Choice of E+ seat when purchasing E+ on a flight?
 

When someone without E+ access, such as a GM, purchases E+ for a specific flight...can they select a specific E+ seat or are they randomly assigned a seat?

Looking at available seats on upcoming flights I see examples of middle E+ seats reserved and window and aisle are open. I highly doubt elites are choosing middle seats.

They get to pick just like everyone else.

Could be one person of a pair cleared their upgrade, or a change of equipment threw all the seats into disarray.

Can you offer an example flight/date? I have never seen this.

Flight 779 8-21-08 BOS-DEN Seat 11B is taken while seats 11A and 11C are open.

Took a look at it...definitely out of the ordinary for a seat selection. You get to pick your seat before paying the upcharge. 3 things come to mind.

1) The person REALLY wants the entire row to him/her so they think by picking a middle seat, they ward off people who are trying to have a seat between them.

2) The person REALLY likes the middle seat.

3) The person actually clicked on the wrong seat.

Any E+ seat that is not in an exit row, I believe.

Correct. Those are still blocked out for 1P Elites and above.

Also interesting, as a 3P, I cannot choose a seat in row 8 on a 757-200.

Correct, that's an exit row.

Well, that explains it; hard to tell as it's not marked as such on UA's webpage and I didn't look at seatguru, which shows it is. Thanks.

Row 8 is nice though. I have sat there twice...plenty of room.