Consolidated "Likelihood of clearing the wait list?" thread (International)
#16
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: BWI
Posts: 1,782
Our return flight is Aug 5 from Milan-Newark.
I agree that the flight is probably much more business ticket oriented.
Just hate bugging my friend, especially since he's being so great and giving us his upgrade. He's busy and not a travel agent
I agree that the flight is probably much more business ticket oriented.
Just hate bugging my friend, especially since he's being so great and giving us his upgrade. He's busy and not a travel agent
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA Plat 2MM; AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 35,067
Now that's more accurate. Are you honestly trying to convince us that the agent would be "well informed" because they give an answer that is only correct on a tiny portion of bookings? What a joke.
Sure the process breaks from time to time - but do you actually believe that outcome is more common than it working?
Sure the process breaks from time to time - but do you actually believe that outcome is more common than it working?
Agent says, "I've seen miles + $$$ re-deposited and planes leave without filling the BF seats..."
Nowhere did the agent say it never clears properly. In fact the agent did say the poster could try at the airport if it did not clear in advance. That suggests that it may clear in advance, or it may clear at the gate.
But the agent did inform the customer of the possibility of it not clearing properly, and BF seats flying empty, which is a real possibility as well.
That's why I disagreed with your categorization of the agent as misinformed. Seems this agent laid out various scenarios on the table, and knew her stuff. Further, she wasn't afraid to admit the system has its flaws, which we all know it does. I wish all agents would be this well informed and honest.
#18
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: ORD / DUB / LHR
Programs: UA 1K MM; BA Silver; Marriott Plat
Posts: 8,243
The quote was:
Agent says, "I've seen miles + $$$ re-deposited and planes leave without filling the BF seats..."
Nowhere did the agent say it never clears properly. In fact the agent did say the poster could try at the airport if it did not clear in advance. That suggests that it may clear in advance, or it may clear at the gate.
But the agent did inform the customer of the possibility of it not clearing properly, and BF seats flying empty, which is a real possibility as well.
That's why I disagreed with your categorization of the agent as misinformed. Seems this agent laid out various scenarios on the table, and knew her stuff. Further, she wasn't afraid to admit the system has its flaws, which we all know it does. I wish all agents would be this well informed and honest.
Agent says, "I've seen miles + $$$ re-deposited and planes leave without filling the BF seats..."
Nowhere did the agent say it never clears properly. In fact the agent did say the poster could try at the airport if it did not clear in advance. That suggests that it may clear in advance, or it may clear at the gate.
But the agent did inform the customer of the possibility of it not clearing properly, and BF seats flying empty, which is a real possibility as well.
That's why I disagreed with your categorization of the agent as misinformed. Seems this agent laid out various scenarios on the table, and knew her stuff. Further, she wasn't afraid to admit the system has its flaws, which we all know it does. I wish all agents would be this well informed and honest.
I called in to United, and was told that, if my $$$+miles upgrade does not clear before the 24h window before takeoff, then I could try "at the airport" after checking in...
It's not actually surprising - the agent was probably a PMUA one and isn't entirely familiar with the process or how it works. Better and more training is required, as I've said frequently. So I genuinely do believe that the agent is misinformed - not because what they said to the OP is categorically false, but because it is highly misleading as it fails to refer to the actual process that is in place for clearing these types of upgrades.
#19
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Location: Bay Area, CA
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This is where the agent sent the OP in the wrong direction and created unnecessary worry. This might have gone unnoticed by you since the approach the agent took is actually quite like the approach you frequently take here The agent could have said "if your upgrade doesn't clear before the 24hr window you'll be moved to the airport standby list when you check in". That's the process, and that's what happens in the vast majority of cases. But by positioning it as a vague "you could try" the agent is giving the OP the belief that there isn't a process here and that they have very little chance of it working.
Your choice of words indicates the customer will be moved with certainty to an airport upgrade list. This sets the expectation for the system to work properly, which if often does not based on what we know and have seen.
I agree. But not for the agent, rather for the IT people who wrote this technology garbage that doesn't work right in the first place.
I would much rather have an agent alert me to potential pitfalls and weaknesses rather than use rosy-colored glasses to pretend all is well and send me into potential trouble.
#20
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: USA
Programs: UA 1K/*G, Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy BS, Hertz & Avis Pres
Posts: 653
PMCO 777 - Which Fare Bucket to Watch for Miles + Copay Upgrade?
