Originally Posted by
LchChester
However, the waitlist does not clear automatically instantly (i remember that there is a thread for that), and when a seat open up, they will be available for everyone until the system do a check on all the waitlist and clear the waitlist. The gap between them may be hours and I have experience that the seat is gone before my waitlist got cleared.
Rather than calling, keep checking on CX.com, or as suggested above, use program to monitor that for you.
^ +1
There is definitely a lag between when the system releases award seats and the waitlists clear.
Have had to call MPO in the past to confirm waitlisting (or even split the booking into 2, as I was waitlisting for both my wife and I and I wanted to lock in the seat).
From memory / other old threads I think there is roughly up to a 24hour time lag (i.e. systems sweeps once a day)