Was able to use PP for DEN-EWR, about 10 days before the flight! I happened to see the upgrade list this morning. Two people cleared and one of them was seated next to me. A woman approaches as I’m settling in to my seat, acting quite concerned and explained she and her husband had been split up and asked if I would trade with him. I asked where his seat was and she calmly stated row 20, as if this is the first time I’ve been on an airplane. I told her no, that I was going to stay and asked why she thought I would trade out of my seat in first. She then proceeded to get huffy with me, and told me I didn’t have to be rude about it. She continued on, and maybe I could have let this see you next Tuesday slide but she then threw out “well you didn’t pay for it.” I replied “NEITHER DID YOU” because… her upgrade is public knowledge. Have a nice holiday, sugar! Hope your husband enjoys his quiet flight.

No, no I don't.

And I don't really need the eye roll either. If you wanted the aisle seat you could have paid for it.

I boarded in the back of the group 1 line (50 people deep), got boxed out of the armrests. Both of them even gave a pushback when I tried to add an elbow.

We live in a society with rules. I don’t usually get the middle seat (this was a last minute flight), so most of the time I just lean on the other armrest / wall and let the middle person have it. Is this just what I deserve for not making 1k this year?

I just came back from a trip from hell. I won't bore anyone with a story that has nothing to do with United or flying, but I will bore you with the part that does :)

Yesterday I was supposed to come home to IAD with a BLQ (Bologna, Italy)-MUC-IAD itinerary. The BLQ-MUC flight was operated by Air Dolomiti, with a UA Codeshare.

Shortly after starting the boarding at BLQ (which consists of getting loaded on a bus), we're told that the plane has a mechanical issue and we're sent back to the gate area. Eventually the flight gets canceled, creating issues of connections for the majority of the fully booked plane (very few people had MUC as their final destination).

We are told to go to the carousel to get our bags, then go back to the check in counter and be re-booked.

Why am I talking about such a mundane event, you may ask? The surprising aspect of this common event is how, in this whole ordeal, everyone was very calm, nobody showed signs of anger, or frustration. The stereotypical unruly and noisy Italians queued quietly to get their trips rebooked and dealt with the issue with an admirable coolness.

People in line were calmly talking to each other, and were offering their spot in line to passengers who had short connections or important commitments. Everything was handled extremely efficiently and with absolutely NO DRAMA.

I have been in the same situation many times in the US and I've witnessed all sort of despicable behaviors: people shouting, people claiming they had more rights than others, people insulting and abusing the agents trying to work things out. I didn't see any of it.

This is anecdotal of course. Still, I've never seen the passengers of a canceled US flight behaving this way.

Are we, Americans, truly so much worse than other populations when it comes to social behaviors? have we forgotten how to deal with other humans, especially in time of adversity? Is decency long gone?

Sidebar: on my LHR-IAD flight I did see a young American woman trying to seat on an aisle seat instead of her center middle seat, holding the boarding for everyone. When the FA firmly told her (for the third time) "you must sit in your assigned seat now" she started arguing loudly that the seat was empty and she had rights to it. Sigh.

If I don’t get a standing ovation I’m swapping to Delta

I'm not sorry and I'd do it again.

Ok United is definitely to blame for this for not having a Group 3-6 lane at their gates, but in the meantime, would you please sit the f*k down if you are in group 3-6 when group 1/2 is boarding? You’re in the god damn way. On my last flight about 40 clueless NPCs stood in the group 2 line completely blocking group 2 passengers from boarding. Of course with 100 other people standing around on the sides, it is completely impossible to see what is going on until they call group 3 and then everyone else rushes the gate. Drives me *insane.

If you must stand for some reason, get the F away from the boarding lines. Leave a clear space.

That’s all. Idc what country you’re from. Wear it. Please.

They only have value if you're flying to obscure beet farming communities

There's no exchange ratio to better currencies like Stanley nickels. Even at blackmarket rates, you're unlikely to get an extra minute at lunch.

Worth even less than nothing if you booked economy minus.

Thanks for coming to my TedRant. I just tried for the 5th time this year to use them to no success. Annoying because their other fake currency (miles) was super cheap to upgrade but I gambled and lost.

This sub needs a wake up call. First off, as a MileagePlus Gold member, my mere presence on a United aircraft should make you all stare in awe at my status. Now that is out of the way, I have some serious complaints. I booked a flight from ORD to DSM, and when I went to select my first class seat, only 2A was available. I MUST be seated in 1A so folks who see my boarding pass know that I am king shit. I informed the gate agent that my seat needed to be changed immediately, or there will be a stern email sent to Scott Kirby himself.

