Standby vs. Upgrade Waitlists
 

So I've read through http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/air-c...d-example.html but am still unclear how this particular situation is treated so any insight would be appreciated.

Are standby and upgrade waitlists two different lists or one unified list? If they are two different lists, which one is cleared first?

By "standby" list I'm not referring to a change in cabin (i.e. Y > J) but rather standing by for an earlier flight time without a cabin change.

Let's say I have a paid J ticket booked in Z. Using OLCI, I opted to standby for an earlier flight (SFO > YYZ). When I got to the airport and presented myself at the check-in counter, I was given a SBY boarding pass and told I would only be cleared at the gate.

This was ~60 minutes prior to departure. Flight showed J2 R0. I was told I was at the "very top" of the list.

My question:

Where does my standby request rank within waitlisted upgrade requests? Are all standbys cleared first and then all upgrades? Vice-versa? Or is it one giant list where, as an SE, my standby would be above an E's upgrade request?

The standby list and the upgrade lists are separate at the gate.

I am not 100% sure which of the 2 lists clear first, however I this might be up to the gate agent working the flight.

Generally speaking paid J standby pax should clear first, and then pax waiting for the upgrade at the gate. However IIRC upgrades that have all ready cleared are not affected by the J standby pax.

The bigger question is why did checkin give you a STBY BP for the J cabin. I can see the Y cabin standby as this cabin sometimes is oversold, but J cabin is not oversold unless something really unusual has happened (e.g. aircraft swap). Only other explanation is your nflight transfered to gate control before you got to checkin.

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The same day J stand-by list clears before the upgrade list. The stand-by ability is a major benefit of buying J class tickets and leaving room for such pax is the primary reason that they don't just clear the upgrade list at T-24 hours.

Correct if the gate agents do their job properly, the above order of list clearance will occur.

However if the agents are not aware of the J sby pax, they can clear the upgrade list before the j sby list and have all seats taken by upgrades. This can be simple oversight by the gate agent if they are not expecting a J sby pax as this type of pax is usually cleared at checkin.

Overall if a pax holds a J SBY BP card they should present themselves to the GA and advise that they are revenue J SBY pax.

J SBY pax are most often non-rev passengers hold C1/J10 or deadhead Captains. Crew members are picked out by their uniform. C1/J10 pax list is cleared after upgrades (IIRC).

Yeah of course, non-rev (employee/C1 priority passengers) will clear after all the ugpraded passengers. After all, employees only pay $160 (or did, a few years ago) for a long haul and the chance at the J cabin.

Just to update this thread, the particular gate agent working my flight (thankfully) cleared SBY J PAX prior to the U/G WL. Me and another SBY J PAX got the last 2 seats (after hearing several PAX bug the GA about U/G's).