Originally Posted by
SPBanker
It seems to be an issue on select routes. I fly NRT, PEK and HKG pretty often. None of this funny stuff on those routes.
Agreed, it is on certain routes and/or certain seasons.
In theory, this is why they have configured their aircraft with different sized Y cabins, so they can match capacity to demand.
In practice, it doesn't work. The limited sized fleet makes it difficult to match and they refuse to adjust price of J cabin to meet low demand. Current doctrine states they rather oversell Y at low prices than sell existing J-capacity at low prices.
Originally Posted by
Courmisch
But that's just the (5) elites. Even if there were zero inconvenienced passengers and zero Pro/flex passengers, there must have been some AY+Basic with tier points (at least from their previous HEL-KIX). That was my point.
I suspect an IT problem here. The system likely does not provide useful data about non-elites. I have not been able to look very closely at it, but from what I saw, only elites are explicitly flagged on the computers at the gate.
I always thought gate agents chose op-ups - based on how strange they chose who to upgrade. But on one onversold CKG flight, I overheard conversion between a couple and gate agent. AY had split the couple by op-up-ing only one of them and the couple didn't want to accept the upgrade. In despair agent kept repeating "the computer chooses, we can't do anything about it" and "it is a better seat".
(Actually, they split 2 couples on that flight, that's how bizarre it gets.)
Originally Posted by
delerium
Yeah, no problems with upgrades happening, if they were upgrading elites and not just totally random pax - while keeping the service level constant.
In theory I agree, but in reality there are some issues even if they do op-up by a strict order. If they keep overselling massively on certain routes and/or seasons, op-up will be a safe bet and elites will just stop buying J tickets.