Originally Posted by
PsiFighter37
but this is also the second time this year that UA has failed to CPU me once I swipe my boarding pass. Pretty frustrating that a ‘benefit’ seems to be based on whether the GA has properly set up the software / scanner to react appropriately.
That's not how it works.
Clearing upgrades and scanning boarding passes are two distinct processes. The only reason that you may find yourself upgraded when you scan your boarding pass is that the agent has
already upgraded you. You should show as cleared in the app at that point. The beep and new boarding pass happen for anybody who tries to board with an outdated seat assignment.
The problem isn't that the gate agent "didn't set up the scanner," it's that the gate agent failed to process upgrades, which is supposed to be part of the overall process of handling the flights. Yes, I'd report it to 1K Voice -- how can it ever improve if they don't know it's a problem?
For a situation like the one you showed, first on the upgrade list with available seats on an RJ, where the check-in window closes before boarding begins, I'd just ask the agent, sometime between T-30 and the start of preboarding, if she was planning to process the upgrades before boarding or if I should go ahead and board first.