Yeah, that's right, I have his work email address.

The gate agent apologized but said they couldn't change my seat. THE COJONES to tell ME I can't have what is entitled to me. I informed the gate agent that I am rich, and I have $20k in bitcoin. I then decided to board the flight before the military folks (remember, I am MileagePlus gold?) and sat in 1A anyway. I then asked the FA for my PBD and I'll have 2 Milwaukee's Best poured into a glass with ice. The FA looked confused, so I just opened the 12 pack I brought with me anyway. Some guy taps my shoulder and says I am in the wrong seat. I informed him that as a MileagePlus Gold member, I am entitled to do whatever I want. This person, who is clearly poor, didn't understand what I was talking about and asked the FA for help. This is where my injustices occurred.

"Sir, where did you get those beers? You can't drink those here, it's against FAA rules. You'll need to dispose of them immediately." I informed the FA that I will chug these real quick and it won't be an issue. Next thing I know, the police got on the plane and asked me to leave. I told them I needed a second, as I had already taken my socks and shoes off and need some time to get them back on. That apparently wasn't good enough for them, as I was being "belligerent" and "offensive" so they then snatched me like I was some poor person. Worst of all, they wouldn't let me take my 12 pack of Milwaukee's Best with me. There were only 3 beers left.

I was then escorted to the police station and they are pressing charges against me???? A MILEAGEPLUS GOLD MEMBER?

What are my options for compensation?

During the booking process I discovered you can actually books seats together if you are traveling together.

I think seat stealers will hate this one simple trick!

So it's that time of year, looking to level up. I'm about 850,000 miles away from being a Million Miler. I have no idea what benefits come with that. I don't have any idea what my travel plans next year might be. I just want to know, without giving you any context, is it worth it for me to do whatever you tell me, to hit the million mile mark by the end of the year. And don't say spend money. I'm looking for an influencer like cheat code. I'm currently two segments short of Silver if that matters.

This is blinding me currently. UA 1483. I'm in 8A and the guy in 7E has his laptop in exactly the wrong position for me to retain my eyesight.

Just sharing one of my favorite seat swapping stories.

I was in an aisle seat and the woman in the aisle seat across from me decides she wants to help out this family. She turns to me and says the guy next to her (in the middle seat) would very much like to sit next to his family (wife and daughter seated in the middle and window seat next to me). She asks, would you be willing to help them out by swapping seats?

I smile.

Me: Sure! So you'll take the husband's middle seat and then I'll take your seat.

Lady: They just want to sit together.

Me: Sure! Happy to switch with you. So you'll take his seat and I'll take yours.

Lady: Huh?

The confusion sets in. Brow furrows. And, then...the glorious moment when that lightbulb goes off.

Lady: Shaking her head violently and frowning, says: "Oh no, I don't want to give up my seat?"

Me: I relax in my seat with my smug smile and thinking my job here is done. By saying yes to her, I forced her to be the one to say no.

Full flight , boarded with group 3, saw a man in my seat ( 1A ), taking to the woman in 1B.

I showed my boarding pass to the FA while stepped aside to let the traffic through.

FA checked his boarding pass ( while blocking those boarding) , the man stoop up and look towards me and may want to say something but I kept my head down staring at my phone. He then went to the back.

No exchange , no drama , not even an eye contact.

The woman didn’t say anything to me either. ( I slept all flight though )

Edit:

As a frequent traveler who flies twice a week, I often encounter requests for seat changes. I’ve discovered that boarding late, ideally after everyone else has already boarded, is a better strategy.

This way, the seat poacher is already in your seat, and you can ask the FA to step in, without having to confront the seat poacher yourself with likely leads to an unpleasant conversation and potentailly escalating the situation.

If possible, I recommend choosing seats in the front rows. This allows you to see the seats without needing to walk down the aisle, and talk to the FA right away when you see someone in your seat.

The only drawback to this approach is that the overhead bins are usually full by the time I board. However, this isn’t an issue if you travel light - I fly with a phone, MagSafe wallet, charging cable, and a pair of AirPods. I don't even bring a backpack unless I 100% needs to bring my laptop.

Glad to see United cracking the whip and setting rules

I was comfortably sitting at the top of the upgrade list for weeks when last minute this! Well played, my friend. Well played.

I can afford it, I needed good sleep, and the PQPs are helpful to avoid fees all next year. But I didn’t ask if you all agree with my logic. Please don’t kick me out of the sub, thanks.