sassy27

I am leaving on Friday from EWR to GVA. I booked my tickets back in April and did pick my seats at the time. Today, I received the usual email about upgrading my seat, etc. So I went to check on my seats and sure enough they were moved. I checked and there was no aircraft change. I do notice however, the seats I picked are now labeled economy plus and available. I think that is really messed up. I can handle the one seat change but I find the other seat change unacceptable (I am in the very last seat of the plane by the bathroom). I know there is probably nothing I can do except pay extra as there are no other "free" seats left but does anyone have any other advice?

MmePerdu

If they've reconfigured the seats, which it seems they have if they weren't economy plus when you chose them, I think they have the right to ask you to pay up or move. In fact, if I recall correctly, every time we choose a seat they tell us they have the right to move us for any reason they choose. I cannot imagine a scenario in which you own any particular seat short of buying a plane.

sassy27

I understand I don't actually own the seat but if there was no change with the aircraft, can they then say all seats are now economy plus and ask people to pay more? I know for a fact the seats weren't economy plus when I purchased them. The only difference now is the plane is mostly full. If I knew they were going to take back the row I choose, I would have picked a seat further back.

MmePerdu

But if those rows are now economy plus then there HAS been a change to the aircraft. It's not arbitrary, they move the seats to give more legroom.

sassy27

I just checked again and the aircrafts are the same. What I think happened was the seats were misclassified when I purchased the ticket. I normally do not check the configuration of the plane online and pick the rows they basically tell me is "Complimentary". I think they figured out a mistake was made and moved me without notice which they are allowed to do. If had known about the problem, I would have just changed my seat sooner. I guess this is just a lesson learned to always keep checking my seat or pay for an upgrade. This is the first time it has happened to me in over 15 years of flying so I guess I've been lucky. I even one time picked the last seat since it was the cheapest and called the airline right after to change my seat. They told me there was nothing they could do except for me to ask about a seat change when I checked in at the airport. When I checked in, I didn't ask but was moved to the front of the plane so this was just a difference experience.

Ty0604

Why does it matter where you sit? Is the front of the plane going to Seattle, the middle to Kansas City and the back to Dallas? Seriously... It’s all going to the same place.

NoFlyZone

Seat selection, especially on a long haul fight (which EWR-GVA certainly is) is extremely important to many people. Many would avoid certain seats (middles, exit rows, bulkheads) for various personal reasons. And front/back of the plane can also be quite significant.

But since you seem not to have a preference, please select the treasured middle seats whenever you wish.

sassy27

I had booked 7 months in advance so that I did not have to sit in the last row by the bathroom where you can barely recline the seat for 8 1/2 hours. People also always gather by the bathroom and hang over the seat. I have sat there before and don't wish to repeat it. I would have cared less if I was stuck in a middle seat which also happened to me when I was sick with the flu and a huge big guy took my aisle seat. Which I didn't know until after I sat down as the plane was being held for me because my connecting flight was late so I just took the first available seat.

As I said above, I'm not concerned with the flight going over as that seat change is not the last row by the bathroom. I was looking to see if anyone else had this happen to them and if they were successful in getting another seat. Did they pay extra? Did they get another seat for free if no other "free" seats where available? As I see it, I have 3 choices. I can pay now for an upgrade or suffer with my given seat or wait and take my chances for an upgrade when I get to the airport.

MmePerdu

I assume your question, then, is can you get another seat, now or later, free or should you pay for one to be sure.

There's no way to know if you'll get one at the gate and you may fret about it from now till then. I suggest you call in the near future to see if you can talk the reservations people into changing your seat. Back-up position will be to pay and, having been offered an upgrade to economy plus very cheaply once when making my reservation, likely the sooner the better if they're offering discounted upgrades. If you cannot get results from the reservation people on the phone you might ask then if they can give you a deal on an upgrade.

newtome

My guess is that this is a former continental plane that was recently refitted with E plus. So yes it's the same plane, but with EPlus seats now. I would call and make an appeal but my guess is that the New UA will ask you to pay....

rkkwan

It is a UA flight with 9xx number with a 3-class UA 763.

rkkwan

BTW, just keep checking between now and your return flight. There will be seats opening up now and then. Key is to check frequently.

