worldcupfan

I had an interesting call to 1K reservations & a supervisor yesterday. I used miles to purchase 2 international Star Biz Awards for relatives. 1 leg didn't have Biz available, but I issued the tickets anyway since it's a 2 hour leg.

I called UAL to request economy plus seats for the pax since they are in economy, but paid for C. I was informed that they cannot obtain seats in economy plus since they don't have UA status.

That makes no sense to me since economy plus is considered a higher class of service than economy, but lower class of service than has been paid.

Was I given accurate information?

I also thought that full fare pax were given E+ access, but i couldn't verify at united.com

If accurate, this seems like a terrible policy. Not only am I annoyed, but I would imagine that any star alliance frequent traveller using Biz class miles on an economy leg would find it ridiculous that they couldn't access E+ and would be turned off from frequest UA use.

rar indeed

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows 98; PalmSource/hspr-H102; Blazer/4.0) 16;320x320)

It's a stoopid policy but it's policy. FYI E+ isn't another CoS, Y is Y.

rittenhousesq

There was a long thread a while back about people with no UA status who are flying in paid F not being able to get E+ seats for the Ted segments. Agreed that it's a silly policy.

nebratu

If you have status, your award ticket will be in E+?

rar indeed

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows 98; PalmSource/hspr-H102; Blazer/4.0) 16;320x320)

Yupp. Status, EPA, buyup, or airport CSR seat assignments are the only way to get into E+.

Mike Jacoubowsky

I remember very well what convinced me that I ought to try for status. It was an 80k standard mileage award SFO-CDG trip, which got me into E+, maybe 5 years ago. E+, after having flown cattle-car on NW/KLM the previous year, was wonderful. That was that, I was hooked. Next year I was buying E+ whenever offered by Mr. Chicken (easy check-in), and moving all my (not very many) flights to UA. And shortly thereafter I made lowly 2P for the first time.

I think UA is nuts to eliminate such exposure to their E+ product. If the product carries the price (either full-fare Y or a standard award ticket), it ought to be in E+. Plain good marketing, period.

lucky9876coins

That rule is absolutely ridiculous. Also applies to full fare Y, full fare F, etc.... just ridiculous!

qasr

Just more short-termism from the bean counters.

fradoc

That is the correct term for it.