mlsrar

As a soon-to-be-ex-DL-medallion, awaiting my MVP credentials, I have some questions now that I'm shifting to AS...

Upgrades appear to be offered at check-in if they're not available through the automated upgrade process.

For Hawaii flights, PDX-OGG in particular, do they sell upgrades at check-in, and is it in the $150 range given the stage length?

dc333

HI flights are treated no differently than any other, so they will be offered when you check in online if you are eligible, and U class opens. $100 for 1251-2500 mile flights. $150 for 2501+ mile flight length.

baliktad

Everything you ever wanted to know about upgrades on alaskaair.com:
http://www.alaskaair.com/as/mileagep...s-Upgrades.asp

OLCI and day-of-departure upgrades at checkin require tickets booked in Y, S, B, M, H class only (Full Flex or Value categories, aka "the expensive tickets").

If there is still F space available when the gate takes control of the flight (T-60 minutes), they may elect to hawk upgrades to any confirmed passenger at the same prices listed above.

jackal

In theory. However, if (as an MVP or MVPG) you see the link to upgrade to F at OLCI or from an IT kiosk, feel free to click it and you the upgrade will be confirmed at no charge. AS has attempted to close this loophole (since it is tantamount to "jumping the queue") by restricting it to higher fare classes, but it occasionally still pops up even in the lower fare classes (from my understanding--been awhile since I've been on a flight with open F seats).

If you try to click it before the SABRE system fully realizes your MVP status, it'll want to charge you, but once SABRE has your MVP status fully updated in its systems (~2 weeks from when the Mileage Plan department confirms your status match), it should offer you the upgrade at no charge.

OverThereTooMuch

Doesn't sound like a loophole to me, sounds more like their upgrade process is busted.

If they properly upgraded people in the order they're supposed to, nobody ever gets a chance to jump the queue.

Or am I missing something? Are they holding back some seats for full F fare, and some for paid U too?

jackal

Revenue Management often tries to hold seats back for full F fare and then releases some into U class at the last minute. But their systems aren't smart enough to immediately run the upgrade waitlist processor as soon as they open U class up--there's a lag of sometimes several hours before the system runs the waitlist process.

So there is occasionally (and often more than occasionally) a window where U class will be open but people on the waitlist have not been upgraded, and anyone who qualifies can upgrade in the meantime. Those who watch this like a hawk can often snag a U seat even though there may be others ahead of them in the upgrade queue, or (as probably more often happens), someone on a paid Y, S, B, M, or H fare will see the upgrade link and upgrade themselves ahead of the dozens of MVPGs and MVPs in the upgrade queue.

It's not something AS does on purpose to try to get paid upgrades instead of complimentary MVP/G upgrades; it's just a technical thing they can't get right. Ideally, the system would be set up so that opening U class triggers the waitlist process immediately, but for some reason, they seem incapable of doing that.

I guess I can't say too many bad things about AS's IT department, since we actually have a functional website (as opposed to United.bomb), but there are a (very) few things they just can't seem to get right (despite being an early technological leader with e-ticketing, airport check-in kiosks, and the like). Coming from DL, you'll probably find AS a little bit technologically backwards:

-Lengthy delays in posting mileage
-No proper mobile-formatted website (though a beta was finally uncovered by an intrepid investigative FlyerTalker just a couple of days ago)
-No dedicated iPhone/BlackBerry/etc. app
-Little to no enforcement of boarding order
-Several loopholes and broken processes in their upgrade system, especially as it ties into their day-of-departure (airport control) system (things don't always transfer from their reservations system to their airport system perfectly)

But don't worry, you'll come to love our little carrier!

Edit: and oh yeah, flight status alerts have been an...issue. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alask...es-bother.html http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alask...ed-fixing.html

mlsrar

For MVP upgrades, where I have non-elites on the PNR, do I need to separate myself into a different record?

On DL/NW I always had to do this to ensure the automated upgrade processing wouldn't skip past me because of companions.

beckoa

I think you may need to... but then they loose their free baggage waiver...

CMK10

Are 1-1250 mile flight upgrades still $50? It's been a few years since I purchased one.

beckoa

From alaskaair.com

r415

Do these ever happen pre-24-hours, for example if you check in for a connecting flight, but it is still 28 hours before departure for the second segment? Or do you have to wait until 24 hours before your second segment before you do OLCI for the original flight if you want to take advantage of a paid upgrade (assuming it's available)?

ANC

no it aint busted, thats how it works. At 24 hours the seats open up to anybody thats eligible to use miles, pay for it, or mvp upgrades when or if they become available. Some people seem to think that when a seat opens at 12 hours it should go to the next gold or mvp on the list. That aint how it works and isnt how its intended to work. When checkin starts at 23hr 59mins 59 seconds that elite list goes away and a new list is created based on checkin times for the same day gate upgrade list.