I am trying to get my arms around the issue of a closed waitlist. There's quite a bit of information scattered around the Continental Forum; I think the most interesting thread is this one. My focus is specifically on using cash and/or miles to waitlist from coach to BusinessFirst on international travel.

I've run into a closed waitlist now and again--most recently in March. I am trying to get my arms around the issue.

In the thread cited above, you'll see speculation that the length of the waitlist is fixed; once the waitlist is full, no more people can be added. There are also comments that if someone with higher elite status or a higher fare tries to join a closed waitlist, they're out of luck.

Can some light be shed on the waitlist issue so that I will know what I have to do to get on the list? I think planning a trip well in advance is the key, but for those of us that don't have that luxury, are we at a disadvantage--even if it means we pay a higher fare?

I've had an assistant call to see if the waitlist is open. Does it make a difference if the person had my record locator, OP number, etc.? My thought is 'no': a waitlist is either open or closed.

Is a waitlist run under FIFO--first in, first out? Or, if someone with higher elite status and/or a higher fare joins the list, do they trump others with lower status/fare that are already on the list?

Curious minds want to know!