US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - Who decides when to sell upgrades at the gate?

I was on a CLT-MIA flight this past Saturday, my upgrade cleared at my GP window and when I did OLI check-in Friday, I noticed I was the only person in FC. As the door closed, it was only myself and two other pax in the front cabin of the 737. Y seemed to be packed to rafters. Why didn't someone make a decision to grab some much needed revenue from the 9 seats by selling upgrades? I know DL would have managed to get at least $50 per empty seat on this type of stage length. What gives? Are "upgrades for sale" done at discretion of the GA or Gate Supervisor/Manager or ____ ?

I was on a CLT-MIA flight this past Saturday, my upgrade cleared at my GP window and when I did OLI check-in Friday, I noticed I was the only person in FC. As the door closed, it was only myself and two other pax in the front cabin of the 737. Y seemed to be packed to rafters. Why didn't someone make a decision to grab some much needed revenue from the 9 seats by selling upgrades? I know DL would have managed to get at least $50 per empty seat on this type of stage length. What gives? Are "upgrades for sale" done at discretion of the GA or Gate Supervisor/Manager or ____ ?


They sold (er, tried to sell) upgrades last Sunday FLL-CUN. Unfortunately the GA in FLL offered seats for $150 for the 550 mile 90 minute flight.... I thought they were supposed to sell for $50 per 500 miles. Someone might have paid $50 or possibly $100, but $150 for a drink and the snack basket?? Come on US get smart!!! They didn't sell any seats and the flight left with 5 empties in F and my CP upgrade didn't clear at the 7 day window despite F9 P9.... and my parents' both US3s cleared at the gate too.....so we were 4 of 6 in F....

Ever since the program of selling open F seats has started I've noticed it implemented only here and there. But when it is offered, I've always seen people take it.

I was on a red-eye, SFO - CLT, and 5 F seats were open, and all were sold at $150 a piece. Not a bad take for US.

I then connected to an early morning CLT - EWR flight on a 737, and I was the ONLY one in F, and the GA made no announcement that F seats were for sale. The neighboring gate was boarding for LGA, and that GA was selling seats for $50 a piece, and people were buying them.

I guess it comes down to the GA him/herself, how busy they are with upgrades, conflicts, VDBs etc....

GA's should be instructed to take advantage of this program more. When HP started making this practice common, they made millions of dollars. Often people don't feel like paying the extra money up front to buy an F ticket, but when sitting in a gate area with a 6 hour flight to SFO or SEA in front of them and babies already crying ... $150 would sound like a blessing.

Just think of how many bags of pretzels each $150 gate upgrade could buy. :D

...I guess it comes down to the GA him/herself, how busy they are with upgrades, conflicts, VDBs etc....

GA's should be instructed to take advantage of this program more...

I may be mistaken, but I believe that agents get a bonus for the number of upgrades they sell at the gate. Not a lot, but a little extra every month nonetheless. This is what I was told by an agent when the program was first started.

I may be mistaken, but I believe that agents get a bonus for the number of upgrades they sell at the gate. Not a lot, but a little extra every month nonetheless. This is what I was told by an agent when the program was first started.

Yup. They get a commission.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=405056

The "First Up" program is supposed to be offered on all flights where there are seats left over in F.

What's annyong about this program (at least to me) is that the GAs will offer this program before clearing US1, US2 and US3 pax who are flying standby and requesting an upgrade. I know I'm probably being petty here but I feel as though the elites should be cleared before they move on to First Up.. it makes better business sense to take care of your best customers first.

I tried this once and was told that, in addition to paying the $25 standby fee which did not assure me a seat on the plane, I would have to pay $150 to be placed in F if I wanted to avoid being passed over because of First Up. :mad:

You can all tell me my expectations are too high now.

You can all tell me my expectations are too high now.

No Way! I completely agree.

Even a Silver can upgrade for free (no offense intended, my silver friends! :cool: ). If they're selling upgrades, it is to the most unloyal--if loyal at all--of US pax.

Don't offer a benefit or reward for my loyalty if you're going to fail to follow through on your part once I've done my part. :mad:

That said, I've never experienced this myself. But I completely agree with SOBE ER DOC's perspective.