canolakid

BB Priv- work (hub) and play ... priceless!

canadiancow

I'm going to discuss your last point first.

If you want the upgrade, do not board until they say that J has BOARDED full. Boarding drops you off the public list, which lines up with what a few employees have said. That's not to say they couldn't go deeper into the system, upgrade you, walk on board, and tell you. But I've certainly had the opposite experience.

As for the rest, my hunch is that the public list order is just wrong. Any manual manipulation they do can have dire consequences.

8 seats left, they confirm #2 -8, and then KEN,S hits IRROPS, calls the concierge, and is moved into the last available seat on the flight. Then #1 shows up, but the flight's full. In that situation, it should either be me or #8 who doesn't sit in J, but #1 gets screwed.

But who knows. Maybe they do some things manually for "reasons". But that reminds me of when the last two seats went to a pilot (do not recall if he was a captain, but he was certainly not a deadheading captain, or he would have been confirmed ahead of time, which means he should have been below revenue upgrade priority) and an E35K, while this SE stayed on the list. I can tell you right now that if I'm #1 , and #2 clears, I'm going up to the gate to have a discussion with the GA. Or I'm calling a concierge. So they better hope their list is right, or a lot of time is going to be wasted dealing with people like me

If the list and process are fully transparent and completely accurate, I think this could make life easier for the GA. But right now, the process is unknown, and we've demonstrated inaccuracies on the list, so this could just make things worse. "Why did ABC,D get upgraded over me? I was #1 !" "On my list, you were #2 ". I'm waiting for a story about that

canopus27

This is consistent with what I've been told by the concierge before ... that boarding, takes you off the list.

I was told that "good" agents/concierge can monitor the boarding process, and may board the plane to pull you out of Y if a space opens up ... but that's an extra step, and the core of what cow says (do not board until they say that J has BOARDED full) is good advice. (As it always is )

ridefar

United operates in a market where other major competitors also reveal their upgrade list. AC does not. Anyways, I don't really have a dog in the hunt -- I have cleared 99% of my upgrades before gate so none of this really matters to me. I am just expressing surprise. And heck, maybe WS IT is no better so exposing the data doesn't matter.

SparseFlyer

How early have you seen check marks being added to the list?

Because we are also assuming that there's a possibility that just because there are no checkmarks, that the upgrade hasn't been " approved".

I'm saying this because I remember taking a flight and knowing I was going to get opupped T-23h. I had been wait listed automatically out of nowhere, and I am 100% sure that I am under no one's grace at AC. But I do remember being told that I'd know for sure if I'd be in J once it went to gate control.

I was never called to the podium or anything, and when I got to speak to the agent it took more time than usual, which leads me to believe that despite the fact everything was automated, it still needed intervention.

But where would I show up on that list? First? Somewhere in between due to status? Last because it was an opup?

And even if the list shows that people aren't upgraded, we should probably check to see how inventory moves. So if the flight is J8, and then #8 clears and flight goes J0, it could indicate something.

canadiancow

An opup would not be on the list prior to it being processed. You're never "wait listed" for an opup. There's a list they use for opups, but it's a manual process.

After the opup, I'm not sure if you'd appear on the public list. That's hard to test

SparseFlyer

Are you sure? I can confirm from 2 experiences being wait listed for an opup about 30m after OLCI.

My BP from OLCI said "Stand-by for Upgrade" and I had lost my seat assignment.

Unless someone manually intervenes on flights at T-24?

canadiancow

I have never had a BP say that without me going into the eUpgrade system.

What does it even mean to be standing by for an opup? Isn't the entire plane standing by for an opup?

SparseFlyer

I've had. And for an international flight too. Twice (I only fly twice a year to see grandpa).

It only said Stand by for Upgrade or standby for business class... can't remember exactly.

I had not done an eupgrade. I was not on an expensive fare. I had not talked to any agent (OLCI). I am not SE, nor am I of any moral or financial interest to AC.

J did not leave full. I did not have the loads for the rest of the cabins though.

So this is why I have a feeling that this whole process may very well be automated, and potentially cleared and managed differently. Wasn't there someone on FT talking about getting an eUp once, and it had cleared but not really? That an agent had to do something to "confirm" it even though it had "cleared" ?

I'm just fishing for info really. No one really knows what's going on except AC. If only there was some kind of AC Rep on this board that could give us a bone....

Oh wait. They're gone. Or are they? Maybe they should just post under an anonymous handle lol

tomvancouver

on April 2
The app was showing only 17 confirmed passengers before, with no one on the wait list. Maybe they were upgraded for balance reasons. Anyhow, is this a record for this notoriously hard to upgrade flight?

Sean Peever

I actually saw this as well last night when I was taking a look! Maybe because it was Sunday night? Maybe the time of year? But yes, usually this flight is a LOT harder to upgrade.


For example on AC33 today ex-YYZ it's showing already 36 booked, 23 checked-in and 7 on the waitlist. I am sure that as we get closer to departure this will grow.

For Ex-YVR it's showing 33 booked and 10 checked in (upgrade list not available yet)

alc

thought I will never be posting on this thread after I started it since I am no longer SE this year and might never be again anyway, here my story.

My direct flight got canceled today and the ticketing counter refused to rebook me with the connection option even as standby, hence I will be to stuck at YYZ for 10hr!!! I can't go home (I rent a car to go to Airport instead of park my car for points, UA MP, and actually save my company money) and no MLL to visit (no *G or E35K ) all I have is 3hr at AMEX Lounge with my AMEX Biz Plat. Hence, I want to change to a connection so I can use another 3hr at another lounge and also another AQS

When I got into the AMEX Lounge, thought to call the AC reservation and try again.. and I got a lady on the phone within 30 sec (seems faster than the Concierge line that I recalled from early this year) and I re-explain my situation about stuck at YYZ for 10hr!!! with no lounge (yes I did tell her that) and she was very nice to book me that connection option and "confirmed" under full Y. And when I did OLCI, it only ask for the eUpg for the Y (as expected) and I see my name pop-up at the top of the list right away.

#2 and #3 has the same 3-char last name, so if only one get the upgrade, hope they don't go around and look for BP with the 3-char that they might see from the list.

The App show Economy is Full and Biz as Available.

I thought I will never care about this info even when I was flying UA. But today, I really love it today when I see my name as #1 .

--- added info ---
in case you wonder why I left out all the detail about which flight / city - I did it on purpose now to wide it for myself, I just don't want to get the lady on the AC Res Line in trouble, in case she is indeed doing me a favor.

canadiancow

Yeah, you can't see 33 out of YVR until 33 departs YYZ.

Rebooking you up to full Y in IRROPS is a pretty standard thing to do.

alc

understood, and I guess I forgot to highlight that since the flight show Full, hence, I guess she must have to override something on the system that the ticketing counter refused to do at first. where I know if I am still SE, I will get it on 1st try

Sean Peever

Makes sense!