United Does it Again

[Chris Padilla]

i only fly first class and i don't want people paying $5 to sit next to me when i payed full price.

So what is a reasonable price to pay to sit next to you?

[David T gray]

So what is a reasonable price to pay to sit next to you?

the same amount.

[Chris Padilla]

the same amount.

LOL! Well, that seems reasonable but I've often heard that you'll never find anyone on a plane who paid the same amount for their seats. Anyway.....

[Mike Henderson]

i only fly first class and i don't want people paying $5 to sit next to me when i paid full price.

"Premium seats" are not first class. They're economy seats with a bit more room. They're never going to allow you to move up to first class the way I suggested they allow people to move up to Premium seats.

Mike

[Sam Murdoch]

i only fly first class and i don't want people paying $5 to sit next to me when i payed full price.

Oh - they might have woodworking dust on them . Why do you care if some person who can't typically afford - what you obviously can - gets a lucky break and a chance for an "experience" - perhaps of a life time. Really - how does that compromise your life?

[Prashun Patel]

My experience has been similar to Wade's.

Given that the nominal price of an airline ticket from NY to LA hasn't changed for me in 30 years, while the cost of just about everything else has, I suspect the airlines struggle mightily to stay profitable. Amidst this pressure, I bet they've turned pricing models and auctions and discount pricing over in their board rooms more times than any of us are doing here. Have you seen how complicated the "Economy Plus" pricing is? It's optimized for every single seat. I suspect they have a darn good reason not to offer any freebies or steep discounts unless they really need to.

I just returned from a United flight from Costa Rica (Liberia airport in fact). Before take off, we were informed that the plane had mechanical problems and that the flight was cancelled and rescheduled for the following morning. They herded us onto a bus and to a hotel - all inclusive - and back to the flight the next day. It was all very civilized and as painless as one can reasonably hope for. The agents and staff did a phenomenal job trying to keep people calm, and hoisting their bags onto the tops of busses in 100 degree heat.

We got modest vouchers for our inconvenience and an apology. I - like everyone else on the plane - view myself as the victim. However, when I think about the job United had to do in a very short time, at considerable loss to their own profitability - I have to sympathize that they are also victims in this situation.

[Dan Friedrichs]

Once you're in the air, they should offer the unused "premium" seats for free, or for a very low price (maybe start with $5 and see if you get any takers).

I bet they've done a market analysis and discovered that if they offered such a thing, people would catch on and stop paying for the upgrade when they buy their ticket (taking the chance that they'll save money by doing it on the plane), and this results in less net revenue.

And part of the attraction of spending the money to buy an identical seat with 1" more legroom is that it's more likely you won't have neighbors.

I've seen many people try to "sneak" into the empty Econo Plus seats on United flights, and they always get shooed back to where they belong. SWMBO once came and sat next to me in the front cabin of a British Air flight, and the steward came over right away - I thought we were in trouble, but he was just checking if she wanted some tea