Originally Posted by
Baze
If there was no companion why did someone below me get the upgrade?
So no last minute check ins, no last minute SDC's in this case as the number always matched 5 people from T-21.
Short answer: The passenger below you purchased their ticket before you did. Please read on.
Again, at gate control, upgrades are processed by tier and then time waitlisted. U space is irrelevant!
Before gate control, if U was available, you would be upgraded first since fare class determines order before time waitlisted within the elite tier. The time waitlisted would only be used as a tiebreaker if there were two or more elites in the same fare class. At gate control, the fare component is no longer applicable and processing upgrades reverts back to time waitlisted. An elite who purchased a lower fare class within the same tier group before someone who purchased a higher fare class later would get the upgrade first. The waitlist is not "reshuffled" when the gate takes control of the flight.
James