United. Change in plane and seat unvailability
 

We booked UA ORD-DEL on biz and chose seats in the 1st row on a 777 which was configured in a 2-2-2 pattern and no 1st class.
However now the plane configuration is a first(?) class with eight seats, biz in a 2-4-2 configuration and our seats have been reassigned to row 6 which is ok as its the 1st row of biz class. However at this time no seats in first or front are available nor have they assigned.
Any ideas as to why this is? I would at least like to see if we can upgrade but you simply can't touch them at this time.
Thank you.

United doesn't sell global first anymore, so it isn't possible to upgrade into them. Global Services members can reserve those seats (they were previously also available to Premier 1Ks, but not anymore). According to the wiki on this flyertalk thread, any business class passenger can select them at check-in if available.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...-pre-ocli.html

When are you flying? It is likely that United will change the aircraft/seating configuration, including within the day or two before flight. We had flights booked with this configuration earlier in the year, and 777 model changed several times. At the time, I was able to reserve seats in first as a Premier 1K, but we got bumped out of them a couple of days before the flight when the configuration changed to a Polaris model and then back to this one.

The seats you are talking about (rows 1 & 2) are the old global first seats. They are larger and have more room than the business class seats (2-4-2) on that particular aircraft, which are the "old" (pre-Polaris) business seats. United calls that Polaris service, but there are newer ("true Polaris") business class seats on other aircraft, including some other 777s (2-2-2 business class configuration). They are closer to the old global first seats in space, maybe not quite as big but newer/better layout.

It's confusing because there are five or six different 777 seating configurations right now.

Expect your flight to change configurations at least once, and particularly close in to the date of travel.

Larry -
Yes, if you are flying Polaris you get to use the Polaris lounge - it's the level of service and not the physical configuration of the plane that determines your access. .

UA sells "Polaris Service" on many of its international routes, which includes amenities like the upgraded Saks bedding and a (supposedly) upgraded inflight menu, but not all aircraft have been retrofitted with the new Polaris seats. The 2-4-2 configuration you mentioned - which I think is horrible - is one where you will see Polaris service but not Polaris seats. The 777s with the old Global First configuration are the same thing - not yet retrofitted with new seats.

As ms. go notes, those Global First seats can be reserved in advance only by Global Service members. In the 24 hours before scheduled departure, anyone with a Business class ticket can select one of them if available. They are more spacious and cushy than in Business.