I'm flying IAH-NRT on a 2-cabin PMCO 777. Except for this flight, the whole itinerary (DEN-IAH, NRT-MNL (NH)-GUM-HNL-SFO) is showing in "K" while the IAH-NRT flight only is showing "S". Which of the following fare buckets should I be watching in terms of an upgrade using miles + cash?
Thanks.
The flight currently shows:
Available Cabins: J9, JN9, C9, D9, Z4, ZN4, Y9, YN9, B9, M9, E9, U9, H9, HN9, Q9, V9, W9, S9, T9, L9, K9
Thanks.
The flight currently shows:
Available Cabins: J9, JN9, C9, D9, Z4, ZN4, Y9, YN9, B9, M9, E9, U9, H9, HN9, Q9, V9, W9, S9, T9, L9, K9
#21
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: ORD / DUB / LHR
Programs: UA 1K MM; BA Silver; Marriott Plat
Posts: 8,243
But your proposed wording also misleads because it sets the expectation that the process actually works, while there are plenty of situations where it doesn't.
I would much rather have an agent alert me to potential pitfalls and weaknesses rather than use rosy-colored glasses to pretend all is well and send me into potential trouble.
I would much rather have an agent alert me to potential pitfalls and weaknesses rather than use rosy-colored glasses to pretend all is well and send me into potential trouble.
If 1 in 10 fails, then yes I'd probably agree with you. If 1 in 10,000 fails, then what?
I think the underlying issue here is your interpretation of how frequently these things happen vs. mine.
The world is full of examples of people being told to follow a certain set of instructions or a complex process when the underlying process isn't infallible. It's rare to see caveats placed around it to the extent that you believe should be.
#22
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA Plat 2MM; AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 35,067
If it were 1 in 10,000 we probably would have only seen 1 report on FT, if that. We've seen a lot more corroborating data points on this one. And that does not count the people who are not monitoring this possibility, not on FT, and/or simply not monitoring the systems and checks. So you have to multiply what FT posts and multiply it by some unknown factor to increase it.
Unfortunately, what we've seen since 3/3 is an unreasonable failure rate, IMO, of this and other processes, with consequences that have a large impact to the affected customers.
Any time an item happens enough that customers can corroborate it and know the issue happens as a known failure, it's probably happening too frequently.
#23
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: JFK
Posts: 254
Gpu ewr-tlv
A 1k friend sponsored me for an upgrade EWR-TLV, I'm curently on a waiting list, this is what the available fares look like
J8, JN8, C7, D6, Z6, ZN6, P2, PN2, R0, RN0, IN0, I0, Y9, YN9, B9, M9, E0, U0, H0, HN0, Q0, V0, W0, S0, T0, L0, K0, G0, N0, XN0, X0
Is there any way to tell what the odds are of getting it or is there any advice to share?
J8, JN8, C7, D6, Z6, ZN6, P2, PN2, R0, RN0, IN0, I0, Y9, YN9, B9, M9, E0, U0, H0, HN0, Q0, V0, W0, S0, T0, L0, K0, G0, N0, XN0, X0
Is there any way to tell what the odds are of getting it or is there any advice to share?
#24
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: ORD / DUB / LHR
Programs: UA 1K MM; BA Silver; Marriott Plat
Posts: 8,243
A 1k friend sponsored me for an upgrade EWR-TLV, I'm curently on a waiting list, this is what the available fares look like
J8, JN8, C7, D6, Z6, ZN6, P2, PN2, R0, RN0, IN0, I0, Y9, YN9, B9, M9, E0, U0, H0, HN0, Q0, V0, W0, S0, T0, L0, K0, G0, N0, XN0, X0
Is there any way to tell what the odds are of getting it or is there any advice to share?
J8, JN8, C7, D6, Z6, ZN6, P2, PN2, R0, RN0, IN0, I0, Y9, YN9, B9, M9, E0, U0, H0, HN0, Q0, V0, W0, S0, T0, L0, K0, G0, N0, XN0, X0
Is there any way to tell what the odds are of getting it or is there any advice to share?
#26
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: ORD / DUB / LHR
Programs: UA 1K MM; BA Silver; Marriott Plat
Posts: 8,243
Not sure if you're on flight 84 or 90 but I'd say your chances are good for either flight. 90 is far less busy by the way. You need to make sure that you do end up on the airport upgrade list when you check in - try OLCI, and if you can't check in online (I've never flown to TLV on UA so not sure if it lets you check in or if you have to do this at the airport) then make sure you get to the airport early. Make sure you are on the list after checking in by checking the mobile site - if you're not on the list you won't get upgraded.
