I've seen it both ways. A few times on light flights, the FAs have said that people are welcome to move about, but those in E- must pay to move up to E+. I don't know how thye would have enforced that or made them pay, but that was the announcement.

I've also had an FA give away my exit seat before I got on board. On a flight from IND to IAD we were on another light flight, and the FA told the first guy on that he could sit where he liked. He, of course, picked my exit roat seat on a small, cramped RJ. I was only a couple of people behind him, so I kicked him out. :D

Another option may be an annoucment like this

"Due to United Security Regulations and for your own comfort, we ask that everyone remain in their assigned seats. Tasers have been installed in the head rest of each and every seat. Tasers will be automatically activated for any empty seat once the door is closed and cabin is pressurized" :)

I haven't run into this but I have moved seats before usually after the door has been closed or is closing. Most of the time on flights that haven't been full either. I've asked to move to especially when I'm in a row of 3 and the the row across only has one person in it.

I rode in E+ for the first time today (made 2P recently) and even got an exit row seat. The GAs were pushing E+ ($14, LAX-SFO) hard pre-departure. When I got on board, I sat down in 16a. About 5 minutes later (still boarding) a guy walks up from E- and takes 16c. I thought about saying something, but I hadn't mentally prepped for this interaction. I could have (should have?) gotten up and talked to the FA, but I just wasn't in the mood for a potential scene. Plus, the FAs hadn't made any announcements related to E+, so I wasn't sure how they'd react.

On the one hand, it wasn't a big deal. The flight was relatively empty and it's not like I needed the whole row. On the other hand, I know the woman in 16d paid for her E+ seat. Plus, in the long run (as has been discussed here before) this is a revenue issue for UA. If people can just poach, why bother to pay?

My point is not just to rant--I really wish there was an easier way to alert the FAs. Maybe some sort of subtle signal or "code" to clue them in ... perhaps ringing the call button twice in a row? :D Seriously, however, the idea listed above about using seat maps is a good one; that combined with inviting people to switch seats only after the door has closed (when the FAs can more easily monitor things) might help.

It's my policy to thank all FA who enforce seating and guard against poaching. Positive reinforcement can be useful in training.

I really don't think this is true. United's employees are in a bind because the rules are applied inconsistently, to the extent that many customers aren't sure what the rules are. UA's employees represent the company, and they are far too frequently cited on here for not adhering to United's policy, for failing to make the correct call, and for offering poor customer service. We pay for a service - we're entitled to have an opinion about what is offered.

On my last 6 intl. flights within three weeks, every single time, the E+ mantra has been repeated by the pursers. Including the announcement that pax moving to E+ would be removed from those seats.
On my last ZRH-IAD, the E- was completely packed while E+ showed many empty spots. An FA told me that many pax complained about the crammed seating but they still weren't willing to fork up the $89 asked for a E+ seat.

It is great that the courtesy-mass-herding forward of families, innocent looking school classes, scouts, and armies of backpackers which was all that common on the Oz flights finally comes to an end.
Sounds fair :p.

That doesn't seem like a big deal--if they had asked a CSR working the gate, they would have done it for them as well if an exit row was unassigned. That being said, I was once on a Ted flight where someone poached the empty exit row middle seat next to me, and I wasn't too happy about it myself.

Regarding the OP, my guess about what probably happened is that the group of 3 passengers probably couldn't get seated together when they checked in, so they picked a row of seats and figured they would make the trade when the found out if anyone was actually sitting there. They probably didn't realize that at least one of those seats was likely reserved in advance by someone who would not be happy about a trade into E-.

I have never heard FAs say they will be around to charge credit cards, and I don't think they could do it in any event (can they?). I have heard them say that if pax sitting in E- wish to sit in E+ in the future, they can pay for it prior to boarding, sending the message clearly enough.

And that lack of distinguishing features of E+ (except that it is the more desirable forward part of the cabin and the seats are farther apart) could be so easily remedied. Put a doily identifying it as "reserved for E+" on the back of every E+ seat, making clear that these are not "open" seats for the taking. (It seems to me that I saw those on a few planes 2 or 3 years ago, but I haven't seen them since. The decals on the overhead bins noting E+ seating are pretty useless, since they are so easy to overlook.) I think such a simple measure would be very helpful, and I don't know why UA doesn't adopt it.

The OP mentioned that part of the problem arose because there was a 320 for 319 swap, which means what was a choice E+ exit row seat assignment becomes without warning a not choice first row of E- seat. I have had that happen to me, and fortunately been able to move forward a row so I could sit in the exit row as I had expected to based on my original seat and aircraft assignment. Not sure how this is to be avoided (ask GA in advance of boarding whether it is still a 319 as scheduled, but sometimes they don't know).

The intl. E+ cabins' headrests are clearly labeled with "reserved for Economy Plus" cloth. And still some FAs and pax manage to miss it :rolleyes:.

Too expensive to deploy some doilies like that on domestic flights, on which I expect seat poaching is more common? Some FAs and pax might still manage to miss it, but I do think it would help and be well worth the price of those doilies. (Again, forget the decals on the overhead bins, they are pretty useless.)

BTW, is it always "seat poaching" when one moves into a seat other than that which shows on their ticket? I ask because I realize I may be a "seat poacher" in the eyes of some, if "seat poaching" includes moving onself from E+ to E- in order to stretch out across an empty 3-seat row in the back, especially on a red-eye, when one is so fortunate to have such an opportunity. If it is, then I confess to having "sinned" in this way, but I am not repentant. (Need I worry about my mortal soul for doing this, or would this count as only a venal sin?)

There is not much more irritating than a poacher sitting in the middle seat in E+ and saying something to you as they sit down with their row 40 seating assignment stub with no MP number and saying,"Man I hope you dont mind...it's really packed back there!" Uuugh!

Thanks to FT, I've pulled the "I paid to have that seat blocked" line. It worked!