Kokua Line

By June Watanabe

Monday, June 30, 1997

Airline says it’s unable
to ensure specific seating

During a special United Airlines promotion, we bought two tickets, redeeming 30,000 miles each for assigned seats in first class. Despite confirming our seats the night before, my wife and I found ourselves in different seats, separated and uncomfortable. I had had surgery a few months earlier so seating was a priority concern. Consumers with special fares are warned that penalties will be imposed if changes are made on the tickets. In the same way, shouldn't United be accountable when it does not honor its part of the agreement?

"We realize that satisfactory seating is one of the most important aspects of our service and we regret disappointing (your reader)," said Barbara Roberts, a senior representative for UAL's customer relations.

In reviewing your case, she noted several schedule changes from the time you bought the tickets to the time you traveled. Even the most minor changes require the airline to reconfirm preassigned seats, she said. She apologized for an error during this process.

"While United is accountable for getting our customers to the destinations shown on their tickets, we're unable to ensure that flights will always be on time or that a specific seat will always be available to any customer," Roberts said. If someone is downgraded to another class of service, "we do issue refunds if applicable."

In your case, United offered 20,000 miles credit as a goodwill gesture.

Clarification

Call the city Building Department at 527-6308 if you suspect more people than legally allowed are living in a house. The Building Department is the enforcement arm for the Department of Land Utilization.

More Kokua Line
in today’s Star-Bulletin:

  • H-3 trek run times
  • Tranfer of Beta video to VHS
  • Mahalo
  • Auwe
  • Lost cockatiel
  • Race alert

See expanded coverage in today's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
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