United Seat Selection

airbus125

Flying UA to Newark soon and went to book our seats today but there is no seats together left theres just a couple single seats around the plane. They hardly expect a family with children to sit scattered around the plane? Nearly all the economy plus seats are available but they're $99 each. What should I do? Do they still keep a couple seats aside for passengers at check in? If not would they just put us in economy plus? I know its not fair on the people who paid for them but as I said before they hardly expect us to be split up. Its grand having say 2 at the front and 2 at the back just not all alone throughout the plane.
Thanks

murphym7

airbus125 wrote: »

Flying UA to Newark soon and went to book our seats today but there is no seats together left theres just a couple single seats around the plane. They hardly expect a family with children to sit scattered around the plane? Nearly all the economy plus seats are available but they're $99 each. What should I do? Do they still keep a couple seats aside for passengers at check in? If not would they just put us in economy plus? I know its not fair on the people who paid for them but as I said before they hardly expect us to be split up. Its grand having say 2 at the front and 2 at the back but what about a young teenage girl on her in the middle of two old men as an example.

Thanks

When you say soon, how soon?

owenc

Well we booked ours early.

But the last time they changed the seats and we were not together we said to them and they had it changed. You will have to nag them at check in though.

Why not ring up after you buy the flights or even better try changing the date or going a different route.

airbus125

end of July (so not that soon). We already booked the tickets ages ago but chose not to select the seats then for some stupid reason

owenc

I am very surprised that there are only a few seats. Our flight is on the end of June and we were able to go in and change our seats a few days ago.

Looking now all the seats are taken up but it was only about two weeks ago when there were about 20 seats left. Although we booked the later one so maybe that is something to do with it?

airbus125

Ye the later flight has a lot more seats left on it and we can't even change it cause we have a jet blue flight that we have to catch after

whitebriar

Do they have online check in?
If so,if that's open 24hrs before your flight,you'll probably be able to change to sit together then.
But do it immediately when olci opens at the crack of t-24.

Changing flights will depend on how restricted your tickets are for both jet blue and United.
It might be costly.

Jhcx

Yes united airlines have online check in open 24hrs before. It's hard to say if they will have seats together. unfortunetly policy does dictate that they will not hand out economy plus seats unless paid for. Or if you hold a silver mileage plus and higher card. Some seats could currently be held and may be released closer to the flight or from people who cannot travel on that day. Keep an eye on them or ring reservations to see if they could make a note of it to try to get you seats together. Usually families are always accommodated also show up at the airport when checkin is due to open to see if they can accommodate you if the seats have not been resolved.

owenc

airbus125 wrote: »

Ye the later flight has a lot more seats left on it and we can't even change it cause we have a jet blue flight that we have to catch after

Oh ok. Why did you not use United?

You should really just ring them and i'm sure they will change it.

owenc

Jhcx wrote: »

Yes united airlines have online check in open 24hrs before. It's hard to say if they will have seats together. unfortunetly policy does dictate that they will not hand out economy plus seats unless paid for. Or if you hold a silver mileage plus and higher card. Some seats could currently be held and may be released closer to the flight or from people who cannot travel on that day. Keep an eye on them or ring reservations to see if they could make a note of it to try to get you seats together. Usually families are always accommodated also show up at the airport when checkin is due to open to see if they can accommodate you if the seats have not been resolved.

Yes a few seats became available for us a few days ago. Obviously was people cancelling or changing.

I'm sure if he keeps checking everyday he will find some. Although I can't see how he will change the seats without a mileage plus card

airbus125

If i signed up for a card and transferred the points/miles with the confirmation code from the booking would i have enough to even get 1/2 seats in economy plus or even a discount on them?

airbus125

owenc wrote: »

Oh ok. Why did you not use United?

You should really just ring them and i'm sure they will change it.

It was slight cheaper on United but they wanted 125 for baggage and jet blue was free + jet blue have live tv on the flights united's domestic 757's don't.
And also the flight departure & arrival times were better on Jetblue

dubdaymo

what about a young teenage girl on her in the middle of two old men as an example.

I'm surprised that this sexist comment has been allowed to go unpunished. How dare you impugn old men in that fashion.Would you have the same opinion about a young teenage boy in the middle of two old women? I should remind you of what happened to BA:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10401416

airbus125

dubdaymo wrote: »

I'm surprised that this sexist comment has been allowed to go unpunished. How dare you impugn old men in that fashion.Would you have the same opinion about a young teenage boy in the middle of two old women? I should remind you of what happened to BA:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10401416

Sorry about that your right I edited the post.

owenc

airbus125 wrote: »

It was slight cheaper on United but they wanted 125 for baggage and jet blue was free + jet blue have live tv on the flights united's domestic 757's don't.
And also the flight departure & arrival times were better on Jetblue

Well United domestic 757s do have tvs we are going on one to MCO from ewr and it is just a transatlantic 757.

lord lucan

This discussion is better suited to the travel forum.

