Originally Posted by
IvanCU
Agreed on all points.
As to an earlier comment about Elites feeling entitled; why yes, if an upgrade seat is available, they should be entitled to it considering what it takes to earn the status. Just as we are entitled to take our business elsewhere.
I boarded Priority, right after First Class, so there were many open seats in first class when I boarded. I could not have asked if First Class had boarded full at that point.
Not sure how I could have made it any more clear, and the fact that after all of my questioning there was still an empty seat in First Class was disturbing. To be clear, the flight attendant didn't "point out" there was an empty seat in First Class; I saw it and asked the flight attendant about it. She was very apologetic when I explained the situation and repeated the same comments as I was leaving the plane.
As an added comment, the person I dealt with at the AA Priority desk at DFW was amazingly clueless. Not sure how she ended up at that desk.
This does happen. If the GA was more concerned about getting the flight out on time than making sure all possible upgrades have been processed, there may be empty seats. The passenger that was supposed to be in that seat may have missed the connection but was correctly showing as checked in. Had you asked if F had boarded full, then you get to make the tactical decision whether to board now and hope the GA will come get you should an F seat still be available, or you could have held back near the podium so should the GA noticed a seat still empty just before closing out the flight you'd be able to get it. If the choice is to not upgrade an elite and get the flight out on time or delay the flight to process the seat change, elites lose.
Just one of those facts of life in elite flying.