mreed911

Sorry, need to rant.

Flew back from DFW-AUS tonight on the 11:10 flight. I don't normally upgrade this route (because it's a) short and b) EXP heavy so I have little chance) but tonight there were 5 open in F and per the AC I was #4 on the upgrade list... and I was tired after a blown upgrade from SFO-DFW. You get what you pay for... and upgrades aren't guaranteed. Fine.

Get to the gate. Still #4 (of 4) on the list. EF shows F5/A5, seat map matches with five open. GA begins boarding process. I inquire if first checked in full, he replied yes. Several folks standing around sigh and head for the boarding line.

Fast forward: just before the door closes, I check EF again. Now F4/A4. Plane leaves with 4 empty F seats.

Rather than process the upgrade list, the GA simply lied, said it was full, and went on with things. Note: flight was not late, GA was at the gate 45 min before the flight, etc. NO rush. Blew upgrades for at least four people.

I'm not going to make a big deal out of this, and it's not worth a complaint to AA (since they track how often you complain, or so I'm told). You don't want to process upgrades? Fine. Just don't lie to me (us) about it.

Thunderroad

Well, why not complain to AA? Just don't put it as a rant, rather in terms of you don't understand why you and others weren't upgraded under these circumstances. There's a chance the airline will come back with an acceptable explanation. And if there is no such explanation, at least it will know about the GA's conduct.

mvoight

2 comments..

1. In addition to ranting here, complain to AA
2. "First class has checked in full" doesn't mean all FC customers are in the boarding area. They could have checked in from home 24 hours earlier.

FlyinDutchman

+1

They need to know what their people out in the field are doing

elkhornne

Sounds good to me. ^

millionmiler

Sure, but as the OP wrote EF showed at least 5 seat for sale which would not be the case if FC "checked in full". Solid proof that the GA was lying to save a few keystrokes.

Xero

I do hope that that AA distinguishes between legit complaints and ones that are simply attempts to get something out of nothing. So essentially reasonable vs unreasonable.

sts603

A review of the priority list on AA 785 last night - the 11:10 from DFW-AUS shows that the OP is in fact not correct - the flight went out full in F - but it would appear the GA didn't follow procedure either.

An EXP traveling on a paid First Class ticket who had accepted a seat assignment in coach received one first class seat. One EXP and two PLATs (or a PLAT and companion - it is the same PNR so both get coded as PLAT) received first class seats as well for a total of four.

The next two PLATs were not upgraded. The last PLAT on the list was upgraded.

The most logical explanation - the last PLAT was the one who waited it out at the gate. But of course the GA exacerbated this situation by giving out inaccurate information.

cynicAAl

You asked the wrong question. The proper question would have been "has FC boarded full ? They're not the same thing.

sts603

Agreed. 10 years ago departing from a spoke if F checked in full it was 98% certain that it would board full. Now with OLCI that has changed.

Always at a hub, however, it was uncertain given the potential for misconnects. OLCI has only added to that uncertainty.

Stripe

Interesting. This is completely opposite to the OP's report. Either (1) one of you is "not correct" <redacted>, (2) there were 4 F seats open when the OP boarded but were filled out of his sight before departure, or (3) the GA processed the seat changes but never moved the pax.

Often1

Let's ask OP for a response here. He says, "[p]lane leaves with 4 empty F seats." Please confirm that there were still 4 empty seats when aircraft pushed back or is it that there were 4 seats when you boarded or last looked?

"Lying" is a bad term and perfectly honest people have mistaken perceptions here, but the minor details really matter here.

sts603

I gave you a full account of the priority list. While I express no knowledge of who actually in the end sat in what seat, I'm clearly not just making up what the list says.

I certainly can't foreclose on (3) though my guess is that (2) occurred. Again, the OP lost his entitlement to the upgrade by boarding BUT did so based on false information from the GA.

tylerdurden4543

Is that accurate? Is the policy that you lose your spot on the list by boarding or that a GA is supposed to move you up from Y should your UG clear (though YMMV on whether or not they do)

ilovetofly

That is not what I have understood.

However, I do know GAs do that often in the interest of on time departure.