hopscotch

I'm flying UL domestically tomorrow and did my on-line check-in today. In light of some posts here on how to get those seats in the exit rows, the following is of interest. It helps me understand why I am sometimes treated like a prince and sometimes viewed as a thing the cat dragged in.

From the UA site:
Eligibility:

*
Exit Rows seating:
o
You must be a 1K or a Premier Executive in order to be pre-assigned or request an exit row.
o
You must be in a PNR with a 1K to be pre-assigned or request an exit row
*
Economy Plus seating:
o
You must be a 1K, Premier Executive, Premier Mileage Plus member or have purchased a Y / B fare in order to be pre-assigned or request an Economy Plus seat.

Back to me:
But, being as how I bought my ticket through hotwire.com for about half of the best travelocity.com fare, I am not eligible for anything other than cattle car express. Heck, it's only a few hours in the air but I forgot to buy that gismo that blocks the passenger ahead of me from reclining his seat onto my lap. Does anyone have the URL for that?

Gardyloo

I don't know if UA has yet banned the Knee Defender; NW and DL have.

If it's so cheap on hotwire, buy 2 seats, lift the arm, and sprawl. Or, cheaper, buy an i-pod and drape the headphones over the tray table hook when they recline to "sleep" and play your favorite ZZ Top hits as loud as you possibly can all the way from sea to shining sea.

ealing_calling

DH is flying Lufthansa right now, wayyyyy back. He's PremEx on UA but had to transfer via FRA outbound, and UA planes were full . . .

Cattle class -- oh the deprivation! * )

Good earplugs were purchased at the airport I think!

Gardyloo

Some wag on flyertalk.com coined a new (to me anyway) term for those of us who are banished to steerage on 31-inch-pitch-by 17-inch-wide (i.e., okay if you work for Victoria's Secret or are on the US Gymnastics team) seats.

Sheeple.

hopscotch

Update:
I went up to the boarding gate in Chicago and asked if there was an exit row seat available. She said "This is your lucky day." She gave me seat 9a on the 757, right next to the main door. I was first off the plane for the first time in my life.

Huitres

As an United Premier Exec/1K member, I prefer a bulkhead seat any day over the exit row.

Renee

Gardyloo,

That term sheeple has also been applied on political boards to describe people who follow in lockstep with the propaganda of either major political party.

RufusTFirefly

Some bulkhead seats don't give enough room to stretch your legs out.

hopscotch

My seat 9A had at least 5 feet of foot room, facing the flight attendents' seats.

hopscotch

I forgot to report on my return from Santa Ana. At check in I asked for an exit row seat and was shown the screen asking for $40. I declined. Then again at the gate after giving my boarding pass to the young lady I asked about an exit row seat. She took a quick look at her screen, tore up my boarding pass, and gave me row 15. This turned out to be right on top of the wing in one of the exit rows. After I boarded in group 2 I spread out and got comfy. More and more people came on board and a traffic jam developed in the aisle. One of the people said something about this being a standing room only flight. In time everybody was seated, the doors were closed, and we were up. Beautiful flight. As I made nature's call an hour later I looked around the plane. The back, where I was supposed to have been, was stuffed like a sardine can. Meanwhile I had 3 seats to myself with all the leg room on the planet. The only difference between me and first class was that my arm rests would not go up. Otherwise it was nirvana. Sorry this is OT, being as my flights were domestic. Don't tell the people on the other forum!