Booked flights but couldn’t choose seats

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Also be aware that with United Basic you can not bring a carry on..only something that will fit under the seat. You can pay to check a bag but there is no option for a carry on at all. The one time I did it....as we waited to be the last boarding group they really gave us the peon treatment. That said I ended up with a window seat next to an empty middle so it worked out fine.

I’m looking at my basic economy confirmation email right now and it says carry-on baggage allowed.

for which airline? Delta and American basic economy tickets do allow full-size carry-ons which only fit in the overhead bin. United is the one of the "Big 3" which does not allow that for basic economy.

And yes, even with United basic economy you can have a backpack sized carry-on, as long as it's no bigger than 17x10x9. Most roller type carry-on sized bags are between 20-23 inches in length, so they wouldn't qualify and have to go in the overhead bin. That's what United basic economy doesn't allow for free.

How do they even know this when you board? I have flown United many times (never basic economy though), and I can't think of ever seeing someone stopped for trying to board with carry on luggage as long as it's regular carry on size. Does a big X come up on the scanner?

The last two flights I have been on had an attendent come through the waiting area and look at people's tickets to see their baggage allowances. If you weren't in certain classes, you were gate checked right there. It was great.

But gate checking is for free, so isn't that sort of defeating the purpose of the basic economy prices - from United's standpoint at least.

No- if you are basic economy they will charge you to gate check. This is only for United, to be clear, for basic economy in the US, Caribbean and Mexico.

So there's an attendant coming through the waiting area and plucking people out to gate check AND taking payment? I don't believe this.

They check all bags when it is time for group 6 to board.

Yes you would not see it if you have not chosen economy basic. They use the same gizmo they use to charge you for food on the plane. I once had to demo that my bag was very squishy and would slide under a seat.

What if you don’t have a credit or debit card with you? I know that sounds stupid, but I’m thinking along the lines of a college student flying home for break with only $5 in his pocket? Would they just not allow him to board the pjane because of the carry-on? This seems wrong.

[Anonymous]

To OP, this should be relatively easy to fix:

Using your Record Locator, go into your reservation and select seats. If you originally booked a "basic economy" fare, you'll need to pay extra for advance seat selection. Everyone else who has a pre-assigned seat paid extra for that privilege, so please don't assume they should give up those seats on travel day to someone who opted for the economy fare.

Alternately, if your husband purchased the other fare that includes advanced seat selection but merely forgot that step before, he should be able to select among the economy seats remaining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

OP - well I have no idea how my kid will act because he has flown once, when he was 1. I assume he will be fine as long as he is sitting next to me. If he isn't then he most definitely will scream.

Then you need to pay extra for advance seat assignments to ensure you're sitting together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What happens if there are truly not 5 seats together? Or even 2 so kids can sit in pairs (younger with one parent)?

You book a different flight if sitting w your kids is important to you. We adjusted vacation dates and bought more expensive tickets to accommodate sitting w our kids.

+1
This seems so obvious.

We don't book if we can't afford tickets that allow us to sit together. It's part of being a parent.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Also be aware that with United Basic you can not bring a carry on..only something that will fit under the seat. You can pay to check a bag but there is no option for a carry on at all. The one time I did it....as we waited to be the last boarding group they really gave us the peon treatment. That said I ended up with a window seat next to an empty middle so it worked out fine.

I’m looking at my basic economy confirmation email right now and it says carry-on baggage allowed.

for which airline? Delta and American basic economy tickets do allow full-size carry-ons which only fit in the overhead bin. United is the one of the "Big 3" which does not allow that for basic economy.

And yes, even with United basic economy you can have a backpack sized carry-on, as long as it's no bigger than 17x10x9. Most roller type carry-on sized bags are between 20-23 inches in length, so they wouldn't qualify and have to go in the overhead bin. That's what United basic economy doesn't allow for free.

How do they even know this when you board? I have flown United many times (never basic economy though), and I can't think of ever seeing someone stopped for trying to board with carry on luggage as long as it's regular carry on size. Does a big X come up on the scanner?

The last two flights I have been on had an attendent come through the waiting area and look at people's tickets to see their baggage allowances. If you weren't in certain classes, you were gate checked right there. It was great.

But gate checking is for free, so isn't that sort of defeating the purpose of the basic economy prices - from United's standpoint at least.

