Originally Posted by
zorn
There are several issues which we might want to keep separate in our minds (as we go out of them):
We now have unprecedented access to AC's IT internals (held together via old ketchup packets and cobwebs) via apps, emails, and text messages.
Imagine two hypothetical people on the same flight on confirmed upgrades. One of them, in 2D, gets a text that they are now in 64G. Then an app push notification. The segment appears three times on the app. The app hangs. They call reservations who can't help. Eventually they board the plane and proceed to 2D. The other person, in 3A, had their phone turned off the entire time, boards the plane and proceeds to 3A none the wiser.
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This. As a grey haired type, I don't look at text messages after 9pm. Anyone important to me knows to call me if something is significant. The whole go around for me happened because I was working all night so I was checking my phone. If I was in normal mode, I would have missed the update, and merely seen the latest text reinstating my seat, maybe. Finished work at 0800, but I might as well have just woken up then and rushed off to the airport, so I might have been very unpleasantly surprised that my printed BP was invalid. My best guess was that there was a possible passenger or equipment change they were trying to get ahead of, but agents had no idea of that when I called to ask, "What the ?", when the text dropped and it corrected itself anyway. Equipment changes can't be helped, but I would find it extremely egregious if my seat was changed after check-in on the same aircraft type, although it wouldn't be the first time.