Originally Posted by
catchgops
I have a confirmed cash ticket in business on a flight from EWR to SFO on Thursday. I am also waitlisted in the same class of travel on the first previous flight on the schedule. When does this waitlist typically get processed? (Assuming availaiblity opens up). Also, what is the priority for such waitlists (I have GS status)?
Typically waitlisting cash fares is not allowed except in full Y/J, and even then you may need to be Premier to be allowed to do it.
If you are waitlisted in J, you can be processed whenever a seat in J opens, up to the time that the flight goes to gate control (usually about an hour before departure). Your ticket will need to be revalidated / reissued when that happens, so if you clear, you'll need to contact an agent to get your record cleaned up.
After that, you'd be transferred to the standby list, but note that it can be notoriously difficult to clear standby into J, even in a situation where the system would normally handle it, because standby is typically processed after upgrades.
As for your priority -- according to the published rules, you'd be the highest priority until gate control, assuming no other GSes are also waitlisted for J (that would be stunning). After that... officially, you'd have priority only after people who are currently booked onto the flight (e.g., after upgrades). In practice, as a GS on a J fare, I suspect you'd be first for any available seat, handled discreetly by a GS agent.