United seat assignment - Economy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You may have to choose a seat that has a premium charge assigned to it - anywhere from $25-$100 more. There is a color key when picking seats that tells you if there is a charge for the available seats. It may be that all of the “free” economy seats are taken (or are all in the middle row between other seats so not together).

No. They will give OP those seats for free the day of the flight. OP, don't be fooled into paying even more for them.

Our recent flights were fully booked (or oversold). I would not count in sitting anywhere desirable if you wait.

This is the problem. If a plane is oversold, the people without seat assignments are the first to be bumped.

If you have a ticket they aren't allowed to just bump you off the flight. They have to pay people to get off voluntarily. They keep raising the payout until enough people volunteer to get off. There was a story in the news the other day where Delta had to pay either $5,000 or $10,000 per person to get people to volunteer on a flight out of MN.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You may have to choose a seat that has a premium charge assigned to it - anywhere from $25-$100 more. There is a color key when picking seats that tells you if there is a charge for the available seats. It may be that all of the “free” economy seats are taken (or are all in the middle row between other seats so not together).

No. They will give OP those seats for free the day of the flight. OP, don't be fooled into paying even more for them.

Our recent flights were fully booked (or oversold). I would not count in sitting anywhere desirable if you wait.

This right here. They oversold my last work flight. They needed 7 people to deplane and only got 4 in the end (enough for 1 family to board but not sit together).

Flying right now is basically just absolute BS and lawlessness.

I saw an IG story from a young woman on a flight from London. They boarded at like 2 pm and sat on the tarmac for over 5 hours. Some of the flight crew timed out but agreed to continue through (pilots were still good to go). The flight was supposed to go to Seattle but ended up with an alternate destination of JFK. Luckily, everyone was given hotel rooms and food voucher. They they took a flight the next day from JFK to SEA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You may have to choose a seat that has a premium charge assigned to it - anywhere from $25-$100 more. There is a color key when picking seats that tells you if there is a charge for the available seats. It may be that all of the “free” economy seats are taken (or are all in the middle row between other seats so not together).

No. They will give OP those seats for free the day of the flight. OP, don't be fooled into paying even more for them.

Our recent flights were fully booked (or oversold). I would not count in sitting anywhere desirable if you wait.

This is the problem. If a plane is oversold, the people without seat assignments are the first to be bumped.

If you have a ticket they aren't allowed to just bump you off the flight. They have to pay people to get off voluntarily. They keep raising the payout until enough people volunteer to get off. There was a story in the news the other day where Delta had to pay either $5,000 or $10,000 per person to get people to volunteer on a flight out of MN.

They try not to, but if no one volunteers, they bump people who don’t have a seat assignment. It’s happened to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You may have to choose a seat that has a premium charge assigned to it - anywhere from $25-$100 more. There is a color key when picking seats that tells you if there is a charge for the available seats. It may be that all of the “free” economy seats are taken (or are all in the middle row between other seats so not together).

No. They will give OP those seats for free the day of the flight. OP, don't be fooled into paying even more for them.

Our recent flights were fully booked (or oversold). I would not count in sitting anywhere desirable if you wait.

This right here. They oversold my last work flight. They needed 7 people to deplane and only got 4 in the end (enough for 1 family to board but not sit together).

Flying right now is basically just absolute BS and lawlessness.

I saw an IG story from a young woman on a flight from London. They boarded at like 2 pm and sat on the tarmac for over 5 hours. Some of the flight crew timed out but agreed to continue through (pilots were still good to go). The flight was supposed to go to Seattle but ended up with an alternate destination of JFK. Luckily, everyone was given hotel rooms and food voucher. They they took a flight the next day from JFK to SEA.

I had a United flight from Heathrow several weeks ago sit on the tarmac for close to 4 hours because of some mechanical issue. No one could get off. It was insane. Flying is an absolute crapshoot these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You may have to choose a seat that has a premium charge assigned to it - anywhere from $25-$100 more. There is a color key when picking seats that tells you if there is a charge for the available seats. It may be that all of the “free” economy seats are taken (or are all in the middle row between other seats so not together).

No. They will give OP those seats for free the day of the flight. OP, don't be fooled into paying even more for them.

Our recent flights were fully booked (or oversold). I would not count in sitting anywhere desirable if you wait.

If they can claim a mechanical issue then they don't pay anything. We got bumped because they allegedly had to "use a different plane" and it had two fewer seats. Of course there was no mention of when that substitution was made or actual proof.

This is the problem. If a plane is oversold, the people without seat assignments are the first to be bumped.

If you have a ticket they aren't allowed to just bump you off the flight. They have to pay people to get off voluntarily. They keep raising the payout until enough people volunteer to get off. There was a story in the news the other day where Delta had to pay either $5,000 or $10,000 per person to get people to volunteer on a flight out of MN.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You may have to choose a seat that has a premium charge assigned to it - anywhere from $25-$100 more. There is a color key when picking seats that tells you if there is a charge for the available seats. It may be that all of the “free” economy seats are taken (or are all in the middle row between other seats so not together).

No. They will give OP those seats for free the day of the flight. OP, don't be fooled into paying even more for them.

Our recent flights were fully booked (or oversold). I would not count in sitting anywhere desirable if you wait.

This is the problem. If a plane is oversold, the people without seat assignments are the first to be bumped.

If you have a ticket they aren't allowed to just bump you off the flight. They have to pay people to get off voluntarily. They keep raising the payout until enough people volunteer to get off. There was a story in the news the other day where Delta had to pay either $5,000 or $10,000 per person to get people to volunteer on a flight out of MN.

