Originally Posted by
Ivan Denisovich
I agree with you in principle, but they started clearing battlefield upgrades AFTER I was first in line at the desk. If there is enough time to clear a battlefield upgrade on a 30 minute flight there should be enough time to clear a standby passenger who arrived at the gate before the battlefield upgrades started clearing.
What on Earth is a battlefield upgrade?
Another reason SEA-PDX is particularly tough to fly standby on, in addition to what other's have mentioned is that it's a shuttle between 2 crew bases and you often have crew showing up last second. It's also one they cancel frequently and load people from the canceled flight onto given the volume of flights. This whole experience you had sounds like it was the agent working a shuttle flight and you got missed. It happens.