delta50

booked on an afternoon flight LGA_ORD today. my upgrade cleared. then my schedule changed and I wanted to take an earlier flight. Was told that it was "wide open".

The ticket agent at the front counter gave me a BP without a seat. She told me that, since I was standby, I needed to go to the gate to get a seat assignment and to get on the upgrade list.

Went to the AC, where I was given a BP with a coach seat, and told that I had been placed on the upgrade list.

About 30 min before the flight, I went to the gate. Saw the upgrade list on the monitor, but my name wasn't on it. Asked the GA, who told me that since I was standing by, I wasn't eligible for an upgrade. She essentially said that pax originally ticketed on that flight had priority for upgrades and I wasn't eligible.

All things considered, I was glad to get a seat on the earlier flight. However, I don't recall a rule that says standbys can't get upgrades. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I've been upgraded from standby in the past.

fwiw, the GA seemed to be experienced and competent. Just wondering if there's a policy about standbys on the upgrade list. Any thoughts?

brp

Yes, you can get upgrades when standing by; we've done it. But the part about being behind the current pax is true, within tier. If you were told that you were after all pax, including GLD, that is not correct. When we did this, being EXP placed us at the top. There were no others requesting upgrades out of MCO, so it was moot, though.

Cheers.

Madison Guy

My understanding, all things being equal, that YES, all non-standby PAX have priority - even over EXP. That's where CFC helps - pay the $50 - you are CONFIRMED - not standby, and can upgrade. Of course, if ALL ticketed PAX that wanted to UPG have, you still can. Really depends on GA, but MY UNDERSTANDING of policy is ALL confirmed PAX first - and ALL standby are still standby until the door closes - and can be pulled off the flight entirely....

Madison Guy

On reg standby or IRROPS? MOST GA's will not clear the standby PAX until after they have processed the UPD list, of course.....

brp

Ya know, I can't say definitively. We were put to the top of a standby list of 40+ people, and cleared almost immediately. Inasmuch as there were no people waiting for upgrades, I can't say where we really would have been put, but the GA made reference to our being EXP...but that might just have been for jumping to the top of the standby list.

Cheers.

farrbar

It is odd that you were not on the monitor at all (even if at the end, after all originally ticket pax). I standby 30+ times per year, in 2008 cleared the upgrade on almost all of them.

My strategy is exactly what you described, that is, get an actual Y seat from AC, then wait at the gate for F. Per my discussion with an AC rep, this is the most effective way. If you are waiting for a seat from the GA, then as OP said, they typically clear upgrades before standby.

ilovetofly

When the OP received a boarding pass from AC with a seat, wasn't OP confirmed for the flight?

If OP was not a standby anymore, why couldn't OP be eligible for upgrades?

A question to OP - did anyone on the upgrade list get upgraded?

aamilesslave

My experience is that if you are standby and even if you have a boarding pass with a seat assignment, you are still classified as a standby passenger and should be considered for an upgrade after all confirmed pax.

BenjaminNYC

Not doubting, but are you sure of the rule? On UA, it is different. You MUST be confirmed on the flight in Y before you can even get on the list for an upgrade. So that means that all confirmed pax on that flight will get the upgraded seat before standbys, if the flight is full.

TxH2O

My only missed upgrade in 2008 was due to the confirmed passengers having first dibs on the FC seats, even over EXP standbys w/ seat assignments. Even being at the back of the line, however, I have cleared standby into first a few times when all upgrade requests were accommodated and at least one seat was left. Another reason why the requirement for stickers for PLT and GLD is to the advantage of EXPs.

brp

Nope, not really sure. I think you, and the other folks that mentioned it, are correct. In the case we had, I think we did get confirmed on the flight first, in effect, and then immediately upgraded since there was space and no requests. It looked like going from the standby list right to F, but it probably happened as a multi-step, albeit rapid, process that looked singular.

Cheers.

swag

Once you clear standby into Y, you do become eligible for the upghrade list. But the way most agents process it, lower level upgrade requests may have already cleared before that point, putting you behind them for the F seat.

billgrates3

On a Sunday, flying from LAX - SFO (not a big day for business travellers so F was only half full) I was booked on the 7pm flight but got in from LHR early so was standby on the 4:30pm flight. I didn't have a seat assignment, but the TA gave me a boarding pass since the flight wasn't full. So I went to the AC and the agent gave me a seat in First. I was on an confirmed eVIP upgrade already, starting at LHR, so that probably gave me priority over other pax for the upgrade even though it was standby.

gemac

eVIPs are totally different, and have no relevance to OP'd situation at all.

ilovetofly

Thanks for sharing your experience. Have I misunderstood all along....is there a conclusive rule for upgrades on standby?

In other words, standby means no upgrade. As far as I can remember from the past, I don't think I have gotten upgrade with standby.