Originally Posted by
sryan2k1
I could be wrong but I don't believe the time you get on the list effects position, it's calculated other ways.
A friend and I were flying back from SNA, and when we got to SLC I was #2 on the UG list, and he wasen't on the list for some odd reason (Same PNR, same elite levels) so the GA added him, and he knocked me out of #2, and there only ended up being two F seats. *shakes fist*
NW & DL do battlefield (in other words, at airport) upgrades differently. DL does not use time of check-in as any qualifer in where you appear on the upgrade list. NW does.
On DL, as you experienced, their criteria for at-airport upgrade position is elite level followed by fare class followed by time of upgrade request. Time of upgrade request is generally the same time you purchased your ticket. So it sounds like your friend's ticket was processed first when the two tickets were purchased under the same PNR.
-RM