sjclynn

[QUOTE=DYKWIA2014;23728637]This made me laugh a little. I grew up in an airline family. My father was a mechanic for NWA. It was the 50s and my parents and I were headed somehwere out of SEA as NRSA. We got on the plane and it taxied out only to return to the gate a few minutes later. We were removed and replaced by two gentlemen. It seems that they were having a couple of drinks in the bar and were jolted out of their comfort when the plane taxied past the windows.

So, in the old days, even leaving the gate wasn't security from losing your seat.

clinspec

He didn't move up from coach. He was hanging in the cockpit and came from there to the seat. Regardless of where he was, why did 20 medallions fly in coach and he flew in first?

NotHamSarnie

^^

Eggsactamento. This you-board-you-lose is a crock unless it really is a last-minute misconnect that would then cause a delayed departure to bring someone up from first. Even then, why not give a "token" to #1 on the list that s/he can use to UG if the seat is available at departure. Seats for the boys just isn't ok and encourages Shena to the nth degree.

DCATraveler

I'm Diamond and was traveling on a V fare for this trip and I just got off of DL1354 (LAX-ATL). An hour before departure I was #12 for 12 seat, which was pretty low for me as a Diamond and missing my window. Anyway, I stood at the gate watching the monitors to see if I was going to get cleared for an upgrade, when I started seeing names appear on the cleared with UP next to them. Awesome.. I assumed, they're starting to clear names and I should get one of the last seats. Unfortunately, As those names started appearing on the cleared list for an upgrade, my position in the list didn't change.. I was still stuck at #12. In fact, the names that did start appearing were nowhere on the upgrade list to begin with... They were mysteriously added to the cleared list with an upgraded seat. Slowly, more names were added to the cleared list and I still was stuck at #12. It wasn't until 6 names were added that the gate agent started clearing and positions on the upgrade list started to move.

When I asked the gate agent what was going on, she said she was clearing the upgrade list and left it at that. A red coat was unavailable as she was busy dealing with several other issues going on with the flight.

In addition, I just so happened to be sitting next to a Gold medallion who mentioned that he overheard both in the SkyClub and around hte gate agent for nonrevs trying to get seat assignments. Wouldn't you guess.... as he's walking back to his seat he just so happened to walk past them all sitting up front.

MSPeconomist

Report this to DL immediately, although with any luck there's a chance that one of the DL employees who hangs out here can look at the records for your flight and verify what apparently happened.

There's a chance (unlikely) that the DL employees were flying positive space (such as "must fly") and/or were of a category entitled to FC. It seems more likely that the GA cleared the non revs first, "forgetting" on purpose to first process the upgrade list.

I would have asked more questions of either the GA or the redcoat before boarding.

SDC should have already been cleared onto the flight if these were revenue passengers who were entitled to SDC directly into FC. If they were doing SDS, AFAIK even a FULL F ticket shouldn't be cleared before the upgrade list is processed, but some GAs could view this differently and it would seem to be good business practice to do so.

DYKWIA2014

Just because some GM you were sitting next to said this doesn't mean that it's true.

Of the 13 people cleared into F, none of them were Non-Revs. I'll leave it at that.

clr4t8koff

Interesting. So if OP was #12 and 13 cleared, why did OP ride in back?

MSPeconomist

A bunch of people were apparently put into FC seats on the flight before the upgrade list was processed.

clr4t8koff

This sounds like it was Non-rev then, no? Though a previous poster just stated none of the 13 were non-rev.

Perhaps a bunch of positive space employees?

MSPeconomist

I speculated on this in my longer post above, although the term nonrev normally would seem to include positive space, buddy passes, Zed fares, etc. in addition to employees flying NRSA. It should mean anyone flying without a ticket paid in either miles or money, with the "money" tickets including bulk and consolidator fares but not industry fares available to airline employees and those whom they designate.

NotHamSarnie

What about people who SDCd from F on another flight?

MSPeconomist

Someone who SDCed from FC would have been automatically cleared into FC at the time of the SDC. This scenario would have needed the bunch of people to all already have FC tickets (or confirmed SWU/GUC/RUC or miles upgrades on their original flights) and then to all SDC onto the flight at about the same time shortly before boarding.

It would seem unusual unless there were IROPs happening.

NotHamSarnie

I agree it would seem unusual. I also wondered about IROP. I think worth the OP following up with DL anyway, despite what the DL insider said about no non-revs.

clr4t8koff

I'm really interested in hearing more about this. DYKWIA2014 alludes to know more, but isn't giving much info.

AKC6

VIP's and entourage? 360's?