No- if you are basic economy they will charge you to gate check. This is only for United, to be clear, for basic economy in the US, Caribbean and Mexico.

So there's an attendant coming through the waiting area and plucking people out to gate check AND taking payment? I don't believe this.

They check all bags when it is time for group 6 to board.

Yes you would not see it if you have not chosen economy basic. They use the same gizmo they use to charge you for food on the plane. I once had to demo that my bag was very squishy and would slide under a seat.

What if you don’t have a credit or debit card with you? I know that sounds stupid, but I’m thinking along the lines of a college student flying home for break with only $5 in his pocket? Would they just not allow him to board the pjane because of the carry-on? This seems wrong.

You think a college kid in 2024 doesn't have a debit or credit card on them, or saved in Apple Pay? Every high school student I know does,even if it's a prepaid card for kids like Greenlight.

[Anonymous]

OP's husband just wanted to do this on the cheap. So he picked the cheapest flights without understanding what he wasn't getting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP's husband just wanted to do this on the cheap. So he picked the cheapest flights without understanding what he wasn't getting.

100%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op - we are already paying over $650 a person to fly to Florida! I can’t believe we have to upgrade our seats just to make sure we can sit next to our kids.

How airlines allow this to continue is ridiculous.

Write your Congressperson - Congress has been trying to change this since the mid 2010s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP - well I have no idea how my kid will act because he has flown once, when he was 1. I assume he will be fine as long as he is sitting next to me. If he isn't then he most definitely will scream.

Then you need to pay extra for advance seat assignments to ensure you're sitting together.

+10000. No one should be expected to trade seats with you because you were cheap and booked a flight where you were not together. You had the same ability as everyone else yo plan in advance and find a flight that had the seats you needed. Especially now that the folks pay extra for most seats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP's husband just wanted to do this on the cheap. So he picked the cheapest flights without understanding what he wasn't getting.

100%

Op - if you read all the replies you will see that my DH did book economy (not basic economy) but there was still no option to choose seats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate parents like OP.

Me too. Terrible parenting to even allow for the possibility that your very young child may not be sat with you on a flight. I've been on a flight with my own child, where they sat a tiny 3 year old girl next to us, and her dad was a few rows ahead. Luckily for them, me and my teenage son are not weirdos, but if we were, there was certainly nothing to stop any bad actors during the flight.

The risk of harm to your child on a flight are not worth whatever pennies you're saving. Piss poor parenting right there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP's husband just wanted to do this on the cheap. So he picked the cheapest flights without understanding what he wasn't getting.

100%

Op - if you read all the replies you will see that my DH did book economy (not basic economy) but there was still no option to choose seats.

You repeating this lie does not make it true. When you book an option besides Basic Economy, it absolutely lets you choose your seats.

Your husband chose pennies over his daughter's safety. That is gross!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP's husband just wanted to do this on the cheap. So he picked the cheapest flights without understanding what he wasn't getting.

100%

Op - if you read all the replies you will see that my DH did book economy (not basic economy) but there was still no option to choose seats.

This is standard.

It's because he booked via a 3rd party

You need to sign on to united with the record locator to choose the seats

If you can't that means that the flight is nearly fully booked and there are no advance seats left. You will have to do it at the airport

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate parents like OP.

Me too. Terrible parenting to even allow for the possibility that your very young child may not be sat with you on a flight. I've been on a flight with my own child, where they sat a tiny 3 year old girl next to us, and her dad was a few rows ahead. Luckily for them, me and my teenage son are not weirdos, but if we were, there was certainly nothing to stop any bad actors during the flight.

The risk of harm to your child on a flight are not worth whatever pennies you're saving. Piss poor parenting right there.

Neither you nor your teenage son offered to switch seats with the dad?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP's husband just wanted to do this on the cheap. So he picked the cheapest flights without understanding what he wasn't getting.

100%

Op - if you read all the replies you will see that my DH did book economy (not basic economy) but there was still no option to choose seats.

You repeating this lie does not make it true. When you book an option besides Basic Economy, it absolutely lets you choose your seats.

Your husband chose pennies over his daughter's safety. That is gross!

Op - well I went into my email and my ticket specifically says economy. Not basic economy. Not sure how this is a lie.