Have a trip booked with the wifey for August to SAN and one in December. We've got four systemwides between the two of us and 8 segment upgrades. Our strategy has been to use one SWU to California in Aug, use one SWU in December. Use 6 segment upgrades to return to DCA in August and, having flown over 10,000 miles for the year, use the others for the return in December.

Anyhow, called the US reservations to upgrade the DCA-SAN part of the trip. Checked ITN.net first to see how G class inventory looked. For both the A-319 and the 757 flight it was F9 G9 A9. As soon as I got off with res, I checked ITN.net. The A-319 flight changed to F9 G7 A9. So, apparently 9 seats are made available for G type upgrades.

ITRADE
As a Gold/Silver res rep I can assure you that G inventory is way less than 9, since 319 only has 12 in First Class. You will see high numbers like that for privacy issues regarding other airlines. I know you travel alot and I hope Iam not offending you by saying this. Just trying to help. FYI

Thanks for your response BWI2MCO97.

For those of us who fly (and enjoy) US Airways a lot, it is nice to see an employee give us some input.

cheers- geo

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by BWI2MCO97:
ITRADE
As a Gold/Silver res rep I can assure you that G inventory is way less than 9, since 319 only has 12 in First Class. You will see high numbers like that for privacy issues regarding other airlines. I know you travel alot and I hope Iam not offending you by saying this. Just trying to help. FYI</font>

OK, then explain why I often see an A-319 flight reporting G1 with 8 seats filled? I call and upgrade, and it goes to G0.

no explanation......I am attending a meeting with inventory department tomorrow where I will ask a lot of questions. I am more interested in that waitlisting/autoclear program that is supposed to run at midnite. I had a US2 call saturday wanted to upgrade a flight from SFO-PHL. I only had F and A
inventory but needed a G seat to upgrade him. I watched the availability all day . It never cleared. I called inventory dept before I left at 1030pm they advised software runs after midnite that should clear him. I checked yesterday morning and found he was cleared at SFO at checkin.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by BWI2MCO97:
no explanation......I am attending a meeting with inventory department tomorrow where I will ask a lot of questions. I am more interested in that waitlisting/autoclear program that is supposed to run at midnite. I had a US2 call saturday wanted to upgrade a flight from SFO-PHL. I only had F and A
inventory but needed a G seat to upgrade him. I watched the availability all day . It never cleared. I called inventory dept before I left at 1030pm they advised software runs after midnite that should clear him. I checked yesterday morning and found he was cleared at SFO at checkin.</font>

If you're having a meeting, check out this recent upgrade discussion:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum51/HTML/001145.html

It seems to me that the computer should check the waitlist anytime a G seat (or whatever the code is for Envoy seats internationally) is opened up to clear the first person on the waitlist.

According to the information I've been told however (and from what you said), it only happens at midnight, so if and when seats open up during the day on the day of departure, they're up for grabs and suddenly status does not matter ... just whoever gets to it first!

My point exactly. I single out one or two things I keep an eye on all day. One or two long haul upgrades and familys that don't have seats together mostly. I will report back on my findings after the meeting.

Going off topic, but I'd like to also welcome our first (I think) USAirways airline employee to Flyertalk..

I'm curious if there's going to be a crackdown on upgrading e-savers. I haven't flown one in nearly a year because of the policy (there goes the marginal revenue that US is trying to get!) but have heard mixed reports on upgrade success.

you probably saw 9 across the board because the cabin is near empty. Now - try to book 9 F tickets(i.e. paid), and watch how ALL the numbers change.

Think of it this way - how can the 319 have 9+9+9 seats available in F, let alone 9 in upgrade inventory alone.

Yield management takes it toll when:
1.) Full Y'ers upgrade in advance to an F seat(thus taking one from the F9)
2.) Someone actually BUYS an F ticket
3.) Someone redeems an award ticket
4.) Someone uses a Customer Service/Op upgrade(they can be confirmed at time of ticketing)

So, if I was to see F9, G9 and A9 on an A319, and then someone happened to call and book 9 F seats, paying the full price, I guarantee you the G and A numbers would go to ZERO. The remaining 3 seats would probably show as F3, G0, A0.

