Cybertronic

I was traveling from SFO-IAD-MUC on sunday.
When I checked in at SFO, I was #1 on the 777 from IAD-MUC.
When I got to IAD, I was #5 (11 Biz seats available)
I was GPU-waitlisted on an M fare, so I always thought my chances would be good.
I was standing by the front desk when the GA started clearing people.
I overheard her say to the other agent, "Oh, something's going on with this one, it wont clear" (talking about me)
I look up at the board, and 11 people have cleared (5 people who were below me), and I'm at #1
So I explain that, I am that passenger.
All she tells me is, the computer wont clear you. I asked if she could un-check me and check me back in. She tells me, "that wont do anything!".
She tells me to take my Y seat, and she'll come get me if she's able to do anything.
After a while she comes back to my seat and tells me. I was on the waitlist, but not the "day-of" waitlist. She mentioned that I should always call the day of my flight, and if the upgrade has not cleared, to make sure I was transferred to the day-of waitlist.
I've never heard of such a thing. How does my name show up on the board, but I get denied an upgrade.

Hopefully this bug gets fixed soon.

SFOPhD

You shouldn't have had to call in to get moved to the airport waitlist. That should have happened automatically.

Cybertronic

I agree, and the list they show on the screens at the gate, I thought were the day-of list. Which I was clearly on.
I don't get it...other than the "computer" is broken!

FlyWorld

If your name was on the screen at #1, then that should reflect the "day of" waitlist. I think the GA probably lied to you. It makes no sense that the screen at the airport would show something other than the "day of" waitlist.

Sorry to hear. What a waste of an M fare.

Don't expect this to be getting fixed. As far as I can tell, it's been this way since 3/3 and there's no indication they care.

chinatraderjmr

I'm not sure she lied. The system is so screwed up that who knows what the hell is going on inside SHARES. but you are certainly 100% correct that there is no indication they care. So many problems would be easy to fix. I know that because other airlines don't have those problems including pmUA. UA has one of the laziest IT departments I have EVER seen. Want proof? Go thru different pages on the web site & count how many times the name "CONTINENTAL" is used instead of UNITED. How hard is it for someone to just change this ONE TIME in the web site? How can anyone blame sCO F/A's for saying they are CO employees on the PA when half my tkt receipts still say CO?

jimmc66

I recently had a similar upgrade issue GUM/NRT. The flight actually went out with empty C seats and after the gate refused to upgrade me.

I've been mostly patient with the problems this year, but I finally wrote an email to the 1KVoice. I don't have a history of being a whiner, and have only written complaint letters a half dozen times in probably 15 years. I received a response from UA today, and basically the response told me to suck it up, we're doing the best we can. No offer for any compensation, no nothing.

Odd for a business to act this way.

chinatraderjmr

You should have emailed Martin Hand or even Jeff Smisek. I'm not a whiner either. In 20 years as a 1K I have NEVER sent in a complaint letter until after 3/3. Since then, I've sent 5 & will continue to do so till they fix things. I must admit that out of those 5, all we're answered within 48 hours & 3 were even handled satisfactorily

Cybertronic

I feel for the GA's if the computer just tells them "NO", and they cant do anything.
Seems like there should way to manually clear upgrades, until the automatic processes are fixed. Because who knows how long that will take. Was it this broken on pmCO?

hughw

No!!! PMCO was a great airline until the merger, albeit problems such as TODs began cropping up in the year prior.

LilAbner

Did pmCo care about which cabin ANY of their passengers rode in, unless they purchased a seat for that cabin ???

The attitude seems to be, it's a FREE upgrade and, "You'll sit where you're told, and you'll like it"!

They got's more portant stuff to fix beside's where peeple's sit's, 4 nuttin'!!!

walkerci

Nope. Pre-Merger CO was very good to Platinums.^ Post Merger has been not so good. Even for 1Ks.

bseller

Are you INCLUDING or EXCLUDING the fact that pmCO for many years didn't allow for upgrades inside x hours before flight time ???

Dave

TWA Fan 1

You should go back to the PMCO forum and, going back to at least 2005, you can read threads regarding platinums not receiving upgrades. Although the passengers never have the definitive answer, the recurring theme is problems with the upgrade system.

Add ToD's to the mix and things did definitely get worse.

Wildfan88

We have moved into the Age of "NO ONE SEEMS TO GIVE A DAMN ANYMORE." I do not believe there is anything that you can do in a time like this. Back up Plan, Smile at the Gate Agent.

TWA Fan 1

You can fly another airline. Even though the industry has become a true oligopoly, there are still choices out there.

In my experience, CO dba UA at this point is--overall--the worst experience in airline travel in the United States.

It's not all bad, mind you, there are bright spots, but overall there are enough chronic problems to make it truly awful.

I have been flying a lot of DL , and some AA. Both head and shoulders above UA right now in my experience.

Things will change and I don't doubt UA will start to get its act together, but before they can truly recommit to customer service, they will probably need to part ways with Smisek, who seems to believe that he is operating Aeroflot in the 70's and that customers don't have a choice.