Originally Posted by NYC Flyer

I think so. I have been waitlisted, on way to the airport, and checked inventory to see there is C1 available. Then called meeting services to check on my waitlist status and have them grab the C seat manually. Other passengers, potentially with higher waitlist priority, could be jumped over when this happens.

It's also conceivable that in the time I called and waited for a phone rep, a waitlist check could have been run by the system, and the seat would have been gone.