BlatheringPenguin

Ok, actually it was an HP supervisor as it was an entirely HP itinerary.

I'm putting this on the UA board (rather than US) because I am UA-1K and this applies to 1K's flying on US, rather than US elites on US.

I've been having to fly US/HP a lot recently. Every trip (about 8 in the past 5 months) I've called the semi-secret HP-direct number and been able to be switched into the exit row after booking. (The US website recognizes I'm star gold, but doesn't allow me to get the exit row.)

For a trip in Feb. I had exit rows, but just had to rebook the return, losing the exit row. So, I called the number and the agent tried to put me in exit row and couldn't. So, she called a supervisor. (In my experience often the agent has to call a supervisor to get the exit row for me, so this didn't surprise me.) The supervisor then told me I should never be able to pre-reserve exit row ahead of checkin, took me out of the exit row on ALL legs of a complicated itinerary, and made a notation in my record that I had "illegally" obtained exit row and should not be allowed to get exit row.

The agent was perfectly nice & very apologetic. The supervisor was...otherwise.

???? What the heck???

Does anybody have a copy of the real rules for *gold flying on US with respect to pre-reserving exit rows?

Thanks, with great frustration,
-BP

qasr

I've been able to ask for exit rows on US as a *G, but it doesn't seems to be policy. Other times I've been told I can sit anywhere except the exit row but I can ask at check in.

I'd be curious as to what the official policy is too. Perhaps it has changed recently in retaliation for no more *G's being allowed in E+?

mrhotelman

The supervisor was absolutely right in taking away the exit row seating. *G/1K do not deserve exit row seating on US. If US Preferred/*G cannot get E+ or Exit row on UA, why should UA's members be able to get Exit row on US? It cant be a one way situation.

BlatheringPenguin

In searching the US threads I just found a mention that something might be changing within the HP part of the US/HP operation:

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthrea...light=exit+row

BlatheringPenguin

Thanks for your opinion. I agree with your implicit statement that it is ridiculous for UA to not allow pre-reserved exit-row/E+ to other *Alliance Gold members.

However, I am interested in finding out what the actual rules are, as my understanding (and experience on a significant number of recent flights) is contradictory to my current situation.

I admit I am also pretty put off by how excessively rude and accusatory the supervisor was. (Which was quite an impressive contrast to the agent, who stayed on the line apologizing for her supervisor after the supervisor rang off.)

-BP

kkjay77

US*G can still reserve non E+ exit rows on UA, IIRC.

plat

US *G can reserve exit rows, not E+.

BNAFlyer1K

I guess this is good for UA because I now refuse to fly US/HP, even if it is more convienent (and since I'm in SoCal, US operations are convienent too). UA is now getting 100% of my business. GO UA!

sefrischling

As a US Plat/*G I have been denied an Exit Row on at least three UA flights I can recall in the past few months. Additionally as a US Plat/*G I no longer have access to E+on UA metal.

Much of my flying is done on UA for the routes I take, as my primary business destination is SFO, which is obviously a UA Hub.

You would think UA would want to take care of the *G Elites, especially those of us who frequent UA Metal.

In 2005 I reached UA PE along with DL Plat, however DL pulled out of my home airport and it is now only serviced by US which drove my choice to leave UA for US, thus all my miles go to US. I wish I could pull out the PE card for the E+ and still get my miles on US, but it doesn't work that way, I wish it did.

Anyway, these things happen and will continue to happen until *A carriers come up with a common system for treating Elites.

kkjay77

Was the exit row in E+ section? If so, then as a US*G, you cannot reserve it. However, if it's a non-E+ exit row (eg. row 46 on 744 or row 39 on us ver. 772), then you can reserve it.

itsme

Are exit rows ever entirely outside E+ rather than being the last row of E+, whether they are formally designated E+ or not? (I'll look at seatguru for info on those 744s and 772s, though don't recall if seatgur identifies economy seats as E+/E-.) Even if the exit rows were not included in or counted as E+, wouldn't they still be de facto E+ seats, since isn't the only difference between an E+ and E- seat how much room there is between it and the seat in front of it (plus the arm rests don't come up)?

sefrischling

The last time I was looking for row 30 A/J on a 772 XC/XI from LHR to IAD. I was told that those rows were for UA Elites only.

Before that is was 21 A/J on a trans-con (IAD - SFO) 763 flight, again I was told it was for UA Elites only.


Neither one of these rows is E+. I will end up popping the $300 for the E+, I wish I could burn miles for the E+ Access, I have about 60,000 sitting in my UA MP acct, but you can't exchange miles for E+ Access.

BlatheringPenguin

Interesting distinction.

The aggressive supervisor moved my seats to middle rows in the back of the plane for every leg. The nice agent, during her apologies after the supervisor rang off the line, moved me back to aisles/windows in the front few rows. These front rows have never been available to me when booking (or reseating on the web) on US's web site, though I've never been sure whether that was due to some 'reserved premium seating policy' or just because they were full. I am now suspecting that HP (and US) block out aisles/windows near the front of the plane for elites and that the agent has access to those for *Gold without a supervisor, but only has access to the exit row for *Gold with a supervisor.

I'm still trying to figure out if US/HP rules do not allow for pre-reserving exit row seats for non-US *Gold. With the number of times I've successfully done it in the past 5-6 months I'd be very surprised if I've just been 'slipping through the cracks'.

What's bizarre to me (although obviously the supervisor and agent couldn't see this) is that so much of my travel has been on US/HP recently that if I had credited it to US rather than UA I would have at least mid-tier elite status.

I'm very tempted to cancel this refundable ticket and rebook on another airline (UA), even if the schedule is less convenient for me. But, I'll probably wait until I'm sure what the rules are. (I'm actually less inclined to cancel and move this trip to UA if it turns out I've just been extraordinarily lucky with getting exit rows pre-reserved and the rules have finally caught up with me. On the other hand this supervisor went way overboard in her handling of me.)

cheers,
-BP

cpmairtight

Just to point out:

I am a US Plat, and former CP. Some flights you simply cannot reserve the exit ahead of time, even if you are the pope. It seems to have to do with th equipment type and seat map. Secondly, as of late, when I book as a Plat, I am unable to get exit rows, unless I call, and even then it is a hassle.

And I believe a previous poster indicated that US killed preferred seating for Star Alliance elite flyers, in part b/c United killed E+ seating for Elite US flyers . . . at least that is my recollection of the whole deal.

I'm slightly jealous, I'm not sure I even know was real F looks like, let alone an exit row. . .

DCBob

Exit rows on UA can ONLY be reserved in advance by UA 1P and higher. I know that when I was 2P I could reserve E+ but never an exit row!