fcn2121

Flying LAS - PHL on HP431. No auto upgrade at the 7 day window. Called Chairmans' desk - no upgrades available - 4 seats are being held for revenue. Fine I thought. Checked back a couple of times at the 4 and 3 day window and received the same answer. Called back at the two day window and was told there are no more seats available in First. I thought if US can sell these seats on a redeye, more power to them. At the gate I am standing next to a young lady with her boarding pass in hand. I take a peek and see she is seated in 1A, has Silver status and is booked in O class. I said to her that I saw her boarding pass and noticed she is seated in First Class and would like to know how much US is charging for First Class these days. She proudly proclaimed that she is a very frequent flyer and she just calls a couple of days ahead of her flight and usually gets an upgrade. She now proudly shows me her boarding pass and points out the word "SILVER" across the front. She moves on to explain that frequent flyers receive unlimited upgrades, preferred boarding a.s.o.......! I asked when she called for this upgrade and she stated she called two days prior and was upgraded on the phone. At that point her companion with no status returns from the bathroom holding a First Class boarding pass with seat 1D. She went on to explain that she can also upgrade a companion travelling with her but in this case she was not able to get seats together. She will have to ask someone to switch in order to sit with her companion.
I was totally dumbfounded!!
I have read about this inherited upgrade procedure on flyertalk before but thought this had been addressed and rectified by US. Boy was I wrong!!!
Talking to a few contacts at US I was told this is an AMWEST feature to occasionally pacify the lower level elites while mostly keeping it unbeknownst to the higher level elite. This is totally unacceptable!!!
This does not only effect CP's, but also PP's, Gold's and Silver's with higher EQM's. This practice needs to be stopped! US either stands by their promised benefits for elites or amends their policies and make them public!
Needless to say, I was happy for the young lady and her companion since she had no idea what really happened. I took my seat in the back of the bus and really began to wonder how many times I got shafted in the last six months or so. Let's get this bulls**t fixed!!!!

FL350

I think that EUA’s are beginning to come to an end on many domestic carriers, and the airlines are trying to fill the F cabin with revenue pax. I can tell you that as a PP on US, I have much better luck getting up front than what I do on CO as a Plat, which is their highest level.

Perhaps I’m being too cynical, but I think the days of perks are coming to an end, and we’ll all be in back more than in front in the coming years, unless we’re paying revenue…

BNAChairman

Either fly 100 segments on NW or 75K miles on DL, and you'll enjoy upgrades without the guesswork and much better F and Club products. Face it, the new US just doesn't care about the loyal elite - why do you think they don't listen? Sure, all of it may be going away industry-wide eventually, but there are still some carriers where F seats are plentiful and free upgrades are abundant. And I will move my business to them every time.

asearchforfirst

I'm not sure I totally got the OPs story - I'm not sure I understand how a SP got the UG that should have gone to the CP - can you say a little more without the acronyms? I'd appreciate it.

I posted this story on another thread, but got the usual talking to about doing a search before posting (Seriously this is the least friendly message board on the internet). Anyway, as a GP I did not get my UG at the three day window for my flight tomorrow - I got it two days out. At the same time I got an email from US telling me they were sorry they couldn't upgrade me on the return (the return is the day after, so three days out at the time of the email). I checked today out of curiousity and I had been ugraded for the return, again two days out.

So, if the grumpy story I got on the other thread is true, I should have been UG'd at 1 AM three days before the flight. I was not - on either leg. I was UG'd two days out both times. Which brings me to the OP - it almost sounds like they are not hitting the earlier windows for higher level elites on flights with only a couple open in F - it sounds like they are clearing them 2 days out. That would be how the young lady in your story got your seat - they did not UG until two days out, and she happened to call before you were automatically put in the seat. Is that possible?

