DLFan2

My wife and I are going VPS-ATL-DCA this evening. I usually just use the kiosk at the airport to check in. Our airport is small and I never have to wait. She is FO.

Our first segment UG cleared at our respective windows. ExpertFlyer showed no upgrade availability for the second segment, but there were a few J seats for sale.

After reading a somewhat incoherent post by aubreyfromwheaton a couple of days ago in which he expressed the belief (well, his rambling post seemed to express his conviction) that by checking in as close to T-24 as possible, it had bumped his UG priority above several people who were ahead of him on the UG list. I figured that I had absolutely nothing to lose. Even if the 3 seats for sale on EF were made available for UG at the gate, I did not think I had much chance to snag one. So I checked the two of us in at about T-23.5 last evening.

Much to my surprise, I found that I had cleared overnight. I did not have to wait for the gate battle. I have no idea how many people were competing for the seats that were cleared...dl.com showed 0 on the UG list (not even me) after I checked in. It now shows my wife as 6 of 8 for only 1 remaining uncommitted seat at T-6, so her odds are essentially nil. But this is the first time I have missed at the window and then cleared before the circus at the gate.

I honestly don't think that checking in early had anything to do with this. I think that DL simply held onto those seats hoping to sell them, and when they reached a point less than 24 hours prior to departure, they just released them.

11psiGSR

I think your assumption is correct. I have been sitting at my computer at T24 and checked in almost instantly. I can still watch my climb down the list slowly and excruciatingly occur.

Honestly I have gotten to the point where if I don't make it at the 5/6 day window, I assume I will be sitting in Y. It makes for a less stressful life.

Deemus7

This +1000. Every once in a while I will get the "Your upgrade is now confirmed" e-mail within the window, but not clearing at the window normally means doom for me...

AdamDunn32

All inventory holds come off 24 hours from departure which can drop seats to RU.

HealthyAcademic

My take as well. Then it's just a nice bonus if I get the magic beep at boarding.

indufan

Could you better define what you are saying here? Not sure what "all inventory holds" means.

AdamDunn32

Anything in the inventory management of the flight that might hold seats for last minute F purchases.

MSPeconomist

Interesting. I was watching a flight last month that went from RP0 to RP1 several hours before the flight, with about F6 consistently in the days before the flight. I don't know what happened to the RP1 seat exATL but there were reportedly some last minute FC purchases due to sporting event playoffs.

Bicostal

Are you saying that if F>0 at T-24, that RU will be set to = F ?

In other words there are no BFUGs anymore?

dd1612

Every once in a while when not cleared at the window, I have got the "Your upgrade is now confirmed" e-mail at T-30 to T-20 hours sometimes, and when still not cleared get a BFUG at the gate.


.

AdamDunn32

No, as the expert flyer people know, day of departure you still see F3 P2 A0 or whatever. But a few seats can drop to RU - sometimes.

MSPeconomist

I've noticed that when I'm not upgraded at my DM window, the upgrade often is confirmed in the middle of the night, about 3 am in ATL, starting a few days before the flight. IIRC I had one clear in this time period in the early morning of my flight. This makes me think that 2-3am is when some inventory management system does a sweep and the algorithm automatically releases some upgrade inventory according to a formula that might be automatically changed in this timeframe.

AdamDunn32

I would say your assumption is in the ballpark.