Seamus

The seat maps posted online are not always accurate representations of what is actually available. I would call and in a polite way state that you had selected your seats months ago but notice that it has changed, can it be changed again, please? Be clear that you are not asking for a favor or waiver of cost for E+, just out of the last row.
If you are not otherwise entitled (elite status, affinity credit card holder) you will be required to pay a fee to obtain Economy Plus seats. Hoping for an upgrade the day of departure may not help as they have been pretty strict about not allowing passengers to move into E+ seats without paying an additional fee, even after takeoff. Personally, I'd pay the fee for the E+ seat.

J62

The other thing i would do is check-in online at the earliest possible opportunity and look for better seats at that time.

sassy27

Thank you NoFlyZone, newtome, rkkwan, Seamus and J62. What you have posted was the advice I was looking for. Most of you travel more often than me and I wanted to know what other things I could try to get out of the last row. I will try and call. If all less fails, pay the extra money for economy plus. All the free seats are taken but there are plenty of economy plus.

Kay2

I recently had an economy trip booked by a third party without seat assignments AF/KLM. I telephoned AF and obtained seat assignments and the agent put me in a seat on the KLM flight that looked to me like E+, but I didn't question at the time and it showed up on my online reservation. A few weeks before the flight I checked my reservation for some reason and saw my seat assignment was gone. I was back to no seat assigned. I took one of the very few seats showing available before they were later all gone. The week of the flight some seats opened up as people changed reservations, upgraded, etc. and I was able to move up about 20 rows.
So always keep checking.

mowmow

AA just pulled a stunt on us this week. Months ago I purchased tickets LAX to SCL. I bought MCE seats for the DFW to SCL leg, hoping for a better overnight sleep experience.

Now they changed the plane, and there are no MCE seats. They stuck us in 24A/B "preferred" seats. When I asked for our MCE $refund, she said I'd have to pay the $89 for 24A/B or she'd move us. There are no other seats on the plane except middles.

I asked for a supervisor who laughed and agreed when I said I didn't see anything "preferred" about plain coach seats with no extra width or pitch, no priority boarding, right over the engine, an entertainment box taking up the precious little leg room. They're a few rows ahead, BFD. She waived the "preferred" seat charge, moved us to 24B,25B, both aisle seats, and we should be getting a refund of the $290 MCE fee I paid. It took almost an hour on the phone, and I had to be persistent. I'm still disappointed to be in regular coach seats for that long haul, but nothing I can do now. Can't afford to do business now that I'm on disability :/

Shar

seat changes happen to me all the time with United and I too book many months in advance. When they change my seat it is ALWAYS to a middle seat which is NOT my preference or I would have booked it in the first place. I usually upgrade to Economy Plus when that happens which is probably what they wanted in fir the first place. Relocate people and make them pay more to sit in their preferred area anyway! If I didn't have so many miles with United, I wouldn't fly with them that often. However, their new planes have oodles of leg room in Economy Plus so it is worth the extra if it isn't too expensive....

sassy27

Thanks everyone. I booked the economy plus last night for my flight home. Coming over, there were so many seats available in e plus. While on the plane with everyone seated, completely full in economy, they were asking if people wanted to upgrade to e plus as they gladly take credit cards. The plane was not that nice either. The planes from EWR to EDI are so much nicer even though smaller. United has gotten so cheaper and it felt like it too. I may get more space going home but the tv screens are still so small and I don't get another checked bag for free so going forward, I will remember to choose my seats more wisely.

J62

I would actually not describe United as having gotten cheaper. They have a fleet of 700 planes, and many are aged like the one you flew on. It may have been in service for 20 or more years already. I avoid flying any of their 767's or 757's when I can since those are older models. They do have close to 300 new planes on order which is a huge investment, so for that reason I'd hardly call them cheap.