If they can claim a mechanical issue then they don't pay anything. We got bumped because they allegedly had to "use a different plane" and it had two fewer seats. Of course there was no mention of when that substitution was made or actual proof. No solicitation for volunteers or offer for payment.
No priority getting rebooked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You may have to choose a seat that has a premium charge assigned to it - anywhere from $25-$100 more. There is a color key when picking seats that tells you if there is a charge for the available seats. It may be that all of the “free” economy seats are taken (or are all in the middle row between other seats so not together).

No. They will give OP those seats for free the day of the flight. OP, don't be fooled into paying even more for them.

Our recent flights were fully booked (or oversold). I would not count in sitting anywhere desirable if you wait.

This right here. They oversold my last work flight. They needed 7 people to deplane and only got 4 in the end (enough for 1 family to board but not sit together).

Flying right now is basically just absolute BS and lawlessness.

I saw an IG story from a young woman on a flight from London. They boarded at like 2 pm and sat on the tarmac for over 5 hours. Some of the flight crew timed out but agreed to continue through (pilots were still good to go). The flight was supposed to go to Seattle but ended up with an alternate destination of JFK. Luckily, everyone was given hotel rooms and food voucher. They they took a flight the next day from JFK to SEA.

I had a United flight from Heathrow several weeks ago sit on the tarmac for close to 4 hours because of some mechanical issue. No one could get off. It was insane. Flying is an absolute crapshoot these days.

What is going on with their maintenance??? I was taking United from Dulles TO Paris a few weeks ago, and the same thing happened (we sat on the tarmac in the US, for 4 hours, with multiple mechanical issues). Hope an accident is not in the offing....

[Anonymous]

Interesting to see the "I'm not paying extra in advance for seats" crowd here, which heavily overlaps (I assume) with the "I showed up to this flight and demand to sit next to my 4 companions and everyone must move to accommodate me" crowd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You may have to choose a seat that has a premium charge assigned to it - anywhere from $25-$100 more. There is a color key when picking seats that tells you if there is a charge for the available seats. It may be that all of the “free” economy seats are taken (or are all in the middle row between other seats so not together).

No. They will give OP those seats for free the day of the flight. OP, don't be fooled into paying even more for them.

Our recent flights were fully booked (or oversold). I would not count in sitting anywhere desirable if you wait.

This is the problem. If a plane is oversold, the people without seat assignments are the first to be bumped.

+1. This happened on our flight 2 hapless souls couldn’t get out of DCA

[Anonymous]

Airlines should change the levels to be more clear.

Steerage Class: You are Cattle to us
Basic B***h Class: Maybe You get a good seat, maybe not"
Striver: Fine, here's an aisle in row 20 since you paid $150 extra
Rich B***h: anything you want, and here's some champagne.

[Anonymous]

Better to pay a little extra and get your seat assignments in hand.

[Anonymous]

We had paid for premium seats and they bumped us out of them the morning of our flight. The only ones left together were exit row (couldn't sit there). We ended up split in bulkhead. It was still premium, but that's a scam b/c there is no seat in front to store your items and they take up the left overhead with supplies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting to see the "I'm not paying extra in advance for seats" crowd here, which heavily overlaps (I assume) with the "I showed up to this flight and demand to sit next to my 4 companions and everyone must move to accommodate me" crowd.

No. One of the differences between “basic economy” and “economy” now is that you are supposed to be able to select a seat. I’m in the same boat as OP for an upcoming United flight. There are probably 25 seats available right now in economy, but they’re all paid seats and I get a message saying there are no complimentary economy seats remaining. I will get an assignment at check in or at the airport.

Even if I were to have booked with 4 companions, it’s a bait and switch. They literally advertise this as a perk and you get to the seat map and too bad, so sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Better to pay a little extra and get your seat assignments in hand.

That’s typically my philosophy as well but I 100% agree that the airlines are getting very greedy. They need to be reined in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You may have to choose a seat that has a premium charge assigned to it - anywhere from $25-$100 more. There is a color key when picking seats that tells you if there is a charge for the available seats. It may be that all of the “free” economy seats are taken (or are all in the middle row between other seats so not together).

No. They will give OP those seats for free the day of the flight. OP, don't be fooled into paying even more for them.

Our recent flights were fully booked (or oversold). I would not count in sitting anywhere desirable if you wait.

This right here. They oversold my last work flight. They needed 7 people to deplane and only got 4 in the end (enough for 1 family to board but not sit together).

Flying right now is basically just absolute BS and lawlessness.

I saw an IG story from a young woman on a flight from London. They boarded at like 2 pm and sat on the tarmac for over 5 hours. Some of the flight crew timed out but agreed to continue through (pilots were still good to go). The flight was supposed to go to Seattle but ended up with an alternate destination of JFK. Luckily, everyone was given hotel rooms and food voucher. They they took a flight the next day from JFK to SEA.

I had a United flight from Heathrow several weeks ago sit on the tarmac for close to 4 hours because of some mechanical issue. No one could get off. It was insane. Flying is an absolute crapshoot these days.

What is going on with their maintenance??? I was taking United from Dulles TO Paris a few weeks ago, and the same thing happened (we sat on the tarmac in the US, for 4 hours, with multiple mechanical issues). Hope an accident is not in the offing....

Understaffed, I guess, like everything else right now. I also sat for over an hour on the way to London, but they were able to fix that issue and make the scheduled arrival. It’s terrifying to have maintenance issue after maintenance issue on these flights.