Moved from Aviation & Aircraft.

endofrainbow

airbus125 wrote: »

Flying UA to Newark soon and went to book our seats today but there is no seats together left theres just a couple single seats around the plane. They hardly expect a family with children to sit scattered around the plane? Nearly all the economy plus seats are available but they're $99 each. What should I do? Do they still keep a couple seats aside for passengers at check in? If not would they just put us in economy plus? I know its not fair on the people who paid for them but as I said before they hardly expect us to be split up. Its grand having say 2 at the front and 2 at the back just not all alone throughout the plane.
Thanks

Airlines always hold back seat assignments for this very reason. Gate Agents may be able to assist you but this is why you should select seats when you purchase the flights. You also cannot expect people who have chosen specific seats to be moved to accommodate you since you didn't select seats when you had the opportunity.

They are not going to put you in Economy Plus - why should they? you haven't paid for it.....If you all wish to sit together you will need to purchase the Economy Plus seats. Could one child sit with one parent and the other child with the other parent?

endofrainbow

airbus125 wrote: »

If i signed up for a card and transferred the points/miles with the confirmation code from the booking would i have enough to even get 1/2 seats in economy plus or even a discount on them?

no .

schemingbohemia

airbus125 wrote: »

It was slight cheaper on United but they wanted 125 for baggage and jet blue was free + jet blue have live tv on the flights united's domestic 757's don't.
And also the flight departure & arrival times were better on Jetblue

Is that really a criteria for you? Wouldn't even occur to me as a positive, in fact probably would put me off. Ah well, different strokes and all that.

airbus125

Put an alert on for seats on expertflyer and theres 6 blocked seats so I presume they'll be released 24hrs before as people said but when I went to flight availability on it it says at least 72 free economy seats available. I think this sounds way to high to be true. Maybe they want people to buy the economy plus if they want to be beside people.


And No i do not think we should get a free economy plus upgrade i meant that if they have no other seats what would they do?

So do you think that 72 could be a reasonable number or is it way too high.

Thanks

galwayjohn89

I've been put in Economy Plus last few times I flew United. When travelling alone I never pick a seat and check in late enough, if there's no economy seats left they'll put in you economy plus.

endofrainbow

as explained above, GA's have the authority to change seating assignments at their discretion and may juggle it so at least one parent is sitting with one child.

Jhcx

Vuzuggu wrote: »

I've been put in Economy Plus last few times I flew United. When travelling alone I never pick a seat and check in late enough, if there's no economy seats left they'll put in you economy plus.

No they won't that's a myth or by chance. They did that years ago. People copped on show up late they will put you in a plus seat so they cut it out. They shouldn't put you in a plus seat unless they have a valid reason.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

endofrainbow

The later you check in , the more likelihood there is of getting bumped.

galwayjohn89

Jhcx wrote: »

No they won't that's a myth or by chance. They did that years ago. People copped on show up late they will put you in a plus seat so they cut it out. They shouldn't put you in a plus seat unless they have a valid reason.

economy+ seats are trated as economy for fare buckets. They are the same class of travel. Of course they'll put you in them if there are no economy seats left. What do you think they'd do? Leave you behind?

galwayjohn89

Premier members get economy plus free of charge, which is why non premier get bumped up in that case.

Jhcx

Yes that's correct. it's upto the gate to allow them to sit in plus seats. It's not Garrenteed though. As a seat in standard may become free. But in the case of the op don't chance it if your travelling with children.

Jhcx

Spoke to the united personnel. The case with plus seats is that you can request one, if the flight is full. You will be given a standby seat and get assigned at the gate. Should a standard economy seat become available before boarding you will be assigned to that seat. So could still be scattered all over the aircraft.

airbus125

Jhcx wrote: »

Spoke to the united personnel. The case with plus seats is that you can request one, if the flight is full. You will be given a standby seat and get assigned at the gate. Should a standard economy seat become available before boarding you will be assigned to that seat. So could still be scattered all over the aircraft.

Thanks for that,
Probably the best thing to do is to wait until 24 hours before and see if any 2 seats together become available if not just wait until we get to the airport. I'd much rather have seats together than be waiting to see if we get an upgrade but I suppose if I book them now we'll be scattered around anyway

Much appreciated

keithclancy

If its anything like American you just have to pay extra to book seats, if you just take the randomly assigned ones during online check in you end up with seats next to each other anyway (Seats that were unavailable to pick for free previously)

airbus125

UPDATE: I selected the seats scattered around the plane but a week before I went to check if more seats became available, 2 of the seats were gone. I phoned united and we got free economy plus emergency exit seats together.