Originally Posted by
sdm1130
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UA inventory is weird. The flight was zeroed out and the RCC agent confirmed that the flight was oversold. However, the gate agent and displays show that we will likely go out with a few empties. Either the numbers were weird or a bunch of people switched to other flights. Who knows...
I'll also end up at #1 in the upgrade standby list.
I've always assumed that this stuff happens because UA will multi-protect you in IRROPS.
I've been protected before on a flight I might just make, one I ought to make, and one emergency back-up if all
breaks loose when there was space available.
I imagine if UA did this early in the game for some folks and then things really tightened up as cancellations happened things might zeroed out but then seats would pop open either as people missed connections or actually made an earlier flight in their progression and so didn't need later flights.
I also wonder how much UA's oft-discussed "elite-centeredness" influences this. Do they, for example, multi-protect GSs (and maybe 1Ks) even in major IRROPS while pushing the confirmed reservation for other folks out in time and then assume that the standby option will go ahead and get the other folks onto planes as the seats open due to disposing of the top-tier flyers either through a mis or a make.