Debi

I have a flight to Zurich in a couple weeks on United - and this is the first time this has happened to me.... When my travel agent made the flight, they provided me seat assignments on the flight over to Zurich. Somehow, something got changed - because when I try to go on United (I'm a frequent traveler) to change my seat assignment, it says no seat assignments are available, seats will be provided at check in. Now, obviously, I don't want to risk not getting a decent seat flying across the Atlantic. I contact the Mileage Plus group, but they said they couldn't help with seat assignments. Maybe I've been lucky, since this has never happened before (well, not for extended periods of time). I've been trying since last Thursday to get seats, and I get the same message for both going to and from Europe. My assumption is that they're switching planes around - but has anyone had this go on for this long, and is there any way to "unstick" the database? Thanks for any suggestions you have.....

simpsonc510

If you are flying on a code share to Zurich on Swiss, you will not be able to select your seats. If you are flying on actual UA flights, then I'm not sure what the hang-up would be....

Is there any notice of "Schedule Change" with your reservation? If so, you cannot access seats until you call their 1-800 number to verify the schedule change. I've noted that when there is a schedule change on any of my itineraries it stays "stuck" until I make that call to the 1-800 number. Then they reset it, and it's no problem to go in and look at seats.

Carol

Debi

It's a flight that is a UA aircraft (not a code share), and I tried to call the 800 number, but I couldn't get an answer.... I'll try again. To my knowledge there hasn't been a schedule change (it still shows the original schedule that was booked), but I do think there was a plane change somewhere in the middle of it. I'll try the 800 number again and see what I can find out.... I thought it was odd... Thank you.

ms_go

Is it a 767? You might be on the one of the planes with the new first/business seats. I don't have personal experience, but I've seen on flyertalk that United seems to be blocking large parts of the seat map in all classes; not sure why, but quite a few people seem to be running into this issue. I think I've read that they open up either at check-in or sometime around then. You might look for one of the threads on FT about that.

Debi

OK - Too weird. I did get through to the 800 number, and a very nice young man told me that yes, all the seats were blocked, and he couldn't see anything either.... It's possible it's due to a plane change, but the flight is 1.5 weeks away, so one would HOPE (but one would be foolish, wouldn't one...) that they would have made a decision by now - since they need to know how many seats they need... He said I could keep calling back.... It is definitely a puzzle.... and not a fun one, either.....

rkkwan

Two issues here. One is whether you can seat assignments. With some airlines, advanced seat assignments (or at least online seat assignments) are closed after a percentage of seats have been assigned. This helps the gate agents to seat families with no seat assignments together just before the flight.

Second is why you've "lost" your seat assignments. I have no idea, but have you confirmed the seats on united.bomb before, soon after your TA has allegedly gotten you seats?

ms_go

I did a little research (checking some random seat maps for next year). Further to my point above, United is blocking the entire right side of the aircraft, in all classes, on flights using the "new" configuration. The 767 is used on IAD-ZRH flights, and in economy, the EHJK seats are all blocked. That's four of seven seats in every row. That's probably the issue here. As mentioned above, check the FT threads for insight on when they open them.

ms_go

Should have added, I didn't check seat maps for first, but this is happening for business and economy.

simpsonc510

Debi
You do still have the original seats booked for you, right?

When there is a change of plane type, I was told by a UA person that if you had a window before, you will have a window again. Likewise, aisle seats before plane change will result in aisle seats afterwards as well.

Good luck with this.

I'm flying to ZRH in a month, out of ORD, but on Swiss (non-stop). UA usually prices Swiss tickets soooooooo much more expensive that I don't bother trying to book them on the UA site, and book on Swiss instead. I cannot select seats ahead of time.. but I'll deal with it. DH and I usually don't have a problem getting the 2 seats (window, aisle) on one side of the plane or the other.

I see that UA is now pricing Swiss tickets much more reasonably. I've looked on UA and also on Swiss and am not finding the HUGE price differences I used to see, now that I'm looking at our trip for next March. Hope that tendency continues, as I'd like to book on UA's site, even though the will not let me select seats.

(I don't like flying thru Dulles!!)

Patty

<i> I cannot select seats ahead of time.. but I'll deal with it.</i>

Why can't you select seats ahead of time? My in-laws are flying LX next month and I called for their seat assignments. They show up as confirmed on checkmytrip. Or do you mean if it's booked as a UA coded flight?

Patty

Sorry, I'm totally having a brain fart today. They're booked on OS

ms_go

I was able to reserve seat assignments with Swiss for a trip last June (at the time of booking many months before). Have you called? I bought my tickets directly from Swiss and not through United. Interestingly, Swiss was the only European carrier I've personally encountered that has let me pre-select economy seat assignments at booking for intra-European flights as well as transatlantic flights.

Debi

When my admin initially booked my flight, I had aisle seats, but I think it was not for a 767 (I had an F and a D seat - and there aren't any of those on a 767). As SOON as I got my itinerary from the travel agent, I went online to check my seat (I have some status), and that's when I saw that everything was blocked - and that obviously, my initial seats weren't correct. I do keep checking every day - HOPING that it opens up. I hope they do keep me in an aisle, and I'm hoping my status is somewhat helpful..... Again, I've never had this issue with United before - and I fly them all the time.... Sigh.....

mrwunrfl

You'll be able to check-in online 24 hourse before the flight.

Debi

YEAHHHH - the seats became available today for at least the here to Zurich part.....(I'm going on to Germany) and back home. They didn't have me in any seat - but there were lots of seats available, so I'm sure as people see they can book now, they'll fill up... Odd, very odd...

ms_go

<i>Odd, very odd</i>

United is using the new configuration 767 to Zurich (at least over the next week or so). As I mentioned above, for flights using the new configuration, UA has been blocking the entire right side of the plane (including 4 of 7 seats in every economy row) until a couple of days before the flight. The block applies to everyone, including those with UA elite status. Not sure why it's happening, other than maybe to give the agents some flexibility in case there's a last-minute switch back to the old config.

soccr

Maybe the engines are imbalanced and they need all the weight on one side to keep the plane from going around in circles.

Debi

Well - United didn't block the right side the of the plane, they just didn't release any of the seats until the other day, but they released all of them. Now, I still couldn't get seats on the next let into Germany (it was on Lufthansa), so I ended up calling their call center - and SHE WAS SO NICE!!!! Booked me a seat right away, and she was just delightful. She apologized for my problems getting seats. It was really a neat experience... Well, would have been nicer if I didn't have to worry about not having seats for a week or so - but other than that...

Patty

<i>Now, I still couldn't get seats on the next let into Germany (it was on Lufthansa), so I ended up calling their call center - and SHE WAS SO NICE!!!! Booked me a seat right away</i>

Was this an intra-Europe flight? Economy or business?

Debi

It was an Intra-Europe, Economy seat. And - to make it more complex (but handled wonderfully by Lufthansa call center), it was actually a Swiss Air flight, coshared with Lufthansa and booked through United.,... . AND the plane was only about 1/3 full.... Interesting. But - again - the call center for Lufthansa was great..