FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Questions and Discussion About F and PC (Premium Class) Upgrades - 2017 and Later
Old Nov 28, 2016 | 1:58 pm
  #94  
rustykettel
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Originally Posted by PandaMVP
I just called the Gold line to ask about this specific issue and got a very disappointing answer. They told me that because of the way they are selling tickets, there is now much less U space available and that even though there may be a lot of first class seats that have been left unsold 30-60 minutes prior to boarding, these seats may or may not be U class seating and that the gate agents have been instructed to sell these seats for an upgrade fee to generate more revenue and then the Elite waitlist will be accessed at boarding when "no more revenue seats can be sold." They told me that this is the official policy. They said we have the option of paying the upgrade fee to guarantee a seat in that time frame.

Again, what is the point of being an MVP/MPVGold/75K if this is the case? Passengers can jump over you on the waitlist because they can pay for the upgrade fare. My wife was 1/3 on the waitlist yesterday, but the tv screen showed new passengers showing up as cleared and assigned seats from 4-15. According to the gate agent, these were passengers that paid the upgrade fee prior to the cut-off time.
So that's pretty much the answer that Seattle68 got in May. If U doesn't open, it'll go to the gate to be sold as paid upgrades, and only if there are any unsold seats then complimentary upgrades will be offered by the GA.

As far as jumping the line, apparently Alaska is now viewing paid, whether full price or discounted paid upgrade, as superior to complimentary upgrades.

Frankly, look at how Alaska handles Premium Class for Gold and MVP. Y+ are sold to all takers at any time before the Y+ "upgrade" windows open for those two on the lowest fare classes. No seat left? Too bad. Should have bought a Y+. And apparently no discount for Gold/MVP either.

ETA: I see missydarlin has replied that this isn't the official policy. Respectfully, I'm a bit puzzled why this is happening in multiple locations and the answers coming back from customer care (not once, but at least twice on seperate occasions) are the same. Either it really is the policy or the training folks are slipping with both GA's and care reps and somehow they're (consistently!) coming up with the same wrong answer.

Last edited by rustykettel; Nov 28, 2016 at 2:05 pm
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