channa

It's not as much ignorance as it is usability, IMO. In this day and age, it's expected that the command would be identical, and the class of service be irrelevant. Any reasonably modern system would behave that way. It's simply asinine that it isn't the same command for F or Y passengers. Imagine if this sort of issue happened in another real-world environment (e.g., if you try to take more than $100 out of the ATM at a time it will fail, unless you remembered to enter your PIN backwards; or the Safeway cashier couldn't hit "Total" on the register when done ringing you up if you had meat on your order, they'd have to remember you had meat items and need to use a different key buried in some menu somewhere; or Ctrl-C works for "copy" anywhere in Windows unless you're copying Excel documents in which case they won't copy unless you use Alt-&). That'd be ridiculous, and systems code around that sort of stuff to help with usability to keep it consistent for the user.

Sure, it also may cost them more in VDB vouchers because they've artificially limited their pool of VDB candidates by a system usability issue, and they may have to offer more in VDB funny money to attract volunteers.

From the looks of the CO systems, usability doesn't seem like it was ever a concern with CO.

LIH Prem

You are blaming it on the OP?

mherdeg

Often found using PMCO check-in kiosks that I would not get the check-in kiosk offer to be placed on the VDB list if I had been upgraded, while Y pax did get that offer.

bsmnsr

I'd think the odds were there was another passenger who could have been upgraded to your seat giving a seat opening in Y.

It feels like the GAs and CSRs are just so overwhelmed with information and changes that they just default to, "the new system doesn't do that" without taking the time to realize that the new system does do it, they've just not figured out how it can be done.

There's a merging of two very old cultures going on here. We cannot expect them to get it all figured out instantly. But we can hope they'll eventually get it figured out.

UA-NYC

Of course - this is why, statistically speaking, you had a much greater chance of getting IDB'd on PMCO, and now have on COdbaUA.

channa

Either that, or they've learned that there are so many things the "new" system cannot do that their "old" system did easily, that they assume that if something doesn't work it can't be done.

JFKSFOLAX_friend

I believe you understood the situation.

PHLGovFlyer

It's clearly much easier to blame it on the customer than to acknowledge that the training provided to GAs is inadequate

LilAbner

Suggesting that almost EVERY OP doesn't know what they're talking about seems to be the flavor of the month, for 3 months running.

About 2 months ago ORD to DEN they're looking for volunteer's and need 4 of them. I put my wife's name & mine (both 1K's) on the list and there is a total panic of people pushing & shoving to get front row positions at the podium. The g/a's are in a total frenzy, and I overhear them saying that they need to get this flight out ON TIME. Our names are called by the g/a at the gate reader who says, "You need to get on this plane now"! We are both in F/C on a 57, and I tell her that we were told that we are #1 & #2 on the volunteer list as that is what the agent over there told me. "Sir, you're both in F/C and we don't have time to do that for you as we have many others in coach standing by the podium that are volunteer's and we're taking them"!
2 X $400.00 given to pushers & shovers. So, I also DO understand what happened several months ago in the same situation.

The OP stated ALL the facts and therefore he understands exactly what the g/a's informed him and which was a completely fabricated story by employee's that don't know how or don't want to do something that takes a little extra effort. One good thing came out of this and that was my aunt & uncle from the Kettle side of our family got my $800.00!

Often1

VDB is almost 100% GA discretion. There is tremendous pressure for an on-time push and it's easier and less time-consuming to VDB a Y than an F pax. Which pax would you choose if you were a GA?

LilAbner

After I learned what in the hell I was doing as a g/a, I go down the line with #1 being the first one. I don't mind cutting them slack, but I'm sort-a interested in how long it's going to take some g/a's to learn the program, if ever?

Rereading the OP's original post --- He was lied to which seems to be the simple answer to your question, "it's easier and less time-consuming" to just make up!

star_world

Some people also find it easier to say that it's an issue with the systems than to acknowledge that the training provided to GAs is inadequate

LilAbner

TRAINING! TRAINING! They don't need NO stinkin' TRAINING!!!
Let em ALL fly by the seat of their pants, agents & customers alike!
That'll LEARN EM!!!

Weatherboy

This happened to me in Florida; I was in F but the gate agents didn't know how to handle my volunteering. They said Y was oversold and not F, but I pointed out there were 20+ people waiting on the list for an F seat, so they should bump me and clear another passenger on the upgrade waitlist to my seat to free up the seat in Y. Then the lightbulb clicked in their head and they accepted my wish to volunteer.

However, in both cases, it turned out the flight wasn't oversold in the end.

lax2010

I think that was what happened. I was VDB last month. The PMUA GA was having a hard time trying to process it and a PMCO GA from the next gate came over and finish processing the VDB and put me on Y in the next flight. I was on CPU F originally.