First time flying united in years - they charge extra for regular seats in the middle of the airplane???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Think of it more like buying tickets to a live theater performance or a sporting event. The "cheap seats" are literally cheaper for a reason. It's the same on planes - one price does not make you entitled to any seat of your choosing, it's the price for a given band of seats. The more desirable the seats, the more they cost.

Back when the seats were all the same cost, guess what, planes filled up from the front and the back rows were almost always empty. Because the back row of seats are not as comfortable. So by adjusting the pricing, the airline can balance demand, let the people who want to pay more get the better seats, and the people looking for a bargain get the worse seats.

Seems perfectly logical to me.

Guess we found the airline shill.

Doesn’t come across that way to me, a DP. Your eyeballs would pop out if you had to pay the real price for the type of first class service you actually want. But since you can’t afford it you’re going for the lowest base fare which now includes not very much. Like everything else, airfare is very expensive now.

[Anonymous]

NP I get that some seats are desirable but the advertising is what bothers me. You can’t compare airlines apples to apples anymore. Don’t advertise that a seat is only $100 but oh wait, to sit with your family, it’s another $50, plus your suitcase another $50, plus a carry one another $25. The ticket is nowhere near the advertised price.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They have to seat you next to your young child. Just don’t select a seat. Don’t fall for the scam. You will be assigned seats together.

No, they actually don't.

Actually yes, most American carriers do guarantee family seating for children under 12, 13 or 14, depending on the carrier. They must seat the child next to a related adult— for free.

(BTW— this includes United, OP!)

BWAHAHAHA. This is absolutely not happening. Have you even been on a plane recently?

Not that PP, but we flew basic economy united last month. My younger kid is 10, and YES they let you select a free seat for the kid & one adult when you book.

Last summer on frontier even, I quoted their policy to them & got seats with both kids, who were under 14 (frontier’s age cutoff; United uses 12), for free.

So, yes, it’s happening.