Originally Posted by sushibear

On a recent IAH/AUS I stopped at the gate desk to see if I had cleared the upgade list. Without looking up, the agent said, "FIRST CLASS IS CHECKED-IN FULL. PLEASE TAKE YOUR SEAT IN COACH." Fine, I was in 5C and the trip is short. No big deal. However, when I boarded, there were still two empty seats in first. When the GA came on with the final manifest I walked up to the front and asked if these two seats were open. She gave me a LOOK, stomped off the plane, and returned with another printout. She proceeded to call out six names--one by one--over the pa system. All had already been upgraded. She called another who didn't even seem to be on the plane. Another name is called, and a guy walks up from coach and takes one of the seats in first. She studies the list and frowns, stomps back to 5C and says, "WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE NEXT ON THE LIST, SO 1D IS YOURS IF IT REALLY MEANS THAT MUCH TO YOU." I said "thank you" and moved up. The flight attendant was totally nonplussed saying, "I don't have a clue what that was all about, but I think you deserve an apology." It's not that it MEANT THAT MUCH to me, but I think if passengers are to trust the system and take their seat in coach so that the desk won't be surrounded with battlefield hopefuls, the GAs have got to follow procedure.