Westcoaster

I recently had an odd conversation with an AS phone rep regarding upgrades. I had booked a reservation on which there had been no opportunity (as there usually is) to select my upgrade preferences. The resulting reservation didn't show me waitlisted. When I called to get added to the list the phone rep insisted that all elites would automatically be added to the upgrade lists without asking and it had always been that way. I tried to clarify with a supervisor but it didn't clear things up. I gave up after it was clear that neither of them seemed to know that there generally is an option during the booking process these days to indicate whether and how one wants an upgrade as an MVPG.

Maybe my language skills were inadequate. But they both did insist that the system automatically upgrades all elites. I don't know how or if this applied to your situation Eujeanie but there may be some programming inadvertently in place that is causing your troubles. Good luck and let us know how it all comes out.

Finkface

I am pretty sure this is not the case. I always buy K or higher in hopes of U opening and allowing me to upgrade with a GGU. If I choose the checkbox to request an upgrade, I always have to call in to get removed from the waitlist (sometimes more than once as there are two or three steps they need to take) if U opens up to be able to apply a GGU. If I don’t check that box, I can apply the GGU online myself at anytime. If everyone was automatically added to the waitlist-to-be-on-the-waitlist, I would always need to call regardless of opting out, which just isn’t the case.

writetorich

Any disadvantage to waiting until much closer to the flight to "check in", rather than at first opening time?

Please note this is not a declarative statement but a question. ( I'm too much of a newbie to Alaska)

Westcoaster

That agrees with what I usually find as well. It was just that experience with not getting offered the option to request an upgrade and then having the phone reps say it wasn't necessary for me to call because I'd be automatically put on the waitlist anyway that made me wonder what was going on. The next time I booked I got the option to request an upgrade so hopefully all is now back to normal.

Seattlenerd

You can actually check in more than once, using OLCI (at one point, it was up to six times; it does allow for changing seats after the original check in). So you can check in at the initial OCLI window, and again later if you think an upgrade might be available for purchase. But I've rarely seen that, myself, if it doesn't appear immediately at 24 hours out. YMMV.

eponymous_coward

Quote:

Originally Posted by ucdtim17

Today was a new one. Checked in yesterday, upgraded overnight, checked app, said 2D, fine. Go through security, head to gate, arrive at gate 20 min before departure to see the red Xs, agent gone. I am a little concerned and ask the neighboring agents if I can still board this flight, as the agent seems to have closed boarding rather early. They are a little shocked that the agent closed the door 13 min early despite one passenger not having boarded yet. Somehow the system checked me out, so I didn't show on her computer as checked in, so she assumed I was a no show and closed up early. They raioded the plane, printed a boarding pass (lost my upgrade) and let me on fortunately. Guess I have to double check now after upgrades that I'm still checked in.

It does say you're supposed to be available for boarding 30 minutes before departure.

ucdtim17

ucdtim17

Upgraded again for tonight and made sure to re-check in to select my seat. PSA - if you upgrade, check your seat assignment and see if it will let you change; if it doesn't, check in again.

czpdx

My experience upgrading to Premium last week was interesting. I was not automatically upgraded at check-in since only middles were available then (I was properly placed on the UG list). Later on, I saw that a window seat opened up, but the app tried to charge me to move to that seat even though I was within 24 hours. However, instead of just changing my seat, I tried checking in again and it worked fine with no charge. Two lessons: 1) check in again instead of simply moving your seat, and 2) the UG processor is still broken, as I almost certainly jumped ahead of others on the UG list when I did this.

faithful

How fast do VX upgrades generally clear? As a Gold 75K I'm less than 5 days out and haven't seen the upgrade yet on presumably relatively empty flight.

Flying for Fun

Seems like they are waiting a lot longer to open U on all flights. I do have a flight SEA-SFO-DAL all on Airbus next month that I was able to upgrade with GGU's when I booked so some U does open. For complimentary upgrades my last Boeing Flight PHX-SEA had open F for sale but no U. At OLCI I was #1 on the waitlist as MVPG75K. At about T-90 when I stopped to check my bags the Agent tagged then and printed my F boarding pass. I was a little shocked, looked back at the app which showed I has been upgraded. No email received.

Even though you are within your upgrade window you don't really know where you stand on the waitlist. There may be other pax that purchased eligible upgrade fares ahead of you regardless of Status. Those will be processed and upgraded first before the complimentary upgrades for inelligible fares. Furthermore, if another 75K purchases an ineligible fare from a higher bucket s/he will move ahead of you at the window when the upgrade request queue moves to the waitlist even if you purchased your flight sooner. Date of purchase only comes into play when two or more same level Elites are from the same fare bucket.

James

solewalker

Recent reports suggest that VX upgrades clear T-2h.

rune87

I'm inside T-120 as an MVPG on a B fare. If U opens do I get upgraded prior to a 75K or do they get the upgrade first?

Seattlenerd

Depends. Used to be the 75K list was stapled above all the other elites and upgrades used to be processed by date of ticket purchase. Now that AS has started taking into account fare class in addition to date of ticket purchase and elite level, the waters are a bit muddied.

Under that system, I'd suspect that if you and a 75K both purchased the same fare class on the same date and U opened up, the 75K would get it, based on the special priority the 75K list gets. But considering the current quirky state of the upgrade processor, I'd have a hard time being certain about anything working as expected.

Flying for Fun

As an MVPG who has purchased an eligible fare for your Elite Level, you most definitely will be upgraded BEFORE any ineligible fares. Had U space been available when you purchased your ticket you would have been upgraded immediately at that time. Since no U space was available you were moved directly to the waitlist.

All non-eligible fares and non-refundable awards for all Elites are moved to their respective "waitlist request queue" and then to the waitlist at their upgrade window.

Personally, I think "request queue" is using incorrect nonemclature and can cause some confusion. A queue is defind as a line or sequence of people or vehicles awaiting their turn to be attended to or to proceed. Just like a line-up at an amusement park or a fast food restauant, queue suggests that the first one into the queue will be the first out. This is not the case for Elites within their respective waitlist "request queue." When the upgrade window for their Elite Tier opens up, how they get onto the waitlist is first determined by what fare class was purchased and then by the date/time it was purchased; essentially they are "picked" out of their "group". I think perhaps using waitlist "request group" would be a better and less conflicting terminology.

Since you purchased an eligible fare you were already on the waitlist BEFORE any 75K non-eligible fares were "picked" from the "request group" and added to the waitlist.

You will not know your exact position on the waitlist until check-in opens. Anyone who purchased an eligible fare before you, will be higher on the waitlist regardless of Elite Tier. Also note that as an MVPG+ you can upgrade a second pax on the same PNR. Should you have an additional pax on your PNR two U would need to open up for both parties to be upgraded together. It is an all or nothing scenario. In this instance if only one U opened up, you would be skipped and the next single pax PNR would get the upgrade.

As you can imagine, there are many different permutations and scenarios to consider and glitches in the upgrade processor have been reported. Some have indicated that a U space could open up and be swooped up before the upgrade processor runs again. I can't confirm or deny.

James