EddieG

I feel the same as the OP, it is all about treating people to what they deserve. As a CP you should of definately been upgraded but since it was HP they do it a little differently. If you are at the T/K in phx and you are a SP and there are seats available they will upgrade you reguardless of who else is on the plane. I always get to the airport very early to get my UG and enjoy the US club just because of this. It is wrong but that is the way it is.

fcn2121

When you say "can you say a little more without the acronyms", what do you mean? What I am trying to convey here is the fact that HP (America West) upgrades elites pretty much at will without regard to status as long as they are within their upgrade window ( for example: inventory holds revenue seats but releases them at the 30 hour window - the first elite that calls after these seats were released, gets them. Regardless of higher elites in queue!) The old US Airways never released seats for elite upgrades after the 7 day window passed. All upgrades were either available at the respective window (7days out for CP's, 3 for Gold's, 1 for Silver's) or only done at the gate. This nonsens of releasing seats intermittently must cease immediately!

McFlyPHL

It's insane. And it's VERY common on transcons, it seems. I see zero reason to go beyond GP, honestly. It's not like I get useable TA upgrades or anything more than a mythical jump in upgrade priority. US'll get my 60 segments or 50k. Beyond that, I'm going to go elsewhere. It's tough having already been "forced" back to US when AA cut the heck out of PHL, but surely someone is more committed.

PhillyPhlyer40

NW

asearchforfirst

Sorry - it was the EUAs in a response that made me think this was some sort of standard program I've never heard of (I'm a US legacy). So, what are EUAs?

BF263533

The last time I flew HP I did not automatically upgrade on the HP segments. The Chairman's rep put me on hold for about 10 minutes and had managed to manually upgrade me.

LAX1K to AmWest

I am having better luck recently on HP segments than US segments.

As stated in another thread, I know there are some "manual manipulations" happening before the CP window. And it is annoying. I wish GA's and Ticket Agents stop making their own policies to help ONE customer and piss off the "un-named" customer who gets the shaft.

I know on SABRE, there are people getting manually upgraded before their window... so it adds to the craziness.

kinglobjaw

Folks, I think this will all come to a halt once we move over to SHARES. And personally, I have never had any trouble upgrading on SABRE- its only SHARES not accepting my SABRE reservations and therefore I had to call in manually but only at my upgrade window and not anytime earlier.

McFlyPHL

Riiiiight. Just like it's always worked flawlessly under SHARES on HP, where this #&*(@&$(*&#(&ing problem originated. Doubtful. This happens on website ressies, which are booked in SHARES on 401 stock, too. Please, lay off the kool-aid.

When you as a GP call in manually, it's likely you could be / are bypassing a CP already queued on the list. THAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. EVER. But as long as it does, they won't see a dime past GP if I can help it. Hell, if they can't get it right, don't upgrade ANYONE until 24 hours before and THEN clear it by status of those on the list and only those on the list. I'd rather do the gate dance than wedge myself into the back while lower status flies up front.

aztimm

Ok, I flew PHX_SNA yesterday, not a long flight, so I didn't sweat over any upgrades. I'm officially Silver, but temporarily Gold due to some credit card opening promo. Anyway, I didn't get a single email (upgraded or not), and went to check-in 24 hrs prior. I booked through my company's travel site, so maybe that has something to do with the no emails?

Anyway, while I'm checking in, the system asked me, because of my status would I like to upgrade? Of course I selected Yes, and then got the seatmap to select my seat. I got one of 2 remaining F seats. A friend was traveling with me, but had bought his ticket separately, and he took the last F seat with the $50 upgrade.

It was a nice touch...security lines in PHX on Sun were very long (non elite/first about an hour, people missing flights), it was raining--rare in PHX-- which meant an hour wait to take off, and the F FA's were very nice, took coats, gave drinks, snacks, etc. For the hour flight I wouldn't have really cared, but given the delays and oversold flight, it took my mind off of things.

xflyboy2005x

I had the same problem when flying ORD-LAS. Expert flyer was showing only 4 seats but when I called the CP desk they were able to upgrade me. They also were able to upgrade me when there were only 2 seats avail to sell. I beleive it is up to the agent to upgrade you or not.