Of all the perks for frequent fliers on domestic airlines — priority boarding, free baggage, higher waitlist status — none is more beloved by travelers than United Airlines’ “Economy Plus” seating.
Personally, I am only 5’3″ and the seats in the Economy Plus make all the difference in the world in coach. The extra inches don’t only mean legroom, they mean it’s easier to read, eat or use a laptop. And in economy plus the person directly in front can recline their seat without jamming the tray table into you. Etc. etc.
United knows those seats are popular. While originally available only to premier level and above fliers and lucky travelers at the airport, now Economy Plus is increasingly a revenue source.
The airline advertises the seats for sale for a surcharge on their website, and to non-premier level fliers during online check-in or when they look at their reservations.
I’ve written about this issue before, but increasingly the problem here is that while United may be gaining more revenue from this marketing, they are getting too successful at it. The fliers who are losing out on these cherished seats are amongst the airline’s best customers.
A little background information, long before airlines started saving any seats for their frequent fliers and/or full-fare customers, there was the problem that vacation travelers, many on the lowest fares, were selecting most of the best seats.
This is because vacation travelers tend to book early, as opposed to most business travelers. So, years ago many airlines did start reserving some rows of the plane as “preferential” and only elite level fliers and full fare passengers could reserve them. (American and Delta, for examples, still have this policy.)
There was also this policy at United, until someone saw dollar signs.
Our agency is based in the San Francisco area, which means United is the number one carrier. And a high percentage of our business customers fly at least the 25,000 miles needed for elite status.
For these elite passengers, increasingly, their status is not enough to get them good seats. Even when booked a few weeks out.
One of our clients, a 1k (100,000 miles a year) with United booked a trip to D.C. last month 25 days in advance. There was not a single aisle or window in Economy Plus left. We “grabbed” an exit-row middle, and both his administration assistant and I have checked two to three times a day since then. An aisle or window Economy Plus seat has never opened up.
A few of us in the office routinely keep a computerized list or queue of passengers in this situation. Our lists just keep getting longer. Sometimes there are aisles and windows in the back, sometimes nothing but middles everywhere, but with three weeks or less in advance these days, the odds are no good window or aisle seats will be left.
In fact, on this Sunday night, I have about 20 premiers on my personal “seat hunting list.” The only prize I discovered tonight was an economy plus middle seat for one traveler and an aisle in the back for another.
In other recent cases, clients have chosen other flights or airlines when no good seats were available. Again, we aren’t talking people booking at the last minute. These elite passengers are booking a few weeks in advance. (In fact, “the heck with them book me on someone else” is becoming a more and more common response since good seats seem to be available elsewhere.)
Solutions? If I were advising United, I’d suggest they go back to reserving some seats just for elite travelers, and not available for sale at any price, until maybe a day or a few days prior to departure.
Currently the airline does hold the exit rows for travelers who fly 50,000 miles or more a year, but those few aisle and windows still go fast, especially in and out of hub cities.
Holding a few more rows back for “elites” would still give United the opportunity to sell them at the last minute, if they didn’t fill up, and it would keep their best fliers more loyal.
Other suggestions and comments encouraged, especially from regular United fliers. Who knows, someone from the airline might read it. And someday the frequent flier saved from sitting in a middle seat in the back of the plane could be you.
Janice Hough is a California-based travel agent a travel blogger and a part-time comedy writer. A frequent flier herself, she’s been doing battle with airlines, hotels, and other travel companies for over three decades. Besides writing for Travelers United, Janice has a humor blog at Leftcoastsportsbabe.com (Warning, the political and sports humor therein does not represent the views of anyone but herself.)
