent change in status, just a mis-configured screen that wasn't showing her the E+ seats.

Don't expect the customer service person to admit that they had done anything wrong. They won't; it's not their style. But that doesn't mean they won't take care of what you need done. Be careful not to let it seem like it's you against them. All you care about are results. It's only afterward, on FT, where you boast about your "win."

Giovanni

Thanks for the advice, guys...it seems like you have to prepare yourself for battle every time you call over to Bangalore for customer service.

I tried this twice last night - in both cases, I read off a list of E+ seats that were showing on my screen - and the CS agent simply said, "I cannot comment on what you see on your screen - if you want one of those seats, you'll have to get it online - if you can't get it online - I'll transfer you to my web support department" - in both cases - the call got routed and I sat on hold for over 20 mins.

At this point - I pretty much gave up, took an aisle seat in the back of the plane, and am wondering why I bothered to fly 30 legs with a United partner this year...

UNITED959

I would highly discourage doing this, considering the OP's "young age" (with dealing with UA).

It's been my experience that, in general, agents can go from zero to major b*tch in about 0.5 seconds if you even give off the hint that you're trying to do their job. They have Apollo and the XYZ years of experience, who are you to tell them which seats are available through your lousy PC?

Going this route can be successful, but I know the chances are greater that it won't. And that will end up with a nasty letter in your PNR, and once you get one of those, all subsequent agents will honor the "brotherhood" and treat you the same.

fastair

Give UA, not their partner your $$$. I don't think econo plus is free to operate! No point in the partner profiting from your flights, and UA picking up the tab!

(just kidding...do whatever works best for you)

But is it possible that these seats are exit rows? If that is the case, then everything is working as it should be.

dmodemd

Note that I have found that the reservations system takes up to 1 week to pick up your new status. The MP system will show it correctly but even if they delete and re-add you in reservations [that was what they USED to have to do, no longer works], it won't take your new status yet because it just doesn't have it.

If you make a new reservation on-line I have found it is pretty quick on being able to see your new status (probably pulls from the MP system). But since you can't change a seat online you are at the mercy of the CS desk. Also it appears EZ check-in kiosks [maybe online too] use whats in the reservation system (Apollo) so are out of date.

What you need to do is have the CS agent verify that you are 2P by looking at in MP, not on the reservation. Then you need to have them contact the seat desk to have them override.

I just had this problem with my son I just granted 3P. At first the system wouldnt allow him to be in E+ window, but she saw he was a 3P and was willing to go to the seat desk to override it.

Or... just wait for your status to move over to reservations. I am not sure when in the week the sweep is for it. Once it happens though, all your existing reservations will be fine... EXCEPT any pending e500 upgrades will still clear at your old window unless you have them drop and re-add them. If you ask close to your window time they will often just clear you then since it is easier

dmodemd

For more info, see some more recent threads on the subject. I made some close observations when I turned 1P to test some new things people were seeing and came to the above conclusion...

Although I am not sure this was the OPs problem, its a possibility, depending on the timing.

cordelli

Received status showing on the screen or did it in miles? It won't matter much until the miles post and the system shows your new status. It's possible that's one of the issues.

I would reserve whatever you are comfortable sitting in and handling the change at the airport with a person, seeing if they can get you e+

Mike Jacoubowsky

Whoa, hey, it's me, the lowly 2P. Either I forgot to remove my testosterone patch (bad joke for those who follow bicycle racing), or I was seriously misread. Or a combination of the two.

Far be it from me to suggest anything that would imply that I know more about how to do a customer service agent's job than they do. Perhaps the issue is that it's not so much what you say, but how you say it... and perhaps I didn't say it very well here.

I believe you can be helpful and nice without being condescending. I don't think it's wrong to let the customer service agent know that you've encountered a certain situation before, and here's how someone figured a way to solve it earlier. As in "Aha, I think I might know what's going on. Maybe you could try this..." Somehow get the feeling across that it's an adventure the two of you are in together!

Oh yeah, sure, blame it on me not taking my meds.

PS: You said "They have Apollo and the XYZ years of experience, who are you to tell them which seats are available through your lousy PC?" Hey, anyone who has "years of experience" is most likely not the cause of many of the unfortunate threads we've seen hereabout! Rather, I'm suggesting someting different than hanging up when you get an outsourced call center that seems a bit inadequately trained for the task at hand.

sylaw72

sorry to hear about you bad experience. don't give up on UA.

what happened at the airport? did you go to an agent to ask (demand) to be put into E+?

many times, when the seating is under airport control, the agent over the phone will claim that it's out of his/her control. in your case, i would have just kept on calling back until some agent agreed to re-enter my mileage plus number, and then try the OLIC after that. if that doesn't work, then proceed to the check-in agent. (since you are an elite now, you can use elite check-ins lines)