On a recent United flight, passengers complained after a flight attendant told them they could not move into empty rows with more legroom unless they paid extra. I believe United was right to enforce this rule.
United Was Justified In Denying Free Moves To Extra Legroom Seats
View From The Wing reported on a case in which passengers were kept in the back of a half-empty United aircraft rather than being allowed to move forward into Economy Plus seats on a flight from Houston to Honduras. While I understand the frustration, the situation is actually very straightforward: if you want extra legroom, you pay for extra legroom.
Why “Free For All” Seating Is Not A Solution, Even After The Aircraft Door Closes
United sells extra legroom “Economy Plus” seats at a premium (either directly on a transactional basis or via elite status recognition for loyal passengers who fly the airline regularly). Customers who pay the fee expect a quieter, more spacious section. If others can simply move up for free after takeoff, it dilutes the value of what paying customers purchased. Even giving it away after the doors are closed incentivizes passengers who want extra space not to pay for it in advance. The jump from regular economy to extra-legroom economy might not be like the jump from economy class to business class, but the principle is the same.
Airlines increasingly depend on ancillary revenue from seat assignments, upgrades, and baggage fees. If passengers could freely upgrade themselves into premium seating when unsold, many would never pay upfront…would anyone argue otherwise? Over time, this would undermine the revenue model and drive up costs elsewhere. Much like at a concert or sporting event, your ticket determines your seat, regardless of how many empty premium seats remain.
There are also operational reasons. Flight attendants need to know where passengers are seated for safety, especially near exit rows. Weight and balance can be affected when passengers bunch in one part of the cabin. But most importantly, enforcing a consistent rule keeps things simple and avoids confusion, disputes, potential safety issues, and claims about fairness.
Consistency is vital. If crews allowed seat-hopping on some flights but not others, passengers would perceive unfairness and argue with crews. A clear standard (here, that extra legroom requires payment) sets expectations for everyone and reduces friction onboard.
CONCLUSION
United was justified in telling passengers they could not move into Economy Plus seats without paying. Extra legroom is a product sold at a premium. Allowing free moves would undercut revenue, frustrate paying customers, and create inconsistency in policy enforcement. The rule may feel harsh in the moment and even crazy when the back-half of the cabin is full and the front-half is empty, but it ultimately ensures fairness, clarity, and integrity across the airline’s product.
image: @Stacy_Ruth_ / X
Same concept for “self-upgrading” to business class cabins. I hate it when I have an empty seat next to me in economy plus then after the boarding door closes someone moves up to that empty seat. Sometimes the FA moves them which always seems questionable. United is good about allowing people to view the seat map even after the flight is fully boarded, leaving for better accountability. Other carriers not so much.
I concur. There are now often 4 classes on board.
1. business Class
2. premium economy
3. branded Economy Plus or Comfort + or other name
4. economy class
There is a potential for 5 classes if there is First Class. On some narrowbody domestic flights, there is First Class instead of business class but it usually cannot compare with the international lie flat business class seat.
I am booked for a flight that is nearly full in economy but mostly empty in the economy class with slightly more legroom.
There should be a curtain closing off economy class from the other classes. If it is possible to engineer a low weight, low cost movable seats so the classes can be adjusted, that might be popular with airlines if not too costly. Nobody wants to pay for extra leg room economy class if it can be obtained free either by assigned seating near boarding or after boarding.
“I am booked for a flight that is nearly full in economy but mostly empty in the economy class with slightly more legroom.” I regularly see people complain about Y pitch. But, your observation is important. They’ll not pay the extra $s for Y+ (so they want more pitch, but won’t pay for it), and get angry if they can’t appropriate for free.
More space and quiet? You inadvertently make a good argument for no small children in business class.
They should be banned from premium cabins, period.
Agreed!
I agree with the main point, but safety does not demand that FAs know where specific passengers are seated. Otherwise Southwest would not be able to offer open seating.
Flight Attendants need to know where passengers are seated so in emergency evacuation, as your leaving the aircraft the FA is watching you. They go row by row checking for passengers who maybe hiding/incapacitated during the evacuation, before they leave the aircraft.
Totally fair of UA, and good revenue protection for paying customers. The E+ seats are often the last to fill, so while a vacant adjacent seat is not guaranteed, it’s certainly part of the value in my eyes to increase the probability of one. When someone takes the seat that dilutes the value.
This will presumably start soon too in flatbed J where the bulkhead seat is more spacious.
With the investment in seatback entertainment, this seems like such an easy problem to solve with technology. Screens for unassigned seats can display, “UNOCCUPIED”, and/or even offer the opportunity to purchase the seat. Screen power button can be disabled if unoccupied. Any flight attendant walking by now knows that seat is supposed to be empty. (and in the event there’s a mix-up, can override via their app).
Easy day.
I like how you’re thinking about this.
UAL is absolutely right. “Unauthorized” seat swaps is stealing…period. Another factor is no one has seen the actual dispatch paperwork for the flight! The dispatch paperwork takes into account the average summer & winter weight of passengers. It then calculates the weight and balance of the aircraft based on the occupied seats. The aircraft must be within the allowable takeoff weight, the center of gravity for takeoff, in flight and landing and the allowable landing weight. With swept wing aircraft, the center of gravity will change as the flight progresses. Regional jets are even more susceptible to this problem! Believe it or not, in the cockpit we can tell as passengers and cabin crew move up and down the aisles as the pitch trim indicators move. I’ve actually seen an international flight go out with numerous “first class” seats open where no upgrades were allowed due to the center of gravity issue caused by cargo distribution! Unless anyone heard the captain tell the cabin crew about the CG/weight issue OR has the paperwork in hand, I’d be reluctant to criticize. The cabin crew is not required to explain this to the passengers but being rude about the seat swaps, that’s an issue.
The problem with United is if you have NO status and you need to fly on them..You must pay extra for just about every seat even in the back of the plane NOt great