Moved from 1C to 10C

[Tomphot]

This week, I SDC on a flight BUF-ATL.
Was told that I would be #1 on the upgrade list.
While waiting in the AA lounge for the flight, I looked at the DL site to see where the upgrade list stood and was told no information could be found on my ticket - see agent.
At the gate, the agent said no problem, I've already been upgraded and gave me my new boarding pass for 1C.
FC boarding is called and a new ticket comes out with 10C.
The GA tells me that DL sold my seat to someone who bought my FC seat after he had had given me my BP.
OK - more money for DL.
I sit in 10C.
30 minutes into the flight, my. Ose starts running, then I start sneezing. Another 15 minutes later, I hear a dog start to whine and bark from under my seat.
After 25 years of flying DL, I had 2 firsts on 1 flight
I'm highly allergic to pet dander

[GMill]

What a bummer!

I get asthma when exposed to cats, especially light colored cats. I haven't had an asthma attack in years, as I have made it a point to avoid cats since this allergy was discovered.

I would be very upset if I were forced to sit in close proximity to a cat and had an asthma attack.

[Thomas Hudson]

Can a Delta FT rep confirm that confirmed upgraded seats can be sold to another customer at any time and up until boarding?

[GRALISTAIR]

Originally Posted by Thomas Hudson

Can a Delta FT rep confirm that confirmed upgraded seats can be sold to another customer at any time and up until boarding?

OMG - If I had no HOOU coupons left that would be the DL Amex card out and at least two drinks. Bummer. Only Sapphire or Woodford would drown that sorrow.

[Stripe]

I hope you're going to complain in writing. Everything about this is wrong.

Do you still have your 1C BP? When the miles post, check whether the "Class Flown" is V. What happened here has to be against their policy, otherwise upgrades would be meaningless until the door shuts. The only time I lost an upgrade was on CO years ago and that was because the original paid F passenger showed up at the ticket desk just after the cutoff period. And even then, one agent was handing me the BP but hadn't yet completed the handoff when the other agent at the gate said to wait.

Some airlines (not sure if DL is included) won't serve peanuts if someone on the plane has a peanut allergy. There should be some process to ensure that those who are allergic don't sit in proximity to an animal.

Finally, I have to ask: AA does not have lounge in BUF. Where were you really sitting?

[iTanNicNic]

Originally Posted by Stripe

Finally, I have to ask: AA does not have lounge in BUF. Where were you really sitting?

US Airways has a Club location in BUF so perhaps that is what the OP meant.

[Tomphot]

I called DL to talk about what happened. They tell me that I had been cleared into FC and given 1C on a "standby" basis but that the seat was still available to be sold. If it was standby, why was I given a BP? When I fly standby, the BP says Standby and it doesn't have a seat number assigned to it. The agent told me I shouldn't have been given a BP for FC. btw, the agent told me he could see in the system that I was assigned 1C and then moved to 10C.

The guy sitting in 12D had the same thing happen to him - I heard him complain to a FA about it. He got some free Woodford out of it.

Originally Posted by iTanNicNic

US Airways has a Club location in BUF so perhaps that is what the OP meant.

Yes, it was the US Airways club. This is a Priority Pass location.

[Thomas Hudson]

Originally Posted by Tomphot

I called DL to talk about what happened. They tell me that I had been cleared into FC and given 1C on a "standby" basis but that the seat was still available to be sold. If it was standby, why was I given a BP? When I fly standby, the BP says Standby and it doesn't have a seat number assigned to it. The agent told me I shouldn't have been given a BP for FC. btw, the agent told me he could see in the system that I was assigned 1C and then moved to 10C.

The guy sitting in 12D had the same thing happen to him - I heard him complain to a FA about it. He got some free Woodford out of it.



Yes, it was the US Airways club. This is a Priority Pass location.

Can our Delta FT reps confirm that we now clear FC on a "standby" basis?

[MSPeconomist]

I've always been told that a confirmed FC upgrade is a done deal, except possibly for a FAM or equipment change situation. In fact, I've had GAs and redcoats refuse to correct an error after someone else's upgrade has already appeared on the GIDS display, even though the person has not boarded or collected a new boarding pass.

I've never heard of "clearing" the upgrade and still being "standby." It sounds to me like a DL phone agent once again made up something to hopefully make the OP go away.

Check the class purchased/class flown on your FF account. Then escalate.

