Originally Posted by normcpa

I don't know if this has been covered recently, but I had an odd experience yesterday that makes me think my knowledge may be a bit dated. I’ve been under the assumption that the time of request for upgrade (essentially when tickets are purchased) is the determining factor for your place in line, subject to elite status. I purchased a ticket seven months ago for an RIC-SAN itinerary through DFW.

I believe I purchased my ticket before my wife's (separate locator), but I'm not sure. My upgrade for RIC-DFW came in pretty close to the 72 hour period. There were plenty of open F seats, and my wife got her RIC-DFW upgrade the next day or so. I didn't pay much attention about checking in at 24 hours before our flights, but I did do it about 15 hours before, because I wanted to be sure to check the box to be on the "gate list" for the DFW-SAN segment. (The seating chart showed four F seats not reserved.) I had assumed my position would be governed by the same principles that applied before going on the gate list.

Long story short, I may have checked in my wife first (I'm not sure), but when we got to DFW she was #3 and I was #4 on the gate upgrade list which surprised me because I had been upgraded for the first segment before her, and now she was ahead of me in the queue. (She wound up getting the last seat, and I settled for the exit row.) So my question is simply: does the priority from buying 7 months in advance disappear when you're placed on the gate list? I recall that we used to scramble to be the first on the gate list, but I thought that all changed a couple of years ago. From what happened yesterday, I can see that I don't understand the rules.

Anyone up on this? Thanks.