<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by kazman:
Obviously, someone could purchase a full fare at the last minute - BUT - the DL system shows the actual list - I don't know if UA does - If I understand correctly, UA processes their upgrade lists, according to their signs in LAS 20 minutes prior to departure - it is highly unlikely that someone would purchase and be processed within the final 20 minutes - so , given the DL system, at the 20 minute mark, you would see the list and your position on it, and the actual number of seats available - I presume that Employees are on the list as well on DL - At UA, from what I have seen , only seat numbers of possible upgrades are listed, there is no way to dispute it when an agent says that F class has checked in full and proceeds to board Employees - on DL this doesn't seem to happen as the numbers are in plain sight and show actual current check-in numbers, those numbers booked but not checked in, and remaining seats - That is a lot of info to be armed with - I am concerned more with Int'l than domestic as I have , like many others here, been left with a legitimate upgrade and legitimate upgrade request and my non-upgraded seat on Int'l flights only to see SA's on the manifest - NOT positive space, but SA's. Just an observation - HK </font>
Realize that such a system isn't as fool proof as you would think. "Checked in" means just that, but you can check in 3,000 miles away. If you've already received a boarding pass, you are not required to be on the plane until something like 5 minutes before departure for a mainline flight. So what that means is that 20 minutes out, there are several people who have checked in but may not make the flight. And the closer you get to departure, the more the agent needs to get the flight out on time.
Please give the agents some slack in this. United tracks their departures as "on time within zero" as opposed to "within fifteen minutes after departure" that the DOT uses. If the flight goes out one second late(as measured by ACARS, and that has something to do with when the brakes are released) that delay must be accounted for. If the gate is messing around with upgrades, then the gate takes responsibility for the delay. Yes, the number one priority should be accomodating the needs/desires of a frequent flying revenue passenger, but there is a numbers game that the entire system is required to play.