#27
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: USA
Programs: UA 1K/*G, Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy BS, Hertz & Avis Pres
Posts: 653
Not sure if you're on flight 84 or 90 but I'd say your chances are good for either flight. 90 is far less busy by the way. You need to make sure that you do end up on the airport upgrade list when you check in - try OLCI, and if you can't check in online (I've never flown to TLV on UA so not sure if it lets you check in or if you have to do this at the airport) then make sure you get to the airport early. Make sure you are on the list after checking in by checking the mobile site - if you're not on the list you won't get upgraded.
#28
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: United 1K MM, SPG Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 7
I would call - and continue to call
I was in the same position for my ORD-FRA upgrade as of yesterday. Flight had over 22 business seats for sale, 25 hours before the flight, but my system wide did not clear. In speaking with agents this week, most were not helpful at all and told me that if it didn't clear before the 24-hour window, it would be handled at the airport.
I called in thi smorning - about 26-hours before the flight and connected with a very helpful agent out of Chicago. She had come clean stating that there is a known issue with the waitlist clearing in advance and that corporate had communicated to the 1K agents vis e-mail that if a 1K person called in and was waiting for an upgrade - they would be clearded to push it through if it was in a four (4) day window. She had to include a supervisor in the process, but they sucessfully upgraded my seat.
She went on to explain to me that a lot of 1K folks were missing their upgrades as the system was failing to do it automatically, as it is supposed to.
So my advice is to call and call until you find someone who can help! Not all agents are created equal!
#29
formerly FrequentFlyKid
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Programs: United Global Services, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador, National Executive Elite
Posts: 981
#30
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: United 1K MM, SPG Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 7
I would call and continue to call . . .
[QUOTE=EliteNewbie;18703788]Details:
Currently MP Platinum for 2012
I used miles + $$$ for an international upgrade to Business First.
I'm currently wait-listed for the upgrade (I have no global upgrades)
bucket status is J and C fare class remaining
flight is 5 days away
When will I know if I get one of the last remaining seats?
Should I call to skirt the system glitches or take my chances at the airport day-of?
I would call and continue to call until you get a Rep that understands the issues.
I was in the same position for my ORD-FRA upgrade as of yesterday. Flight had over 22 business seats for sale, 25 hours before the flight, but my system wide did not clear. In speaking with agents this week, most were not helpful at all and told me that if it didn't clear before the 24-hour window, it would be handled at the airport.
I called in this morning - about 26-hours before the flight and connected with a very helpful agent out of Chicago. She had come clean stating that there is a known issue with the waitlist clearing in advance and that corporate had communicated to the 1K agents vis e-mail that if a 1K person called in and was waiting for an upgrade - they would be clearded to push it through if it was in a four (4) day window. She had to include a supervisor in the process, but they sucessfully upgraded my seat.
She went on to explain to me that a lot of 1K folks were missing their upgrades as the system was failing to do it automatically, as it is supposed to.
So my advice is to call and call until you find someone who can help! Not all agents are created equal!
Currently MP Platinum for 2012
I used miles + $$$ for an international upgrade to Business First.
I'm currently wait-listed for the upgrade (I have no global upgrades)
bucket status is J and C fare class remaining
flight is 5 days away
When will I know if I get one of the last remaining seats?
Should I call to skirt the system glitches or take my chances at the airport day-of?
I would call and continue to call until you get a Rep that understands the issues.
I was in the same position for my ORD-FRA upgrade as of yesterday. Flight had over 22 business seats for sale, 25 hours before the flight, but my system wide did not clear. In speaking with agents this week, most were not helpful at all and told me that if it didn't clear before the 24-hour window, it would be handled at the airport.
I called in this morning - about 26-hours before the flight and connected with a very helpful agent out of Chicago. She had come clean stating that there is a known issue with the waitlist clearing in advance and that corporate had communicated to the 1K agents vis e-mail that if a 1K person called in and was waiting for an upgrade - they would be clearded to push it through if it was in a four (4) day window. She had to include a supervisor in the process, but they sucessfully upgraded my seat.
She went on to explain to me that a lot of 1K folks were missing their upgrades as the system was failing to do it automatically, as it is supposed to.
So my advice is to call and call until you find someone who can help! Not all agents are created equal!