Originally Posted by
ryanbriar
I believe that once things go to airport control, the PNRs become de-linked for purposes of upgrades, waitlist etc., and requires some re-linking. Please see
Here.
This is likely why your upgrades came down to the gate, and why the agents didn’t ask if you both wanted to clear or split as the link was no longer there. Did he appear at all on the upgrade list? Also, I’m not sure if there are nuances around an award PNR combined with a revenue one.
Maybe this is a bit of an alternative view, but as an elite, I’m happy the agent in CLT didn’t let you switch seats, and she was correct in saying you’d be re-assigned. Given that it was an upgraded seat, I don’t view it as yours to give away, and I’d be pretty annoyed if I was next on the list. I’d also be annoyed if I saw the seat swap on the first leg and probably would have said something to the GA if onboard before the doors closed up. It may not have gone anywhere, but worth a shot.
I travel with my SO a decent amount (sometimes the same PNR, but often split / linked or un-linked). We’ve generally agreed that if it comes down to this scenario, we split. If it’s a longer flight, I’ll give her the upgrade or politely ask the FAs if they’d be willing to bring a bottle of Prosecco etc. back (this was before alcohol was restored to MCE). We’ve also learned not to link, especially on international trips where C2 is required to upgrade via a SWU or copay. Given that she’s EP this year, a lot easier to do versus a PPRO and non-status.
Thank you for the response and alternative viewpoint. I actually agree that I would be annoyed if I was next on the upgrade list now that I think about it.
I guess my frustration is more just about us not being able to sit together after I called to get our PNRs linked, confirmed it, and got assigned seats together. So when they got de-linked along the way and mine was upgraded it meant that I couldn’t even get my old seat back next to him.
So instead of window/middle seat together we had a middle seat in the back and a first class upgraded seat.
I’m 5’2 so don’t need the legroom (nor do I care that much about the food/drinks), but I also don’t want to sit by myself in a middle seat in economy for more than a couple hours when I had selected a window/middle combo. Being able to pull that armrest up and lean against someone is a game changer!
I guess in hindsight we should’ve booked him in the window seat and me in the middle one.
Curious though what you would’ve thought if it was the same situation but I had my boyfriend take the first class seat vs the person next to him?
Like bf is 5A, I’m 5B. Then I board and realize I’m now 4A. I totally understand what you said about being annoyed by how I handled it by basically giving the new 5B passenger my 4A seat that she didn’t pay for or get upgraded to when it should’ve gone to the next person in line on the upgrade list. But what if I had instead just given 4A to my boyfriend and I sat in his 5A seat? He’s only gold so didn’t earn that seat either.
or what about if I give my first class upgraded seat to a service member or to an elderly person?
Not asking that to start an argument just genuinely curious because what you said about being annoyed made sense and I might’ve been as well thinking about it from an outside perspective of what I did.
But I have given my upgrades (traded seats I guess) for older family members and members of the military. Would that be the same?