LGA_UAL

I have a feeling the agent didn't know what caused this discrepancy, so she had no reason to check the PNR. If the agent has no idea that the waitlist might have cleared, she wouldn't know to check the PNR. Gate agents deal with ACI, not PNRs, so that is what they check. Only a quick thinking CSR would know to check the PNR in this case.

CatHerder

So, given this, wouldn't the absolute best way to maximize your chance of upgrade be to do OLCI at 24 hrs, but then dilligently watch your itins (and wait for the EZ Update) and be prepared to do the check-out/check-in dance that Ari mentioned above?

KathyWdrf

Yeah, there are other threads on this.

I'm still of the opinion that an early OLCI is best.

When I've encountered this same type of situation a few times, I've learned to stand there and politely but firmly insist that yes, I have been upgraded, and yes, this type of thing has happened before (i.e., where the gate agent can't see the upgrade in the system they're looking at). That seems to spur them to check further and resolve the situation.

fastair

This opinion way not go over well here, but I believe that the minute that the flight is open for checkin (and that is 24 hrs now with OLCI) that the PNR processing of upgrades should cease. That way only 1 system is working at one time. PNR's 331 days-1 day prior, and ACI 23:59 up until departure.

There would be no discrepancies. If you didn't clear by the 24 hr window, your only chance would be thru ACI, which ignores PA/PB and goes almost entirely on status.

AlanInDC

I've received the upgrade message via EasyUpdate (email) while on a previous connection and then when inquiring at the next (relevant) gate, told that I'm #1 on the upgrade waitlist, not that it has cleared.

However, I didn't challenge it because I only learned about the situation after the fact. The email was sent while I was in transit, but I didn't access email til the next day.

fastair

Another solution, if the agent has proper resources (i.e. time/manpower) is to find all the people thru a "list call" that have cleared into F at exactly 30 min prior to dptr...if they are checked into Y, uncheck them, then recheck them into F. If the gate reader was able to stop these people prior to boarding so there would not be seat dupelications, things would be good.


The downside would be the passenger who says "I no longer want the ug" when his Y seat was given away based on his (cleared) upgrade request. (or maybe he "doesn't have the UG instruments with him...can you give it to me for free? No? Then I want my old exit row aisle back. What do you mean you can't? Why did you give it away? (duh! becuase you requested to trade it plus certificates in for F!)

dmodemd

How does your check-in time really affect your upgrade position on the DM? If you previously applied for an upgrade I imagine it would maintain your position on the upgrade list regardless of check-in time. I could only see it mattering if you applied for your upgrade when you checked in.

I often check-in early, only to try and move to a good seat but now since I get a good seat by booking early, I check in late to get the best view of the situation at hand (although it will change immensely in the last 30 minutes).

Now, Im thinking I should just use EZ-chikin at the airport.

I also noticed last week that when there is an eqpt change the day before, OLCI wont process... (with a nondescript error). Some kind of sweep happens overnight I think, since the next morning all was well with the new eqpt. The 1K agent the day before could not see the eqpt change at all. Only way I knew was because of a hint in flight status. (One view showed it, another did not!)

mattskiva

I assume that ACI stands for airport check-in? And is it true that this goes almost entirely on status? Here is why I ask (recent situation): My wife and I were flying back from our honeymoon in Australia; both of us cleared well in advance (XC) for biz on SYD-LAX but she did not clear prior to the day of flight for our LAX-IAD connection (I did clear). I'm a 1P and she is a 2P and we were on separate itins due to different departure dates (long story). So anyway, we are at LAX after having flown CNS-SYD-LAX and waiting for the last leg of our flight on an A320, me already in 2C and her in 10B at this point. When we checked in at SYD in the RCC, they gave her a DM card that specifically said 'FFCC' on it, which I thought meant she would be first to clear based on availability due to paid saver award. Well, we get to the gate 30 mins before and ask the agent if she has a chance to clear and he takes her DM card, looks at it and VERY rudely says "no chance" and flips it back AT us. So, we watch while he proceeds to clear at least three people who were on the upgrade list (one of whom was UGS, the others I didn't see) and then board in our separate seats.

Is this SOP or did this agent not follow the rules?

robb

I disagree. You need to be aware of this wrinkle, but it's still better to have two irons in the fire.

If you OLCI 24 hours in advance then you are in line to clear through the res system at T-24 through T-6 hours. You're also set up with an early check-in time on the DM list in case you need to clear at the gate.

If you do get the Easy Update message saying your upgrade cleared, then just uncheck-in and recheck-in to claim it.

robb

With worldwide itineraries, it is sometimes possible to check-in for a flight 30 or 40 hours in advance (by checking in for your first flight and all subsequent connecting flights.

So, there is no hard-and-fast line. Instead, the system should understand and synchronize.

But, for FlyerTalkers, it's not that big of a deal. Once you know, the uncheck-in/recheck-in dance is not a difficult one.

BenjaminNYC

auh2o, upgrading???? Pffft......

cblaisd

After reading the those who thoughtfully posted on this thread, I think you're absolutely right. I type corrected.

aussiefishman

Ahem. Weren't you the same one who suspected that I had an attitude problem when I complained about a GA at SFO the other day?

DENchick

On the way to the airport, I got a text message telling me that my upgrade to F had been confirmed. Turns out I also had an email with the same news.

I had the coach boarding pass I'd printed at home. When I got to the airport, Easy Chicken would not give me a new F boarding pass, saying that I needed to see an agent. I got to the gate about 40 minutes before the flight only to be told that first class had already checked in full without me. The gate agents had no explanation as to what had become of my upgrade, so I rode in E+.

This is a flight where I am typically the only 1K, so I can't imagine that I got statused out somehow. Am I due some kind of compensation from UA? Seems I should be!

stevenshev

Unfortunately, what you needed to do was to have the agent offload you and recheck you in, and you would've been fine. It's what you get for OLCIing. Oh well, you'll know for next time. And, no, no compensation is due.