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-   -   Seating scramble - exit poachers (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/united-mileage-plus-pre-merger/739254-seating-scramble-exit-poachers.html)

emcampbe Sep 24, 2007 12:08 am

Seating scramble - exit poachers
 
Came off 1115 this eve, YYZ - ORD. Pretty good flight, and a surprisingly clean aircraft compared to what I normally see. But wanted to relate a story.

Plane was swapped from a 319 to 320. I was booked in seat 9D. I accidentally sat down in 9C, honest mistake. 10 ABC (exit row) was full with a group of 3. A guy goes back to 10, looks around, and then decides to sit in 9A (I'm pretty sure he had BP for 10C, but he didn't mind).

A few minutes later, the FA goes to check the boarding pass of 10A, as the pax with the actual boarding pass for 10A can't get to his seat. I don't know exactly what the FA's said to those in row 10, but I overhear them saying they would need to move to row 9 ABC (I'm assuming their assigned seats - this is when I realize I am in the wrong seat, and I start gathering my stuff to move). As I am starting this, the FA just tells the guy who is suppose to be in 10A to sit in an empty seat, he picks 9D (I remained in 9C).

My take on this all - the group sitting in 10 were poaching exit row seats, not cool. Shouldn't the FA have moved the group in 10? I certainly didn't have a problem moving to my original, assigned 9D. But if it was me who had exit row seats, I would be a bit annoyed that I got moved due to poachers, and would have insisted (as is my right) that I get my exit row seats.

SMF Rider Sep 24, 2007 12:39 am

Two weeks ago, twice I had FAs allow passengers to move to the exit row when they asked...argh! I know, I only purchased my seat, but a perk of being a 1P or higher is that on a lightly loaded flight with few 1P and above, you often get extra room.

cepheid Sep 24, 2007 2:14 am

Should we perhaps start a Master Seat-Poaching thread? All these individual reports are getting unwieldy... why not gripe together? :)

Budley Sep 24, 2007 3:20 am


Originally Posted by SMF Rider (Post 8451934)
Two weeks ago, twice I had FAs allow passengers to move to the exit row when they asked...argh! I know, I only purchased my seat, but a perk of being a 1P or higher is that on a lightly loaded flight with few 1P and above, you often get extra room.

I think these FA's may be in need of some re-education.

What does this do to UA's E+ strategy, for example?

KathyWdrf Sep 24, 2007 5:21 am


Originally Posted by Budley (Post 8452183)
I think these FA's may be in need of some re-education....

Hmmm, well, it seems that UA's employees are d*mned if they do and d*mned if they don't.

Quite often, they are derided and attacked on this forum for enforcing rules. (Or sometimes, just for existing.) :eek:

gre Sep 24, 2007 5:29 am


Originally Posted by KathyWdrf (Post 8452430)
Hmmm, well, it seems that UA's employees are d*mned if they do and d*mned if they don't.

Quite often, they are derided and attacked on this forum for enforcing rules. (Or sometimes, just for existing.) :eek:

I have not seen FAs "attacked" in this forum for removing seat poachers.

bhmlurker Sep 24, 2007 6:11 am

Part of the difficulty of enforcement, even if FA are willing and able, is that 3 FA isn't enough to watch over 120 people streaming in, at least not standing at the front door. For Ted flights 1/3 to 1/2 are in E+, so that's a lot of BP if each are checked individually. It seems that FA can spot people coming up from E-, but are unable to see if people simply sit down in a confident manner as they walk down the aisle.

Perhaps if pax are told that they should have BP ready to be checked, and before door is closed when FA do the count, they can announce for all BP to be readied so they can check them :P I would dread this if I am a FA, but it's the only way to truly root 'em out.

HDflyer Sep 24, 2007 8:12 am

I have liked the few FAs I have heard make the added announcement that E+ is reserved for elites, those who paid for it, etc. and if you are supposed to be in E-, we will be around before takeoff to charge your credit card for E+ access.

I have actually seen poachers scurrying back to their E- seats!

as219 Sep 24, 2007 9:08 am


Originally Posted by HDflyer (Post 8453085)
I have liked the few FAs I have heard make the added announcement that E+ is reserved for elites, those who paid for it, etc. and if you are supposed to be in E-, we will be around before takeoff to charge your credit card for E+ access.

I have actually seen poachers scurrying back to their E- seats!

I think the FA's job is made more difficult by the lack of distinguishing features of E+... I agree that it shouldn't be a distinct COS, because it really isn't, but the net effect is that the dividing line is blurred for the rest. I've seen a lot of poachers in action, and while some of them certainly know better, others just don't realize that E+ is a different animal.

gre Sep 24, 2007 10:13 am


Originally Posted by as219 (Post 8453396)
... I've seen a lot of poachers in action, and while some of them certainly know better, others just don't realize that E+ is a different animal.

Yes but most of them can count to at least 30 (or whatever row they are assigned to) and most of them know their letters up to K (UA's widest aircraft). No one (at least those capable of traveling alone) can be so stupid as to see Row 30 on their BP and think that they are sitting closer to the front than the back of the aircraft.

mudba Sep 24, 2007 10:19 am


Originally Posted by bhmlurker (Post 8452588)
Perhaps if pax are told that they should have BP ready to be checked, and before door is closed when FA do the count, they can announce for all BP to be readied so they can check them :P I would dread this if I am a FA, but it's the only way to truly root 'em out.


It's much easier than this. The GA should just print out a seating chart with what's assigned vs unassigned and give the map to the FA.

EsquireFlyer Sep 24, 2007 11:09 am


Originally Posted by HDflyer (Post 8453085)
I have liked the few FAs I have heard make the added announcement that E+ is reserved for elites, those who paid for it, etc. and if you are supposed to be in E-, we will be around before takeoff to charge your credit card for E+ access.

I have actually seen poachers scurrying back to their E- seats!

I like this too, but I think the FAs should include elite status in the announcement (maybe they did when you heard it). In the announcements I've heard, the FAs have said that E+ is reserved solely for those who purchased E+. If such inaccurate language spreads through the grapevine to GAs and ICC agents, we could have elites randomly being denied E+ seating, as during rebooking in IRROPS (even when E+ is available), just like we currently see Q-UP pax being denie F seating (even when F seats are available).

gfowler-ord-1k Sep 24, 2007 11:20 am


Originally Posted by mudba (Post 8453774)
It's much easier than this. The GA should just print out a seating chart with what's assigned vs unassigned and give the map to the FA.

Great idea, I hope a UA lurker will pick up on this. There is a seating chart printed for F and C. Hopefully there is an option in the software for Y. I will ask some GAs if this is possible.

bhmlurker Sep 24, 2007 11:24 am


Originally Posted by mudba (Post 8453774)
It's much easier than this. The GA should just print out a seating chart with what's assigned vs unassigned and give the map to the FA.

Ah very good idea, and fast too. If UA would pick up this idea, we wouldn't be able to whine about poachers anymore.

EsquireFlyer Sep 24, 2007 11:30 am


Originally Posted by bhmlurker (Post 8454172)
Ah very good idea, and fast too. If UA would pick up this idea, we wouldn't be able to whine about poachers anymore.

Wouldn't the map be thrown off by people who switch seats / move around within E+ and E-? The FA wouldn't know who the poachers were (without checking everyone's BPs) if people move around at/near the end of the boarding process.


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