Programs: Delta Diamond, MM, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Silver
Posts: 3
Interesting Upgrade Experience
After checking in on-line yesterday I checked my upgrade status this morning. I was #4 with 6 seats available. After arriving at the airport I was still #4 with 6 seats available. Checking the monitor I noticed that all 6 seats had cleared and yet I was #1 on the list with 0 seats available. Seemed strange but I didn't know if SWU showed up on the list so maybe it was possible. Normally I would have just gone to purchase water and a salad and settle in for my SLC to EWR flight in the back. However it seemed really odd that I had been bumped by 3 people - one minute I was #4 - literally the next minute I was #7. The desk was not busy so I nicely asked what had happened. The desk agent was very friendly and immediately said "we cleared the upgrades in order". I said OK - were there 6 seats? "Yes". She had no explaination but offered to re-clear the list. So she went and "un-cleared" the upgrades and again I was #4 with 6 seats. As I stood there she re-cleared the list and when she got to #4 I cleared. Not sure what was going on but I am glad that I asked in this case. Has anyone else had this experience?
That is definitely strange, and I have not heard of such a thing happening. SLC-EWR is not a short flight it was definitely worth asking. Glad you got the upgrade!
I don't find this unusual at all. I have checked my upgrade status online which may be very different from what's on the monitor at the airport...which isn't necessarily the same that the gate attendant has. I have never been able to figure out where to get accurate information from Delta regarding updates.
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 19,333
Welcome to FT.
Your place on the upgrade list changes (downward in almost all cases) between OLCI at T-24 and when upgrades are processed at the gate. However, what you see on your computer/ipad/iphone etc. at the gate and what is displayed on the gate monitor and what the GA sees should be the same until boarding begins, when people drop off the lists except the original list that the GA can see.
I'm not sure but nonrevs listed for FC might appear on the gate monitors and GA list but not on the lists we can see on delta.dumb. They would appear below all revenue passengers requesting upgrades so this shouldn't effect your evaluation of your own chances for the upgrade.
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Programs: DL PM (as of 12/19/2012-all BIS miles), SC Member: 2012 upgrades 43 of 59
Posts: 774
Sounds like SHEENA to me. From either the GA you talked to or the other agent working the flight was to blame. Either way it seems like your polite inquiry got you the UG you deserved. Good job!
I would suggest you write a friendly note to delta. Not a complaint. Not asking for any compensation but simply explain the situation to inform them of potential issues with clearing of UG's.
And WOW. Cannot believe the GA offered to void the cleared UG's from before and re process UG's for you. I would have never thought this was possible and woukd have never thought to ask for such a thing. unless there was obvious SHEENA going on.
Sounds like something was screwed up in the system and it passed you over when you should've been upgraded. There was a report or two of something similar happening to a DM not too long ago where they were at the bottom of the entire list somehow.
And WOW. Cannot believe the GA offered to void the cleared UG's from before and re process UG's for you. I would have never thought this was possible and woukd have never thought to ask for such a thing. unless there was obvious SHEENA going on.
This is the most shocking part of the story IMHO. Good for the GA... unless she was the one causing the shenanigans in the first place
Programs: Delta PM, Priority Club Platinum, National EC Executive, Delta Amex Reserve
Posts: 144
Exact same thing happened to me just two weeks ago. 3 minutes before the upgrades cleared there was 3 more seats below me, when the upgrade cleared i was number one on the list with 0 seats available. This was the same across all three points of access. When i realized, the plane was already boarding so i just went and took my EC seat. I really felt like something fishy had happened, but didn't take the time to ask.
I had a similiar issue after spliting a PNR so I could clear with my PM status before non-status companion. Flight was CLT-ATL-BOS.
Split ticket at CLT counter and was #1 on the list with about 4 seats. Got to the gate and was #7 of 7 on the list... checked the ATL-BOS flight and was #23 of 23. When I got to SC in ATL the agent said after ticket split I had not been re-checkedin properly. She re-checked me in and I was now #1 but the list had just cleared :-)
And WOW. Cannot believe the GA offered to void the cleared UG's from before and re process UG's for you. I would have never thought this was possible and woukd have never thought to ask for such a thing. unless there was obvious SHEENA going on.
This raises all kinds of red flags for me. First off, when the list was re-cleared and you were indeed #4 on the list and got the UG then why (just a few minutes earlier) did the same task put 3 people ahead of you?
Also, what about the passanger(s) who got cleared into FC who lost the UG? Aren't they going to be wondering what's going on and come up to ask the GA? The GA going back to re-clear the UG list (which changed the UG results) makes me think that they knew the people losing their UG's would not be coming to complain.
Yes... the upgrade list is a moving target, in this case n people with priority above yours got the seats...
Could be they checked in after you did , could be they were delayed earlier in the day etc etc.
Bob H
This was obviously not the case here if you re-read the OP's story more carefully. They were number 4 of 6 on the list up until the moment the list cleared, when the OP mysteriously remained at #1 of 0. When it was manually "re-cleared" by the GA (strange but true) the OP did get the UG as is to be expected.
Yes... the upgrade list is a moving target, in this case n people with priority above yours got the seats...
Could be they checked in after you did , could be they were delayed earlier in the day etc etc.
Bob H
I agree that this can and does happen. And it's usually the case. But to go from #4 to #7 (and missing the UG by 1), then minutes later when the agent re-cleared the upgrades go back to being #4 again is fishy. It's definitely not people checking in after, delayed passengers, etc. It's either a computer glitch or someone intentionally changing the UG priority.
Programs: Hyatt Plat;SC mem; DL PM; DL Amex Plat; Hertz No1 Gold; Hilton Silver; Former CO Gold
Posts: 3,858
Quote:
Originally Posted by mridley2
Sounds like SHEENA to me. From either the GA you talked to or the other agent working the flight was to blame. Either way it seems like your polite inquiry got you the UG you deserved. Good job!
I would suggest you write a friendly note to delta. Not a complaint. Not asking for any compensation but simply explain the situation to inform them of potential issues with clearing of UG's.
And WOW. Cannot believe the GA offered to void the cleared UG's from before and re process UG's for you. I would have never thought this was possible and woukd have never thought to ask for such a thing. unless there was obvious SHEENA going on.
I agree, this is definitely the best way to handle it.
OP -excellent news on the UPGRADE (I have no brain cells!)- SLC-EWR is not a short trip.
