Does anyone really get op upgraded or actually get on the standby list?
I still can't get an op upgrade to save myself. Short of an upgrade being available when I book my ticket or using a certificate, I can't get upgraded. When the upgrade button appears on my view/modify reservation (which isn't always) it generally doesn't even get me on a list.
I don't recall the last time I got upgraded upon getting to the gate. I almost always arrive only to have my name not even on the upgrade list.
When I flew CO, it was done AUTOMATICALLY. You check the flight info, you can see the standby list. I'm busy. I fly a ton on these guys because I work a lot. I don't have time to visit the airport in advance or call AS customer service every time I book something.
Direct flights are nice, but should I just switch to DL to avoid this? I mean I'd have 100k EQM if I started connecting as opposed to the 75k miles I get on AS. I'd still get the exit rows which is all I get now. The only real drawback is that I'd lose out on coupons. They're pretty easily bought off of the Seattle Craigslist though.
Does anyone else have this issue? DO they have any plans to actually fix this? I mean their staff are great, but the people who put this process in place are clueless. I seriously don't want to have something like this to even think about. Why don't they make this easier?
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Posts: 1,984
What routes are you flying? When are you doing the flying? Are these last-minute tickets?
My take would be that north-south out of SEA, the upgrades are easy. East-west out of SEA, not so much.
I don't have this experience at all of never getting an upgrade (as you can see from my posts the "I got/didn't get an MVP/MVPG upgrade thread"- which I started for kind of this reason, some tracking of where upgrades do/do not happen), but most of my flying on AS is north-south, not east-west. But even going on some more popular routes that are the more difficult upgrades in the system, I've gotten upgrades on routes like ORD-SEA, SEA-LAX-CUN-LAX-SEA (with my daughter flying on a BTT, no less), and SEA-MCO-SEA.
Also, I've gotten battlefield upgraded SEA-LAS from my seat in 7A, as well as multiple instances of flying standby to the Bay Area or Greater LA where I not only clear standby, I'm cleared into F. In addition, flying with my daughter to the Bay Area or Greater LA, we almost always BOTH clear into F. So it's hard for me to say "wow, this is really broken", because I don't have this experience at all- things seem to work as they should for me.
I know Ive been on the list before and have also received the delightful walk from row 7 to row one before so I know that it indeed at least seems to work.
Ive also had instances of clearing the standby list from upgrade on my original to upgrade on the new. In fact it will always put you on standby if you are in U and change to a flight with U not available. It stands you by for F. The only way to get on the earlier flight if F is full and Y is open is to ask at the gate to sit in Y. Otherwise they might not even call you up even though Y has 30 empty seats. Unless something has changed recently you cant confirm online if you are in U back to Y on an earlier flight. You are put on standby for your fare class which is U. A CSA or GA can easily change it to Y if you ask
When the upgrade button appears on my view/modify reservation (which isn't always)
Some travel agencies the link doesnt show up and you have to call. Ive never had it not show up if booked on AS site. I just have a problem with expedia bookings.
Some travel agencies the link doesnt show up and you have to call. Ive never had it not show up if booked on AS site or some other travel sites. I just have a problem with expedia bookings.
Programs: AS MVP Gold (83K), AS BR [3 year renewal], Maika`i Card, CO
Posts: 11,083
Quote:
Originally Posted by ANC
True OP said
Some travel agencies the link doesnt show up and you have to call. Ive never had it not show up if booked on AS site. I just have a problem with expedia bookings.
I heard of folks having this issue, thought perhaps the OP possibly encountered this...
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold, Hilton Gold, Red Lion Gold
Posts: 13
Are you Gold? I have a 95% or better rate on
upgrades as a gold so this post surprises me. Are you requesting upgrades (wait list) online?
I had my first non stand-by (meaning I didn't try an earlier or later flight) coach experience in over a year today...and the FAs were awesome, I may as well have been up front...except the leg room wasn't as good...
Some travel agencies the link doesnt show up and you have to call. Ive never had it not show up if booked on AS site. I just have a problem with expedia bookings.
I have this problem too. When my office books travel, I never seem to see upgrade options on the AS website. Am I correct that all I need to do is call the MVP line and they can put me on the list, even if the website isn't giving me the option?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruthalaska
I have this problem too. When my office books travel, I never seem to see upgrade options on the AS website. Am I correct that all I need to do is call the MVP line and they can put me on the list, even if the website isn't giving me the option?
That should be the case. Call the MVP line, and as soon as the voice picks up, hit option 4 (you don't even need to wait for the options--in fact, 99.999% of the time I've ever called them,* option 4 is the correct option). Punch in your MP#, and you'll be speaking with an agent within 30 seconds or less. Total time required: 90 seconds, which is just about the same amount of time it'd take to open Firefox, log in, go to My Trips, and click the link.
*Well, I haven't called them enough times to establish 5-9s of statistical data...but beckoa has!
Programs: AS MVP Gold (83K), AS BR [3 year renewal], Maika`i Card, CO
Posts: 11,083
Quote:
Originally Posted by jackal
That should be the case. Call the MVP line, and as soon as the voice picks up, hit option 4 (you don't even need to wait for the options--in fact, 99.999% of the time I've ever called them,* option 4 is the correct option). Punch in your MP#, and you'll be speaking with an agent within 30 seconds or less. Total time required: 90 seconds, which is just about the same amount of time it'd take to open Firefox, log in, go to My Trips, and click the link.
*Well, I haven't called them enough times to establish 5-9s of statistical data...but beckoa has!
...and the part that beckoa likes the most, it involves keeping those fine AS MVP/G agents in PHX with a job
But yes, option 4 is typically the option... unless you want International Ticket Changes... (which I have never chosen )
Yes, I'm gold. I was status matched earlier this year and have 60k+ EQM thus far this year.
My flights are predominantly north-south. SEA to SFO/SMF/LAX/BUR/SAN/etc. It doesn't help.
The flights are booked through a corporate website. This really should not matter. My AS number gets applied appropriately. Sadly, my seat selections do not and it doesn't show up in the Trips section of the website.
I can't put into words how aggravating it is to give a company this much business and not have your name even on an upgrade list...ever. It's so nice of them to add it at the gate, but by that time it's a trivial endeavor.
Other people here seem to have noticed the same. Any plans to fix this?
I spend a good amount of money going on AS over the other Southworst and Virgin. Having to have me call them after I make travel arrangements each and every time seems like BS. With NW/CO, I'd make the res and I'd be either upgraded or on the standby list. For CO, at least, the standby list is part of the flight status so you know where you are on it.
I do appreciate exit rows, but I could get those as a DL elite.
If you call within the 36 hour window for golds but before 24 hour for MVP you may have more success.
Also, I put my res. in "my trips" and request an upgrade right after I book via the corp website. Then when the "system" awards the upgrade (36 hours) I actually get a notification from AMEX indidcating that there has been a change in class. When I review my res again I am assigned a F seat. I can then go into AS website and move seats if I wish.
I used to fly allot in NWA and did notice that it was all automatic. I do however recieve >50% upgrade on west coast flights on AS.
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Posts: 1,984
Quote:
The flights are booked through a corporate website. This really should not matter. My AS number gets applied appropriately. Sadly, my seat selections do not and it doesn't show up in the Trips section of the website.
Obviously, something is wrong, then, since My Trips works for me when I'm booked through DL but have an AS segment, and I call in and get the record locator.
Maybe try this- as soon as the flight is booked, call the MVP line and ask for the record locator.
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