The only way we can be confident in getting an upgrade is to actually see G inventory available at the time we're ready to call for it.

Thanks

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by pitflyer:
Going off topic, but I'd like to also welcome our first (I think) USAirways airline employee to Flyertalk..</font>Ditto welcome BWI2MCO97

I second that...Welcome BWI2MCO97.


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"We are dimming the cabin lights to enhance the beauty of our flight crew" - Actual Quote.

Chairmans: USAir, Gold: NWA, Diners, HH, Gold: Marriott

Another big welcome to FlyerTalk! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by PHL:
you probably saw 9 across the board because the cabin is near empty. Now - try to book 9 F tickets(i.e. paid), and watch how ALL the numbers change.

Think of it this way - how can the 319 have 9+9+9 seats available in F, let alone 9 in upgrade inventory alone.

Yield management takes it toll when:
1.) Full Y'ers upgrade in advance to an F seat(thus taking one from the F9)
2.) Someone actually BUYS an F ticket
3.) Someone redeems an award ticket
4.) Someone uses a Customer Service/Op upgrade(they can be confirmed at time of ticketing)

So, if I was to see F9, G9 and A9 on an A319, and then someone happened to call and book 9 F seats, paying the full price, I guarantee you the G and A numbers would go to ZERO. The remaining 3 seats would probably show as F3, G0, A0.

The only way we can be confident in getting an upgrade is to actually see G inventory available at the time we're ready to call for it.

</font>

I agree that if you buy F class ticket, you're going to necessarily reduce G class inventory. What I was saying was that it appears that up to nine seats could be assigned to G class seats. Once 9 seats are filled with any combination of fares (F,A,G, or D fares) G will become 0.

A very good example of this is US14 for
Tuesday 7/24/01. A321 holds 26 in First Class. I checked confirmed list and found no one in G, 4 in A, 4 in F. Availability
shows F/A/D open, but no G space. There is a waitlist for G, but no one cleared as of the time I left work.

Something strange is happening as all LAX-PHL flights for tomorrow are listed as G0.

Looking at July 24 Flight 84 lists F5 A3 G2. There are 5 open seats. Utilizing my theory of 9 available G seats, the G2 matches that theory.

The return flight on July 30 lists F9 A7 G6. Guess what, three seats are filled. 9 - 3 = 6 - G6.

I actually have access to a real CRS (not Sabre), and notice a lot of funny things, such as no G seats on long hauls for Monday mornings before noon, regardless of booking load. I'm also fascinated by flights that have many open seats on day of travel, and still have G available, which means short of last minute stuff, anyone with any level of elite status has made the move. In spite of that, these things are always full at departure. As an example, I flew a redeye out of SEA the other night, and watched as they upgraded four people in the same group. I'm certain they were not employees. I bust my ... to make Chairman's every year, and often family members with me end up in back. The rules clearly state one companion.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by deelmakur:
As an example, I flew a redeye out of SEA the other night, and watched as they upgraded four people in the same group. I'm certain they were not employees. I bust my ... to make Chairman's every year, and often family members with me end up in back. The rules clearly state one companion.</font>

deelmakur, you seem to be making a couple of assumptions:

1) That there were not at least two elites (for instnace, if my girlfriend and I were traveling with both my parents, all four of us could upgrade since both Nancy and I are elite).

2) That they were all using certs, not miles (which I actually assume you saw the exchange of the certs?)

Anyway, that being said, I really don't have a problem with US upgrading paying customers at the last minute in such a case, because as you said elites had their shot at those seats already ... and I certainly wouldn't mind that courtesy being extended to me if I ever had need for it. (BTW, on a bit of a side note, even before I was elite, US would occasionally let me stand by for first class on non-Y tickets using 800 mile upgrades, which was technically against the rules, but I was grateful for none-the-less.).