Originally Posted by
canopus27
I went to the concierge desk recently and asked directly about this.
The wonderfully helpful concierge was direct and crystal clear; boarding WILL NOT remove you from the upgrade list. If you've boarded, and a space opens up, then someone should come onboard and move you up.
Now, she observed that even though that's the rule, and the way the system works ... it requires extra work for someone to board and get you - and if you happen to have a gate agent who's taking shortcuts, there's a chance that they won't bother to come on board and get you, they might just let the flight depart with a possible upgrade unfilled.
However, to the direct question of "Will boarding, remove you from the upgrade list?" -- her answer was a direct and unequivocal "no".
I can confirm this. Boarded YYC YVR last Friday with 24A. 10 minutes later another pax arrives with her boarding pass showing the same seat assignment. I went up to the front and one of the FAs went back to the gate and got me a new boarding pass with 3F.
I believe in this case I was not actually upgraded on boarding, but one J pax did not show up just before they closed the flight and I was next on the list. So the gate upgraded me, and gave my Y seat to a (Tango) passenger. I guess they didn't bother to page the jetway and let them know to come get me.