I'm starting to think that one should always fly with two printed copies of the boarding pass: one to use and one to hide in one's records in order to later prove if needed that upgrades, etc. actually occurred in case the GA grabs the boarding pass back at the gate and tried to substitute a downgraded version. It would avoid wrestling over a piece of paper in an airport.

If the OP heard a similar story from another passenger on the flight, he/she should have (a) tried to exchange information with the other passenger (A joint shena complaint is more likely to be taken seriously, and it can even help to point out to DL that someone else in seat XXX talked about a similar story on the flight even if seat XXX doesn't report the incident himself/herself.) and (b) demanded the same drinks privileges from the FA.

[Tomphot]

Originally Posted by MSPeconomist

Check the class purchased/class flown on your FF account. Then escalate.

I'm starting to think that one should always fly with two printed copies of the boarding pass: one to use and one to hide in one's records in order to later prove if needed that upgrades, etc. actually occurred in case the GA grabs the boarding pass back at the gate and tried to substitute a downgraded version. It would avoid wrestling over a piece of paper in an airport.

If the OP heard a similar story from another passenger on the flight, he/she should have (a) tried to exchange information with the other passenger (A joint shena complaint is more likely to be taken seriously, and it can even help to point out to DL that someone else in seat XXX talked about a similar story on the flight even if seat XXX doesn't report the incident himself/herself.) and (b) demanded the same drinks privileges from the FA.

My fare class shows Q which is what I was flying on.
In my case, the agent I talked to on the phone saw that I was assigned the FCC seat so actually having the paper isn't that important.
As for the drink, I wasn't interested on that flight, besides, I still a stock of free coupons that I never use as this was only my second flight this year in coach.

[MSPeconomist]

Originally Posted by Tomphot

My fare class shows Q which is what I was flying on.
In my case, the agent I talked to on the phone saw that I was assigned the FCC seat so actually having the paper isn't that important.
As for the drink, I wasn't interested on that flight, besides, I still a stock of free coupons that I never use as this was only my second flight this year in coach.

So your flight was recorded by DL as fare class purchased Q/fare class flown Q or Q/Q but agents can see in the computer that you were upgraded into FC? How do they explain this? If it was an official confirmed upgrade followed by a downgrade at the gate, you should get downgrade "compensation" (really apology miles).

[Tomphot]

Originally Posted by MSPeconomist

So your flight was recorded by DL as fare class purchased Q/fare class flown Q or Q/Q but agents can see in the computer that you were upgraded into FC? How do they explain this? If it was an official confirmed upgrade followed by a downgrade at the gate, you should get downgrade "compensation" (really apology miles).

That's what's so confusing - they see that I was assigned 1C but say it was on a Standby basis.
They also see that my original EC seat was taken away when was given the FC seat and that I was reassigned a new seat in EC (with a dog underneath it)

[MSPeconomist]

Originally Posted by Tomphot

That's what's so confusing - they see that I was assigned 1C but say it was on a Standby basis.
They also see that my original EC seat was taken away when was given the FC seat and that I was reassigned a new seat in EC (with a dog underneath it)

To repeat, I have never heard of a FC seat assignment as part of an upgrade by only on a standby basis. To me, standby is your status before the upgrade is confirmed. Once that happens, you have a confirmed FC seat and are officially confirmed as an upgrade into FC. The alternative might be a GA telling you informally that you're standby for seat 1C if the connecting passenger who is already checked into 1C arrives too late and appears at the gate after the flight is closed. In that case, the GA would presumably informally tell you either to hang around the podium or board, and you would officially be moved into 1C at the time (T-10/T-15) when the GA "busts" the seat of the previous owner of 1C. This should not show on DL's computers as a 1C seat assignment until the magic time that the previous 1C's reservation on the flight is cancelled as a misconnect/no-show and you are officially given the boarding pass for 1C.

[HongKonger]

I smell a rat.

[CAVU]

I had a similar experience. The screen showed me cleared with a first class seat assignment 30 minutes before departure. When I boarded with the first class zone, a coach seat was printed and I was told to step out of the line until my zone was called.

The agent said a Gold can't get an upgrade before a Platinum. I was traveling on a Y fare so my guess it was due to the gate agent not knowing the upgrade priority.

I had an exit row seat prior to the upgrade and it was lost so the system had me as upgraded.

Delta ultimately confirmed me in first on a future flight in advance.