RANT: Blocked Middle Lost to E+ Up-sell!!
 

<Rant>

7 March 2007

On flight 352 SEA-ORD, I am seated in 15D. Plane begins loading. Then, two rather large (width-wise) folks begin to lumber down the aisle. Next thing I know they're now occupying 15E and 15F. The begin complaining to themselves how they just spent $260 for a seat in E+ which the GA said was "bigger and better" than the normal E seat. They say its a load of bull and that the GA was just trying to sell them stuff. They continued on to say how this was a rip off, etc... etc... etc... They were on a SEA-ORD-MUC trip BTW.

Ok, fine UA is just trying to make some money with the E+ up-selling. Perfectly legitimate... but, with some other empty seats in the E+ cabin.....

Why did the GA need to seat these two GRANDE-SIZED clowns next to me?

Couldn't they have put them next to some other no-status passengers? Or was this a cabin full of 1K's and UGS's? I counted 3 empty middles, with one side-by-side empty middle and window.

I'll bet that UA has a note on my profile: :)

"warreng24 is skinny; put customers of size next to him"

Spent the entire flight with this large arm/shoulder/etc... pressed up against my right side....

</rant>

UA Is Definately out to get you :rolleyes:

$260 for E+? I rather pay $550 for C

my understanding, per OP's description, is that $260 for two, and 2 legs for each

Warreng24: I certainly understand your frustration, but I think you are a little bit off base here.

First of all, a blocked middle is by no means a guarantee. They can be taken by anyone at any point, and they don't belong to "you," unless you paid for them.

What row were you in? They usually fill up E+ from front to back with buy-ups, so that may explain it. Three empty middles is not really a lot, and E+ is usually mostly filled with elites.

Did these poor folks say or do something to you that you have decided to call them "clowns"?

Yeah... they took HIS empty middle seat... the one that he's obviously ENTITLED to...

I think he should get 2 SWUs as compensation. It's only fair.

Why didn't you move to one of the other available seats? :confused:

If he did that, there'd be nothing to rant about, and nothing to post on FT :D

That's EXACTLY why you should not try to get three empty seats. Call this a lesson learned.

Remember warreng24, the blocking of seats for elites is indeed not guaranteed.

Also, remember that although access to E+ is a wonderful benefit we enjoy with UA, only a continued generation of extra income and purchases of these seats could keep this privilege financially viable, thus available.

because you are so special, and it is all about you!

^ I generally try and pick E+ seats with someone else already in the row to help lower the odds that the middle seat will be taken. (E.g. by someone booking two adjacent seats at the same time.)

I understand the OP's disappointment. Who wouldn't? In this case I think it was the size of the rowmates that highlighted the disappointment. If it were two young, attractive, single women, we might have had a different post.

Besides the back to front fill, it could've just been 50/50 odds that you lost.

If there was a middle/window combination available in another row, I do recommend that this was probably your best bet, to move there. It would've made your rowmates happier, as well.

Everyone needs to remember this. United is a business, out to make money. Intentionally leaving potentially 1/3 of the airplane empty does nothing to achieve this goal.