How Complimentary Upgrades Work
Jan 15, 2019, 8:38 am
#706
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Seattle WA
Programs: AS 100K, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 1,828
I had an odd upgrade experience yesterday. I was flying with a friend and booked us together on the same PNR. It showed us both as wait listed for first class on our apps, but when we checked in I only saw my name listed on the UPG list and not my friend. I was 2nd on the list so we thought if I cleared, but he didn't, we'd try to talk to someone at the gate. However, 1st class filled up quickly with either last minute buys or SDCs and it looked like I wouldn't even clear at 2nd on the list.
Odd behavior I noticed in the app:
- About 4 hours before the flight, I tried to move us to better seats in PE - but whenever I tried to move myself it'd give an error that "The seat is no longer available".
- When we went to board, I still showed in 7D but my boarding group had gone blank, my friends still showed the proper boarding group
Based on that, I figured I might have been upgrade but it just wasn't reflected. As I walked down the jet-way I ran into a GA going up who got the radio call to upgrade me. So while I didn't make it all the way to my seat, I guess it counts as a battlefield upgrade.
Odd behavior I noticed in the app:
- About 4 hours before the flight, I tried to move us to better seats in PE - but whenever I tried to move myself it'd give an error that "The seat is no longer available".
- When we went to board, I still showed in 7D but my boarding group had gone blank, my friends still showed the proper boarding group
Based on that, I figured I might have been upgrade but it just wasn't reflected. As I walked down the jet-way I ran into a GA going up who got the radio call to upgrade me. So while I didn't make it all the way to my seat, I guess it counts as a battlefield upgrade.
Jan 15, 2019, 9:26 am
#707
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BLI
Programs: Alaska Million Mile Flyer, Marriott Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 3,194
I've repeatedly had "no boarding group" issues with boarding passes (app and paper) over the past several months, especially when traveling with my spouse: her boarding pass will show a boarding group, mine won't. It's a minor annoyance, but clearly a system glitch.
Jan 15, 2019, 11:00 am
#708
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: BART Platinum, AA Plat Pro
Posts: 1,158
After several suspicious upgrade processing experiences recently I started taking screenshots of the upgrade list at boarding time. 9:35 am
departure this morning ex-SFO. At 9 am there was 1 available F seat, I was #1 on the list, with 6 people behind me. Sure enough, at 9:15 am I checked again (after boarding), and #4 had cleared into the single F seat, jumping ahead of me and 2 others.
I don’t care that much in this case because I have an entire exit row to myself and I didn’t feel like eating the warmed-over breakfast of questionable quality. But I guess the lesson is that you have to babysit the gate agent if you want to get your upgrade?
departure this morning ex-SFO. At 9 am there was 1 available F seat, I was #1 on the list, with 6 people behind me. Sure enough, at 9:15 am I checked again (after boarding), and #4 had cleared into the single F seat, jumping ahead of me and 2 others.
I don’t care that much in this case because I have an entire exit row to myself and I didn’t feel like eating the warmed-over breakfast of questionable quality. But I guess the lesson is that you have to babysit the gate agent if you want to get your upgrade?
Jan 15, 2019, 4:54 pm
#709
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BLI
Programs: Alaska Million Mile Flyer, Marriott Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 3,194
After several suspicious upgrade processing experiences recently I started taking screenshots of the upgrade list at boarding time. 9:35 am
departure this morning ex-SFO. At 9 am there was 1 available F seat, I was #1 on the list, with 6 people behind me. Sure enough, at 9:15 am I checked again (after boarding), and #4 had cleared into the single F seat, jumping ahead of me and 2 others.
I don’t care that much in this case because I have an entire exit row to myself and I didn’t feel like eating the warmed-over breakfast of questionable quality. But I guess the lesson is that you have to babysit the gate agent if you want to get your upgrade?
departure this morning ex-SFO. At 9 am there was 1 available F seat, I was #1 on the list, with 6 people behind me. Sure enough, at 9:15 am I checked again (after boarding), and #4 had cleared into the single F seat, jumping ahead of me and 2 others.
I don’t care that much in this case because I have an entire exit row to myself and I didn’t feel like eating the warmed-over breakfast of questionable quality. But I guess the lesson is that you have to babysit the gate agent if you want to get your upgrade?
Jan 15, 2019, 5:15 pm
#711
Join Date: May 2012
Location: HNL
Programs: AS MVPG, HA Plat
Posts: 1,268
I don't know if it's consistent, but I've seen some indication that instant upgrade fares don't display properly on the list. I had my son (MVP) on an instant-upgradeable award ticket a couple of months back and he cleared from somewhere well out of the money on the displayed list for one segment.
Jan 15, 2019, 7:12 pm
#712
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BLI
Programs: Alaska Million Mile Flyer, Marriott Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 3,194
Yes, I think it's mentioned upthread (by missydarlin) that the displayed order is sometimes incorrect. If I was #1 on the list I'd certainly ask the GA about it though.
Jan 27, 2019, 2:38 pm
#713
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: AS 100K, Marriott Titanium, Delta Gold, United Silver
Posts: 250
It seems the upgrade issues may still be ongoing. When I attempted to check in for my LAS - PDX flight, the app offered me the opportunity to pay for an upgrade (I’m a G75K). I follow it through to the actual payment screen to see if was real, but then declined to buy it because I didn’t want to jump the list. I called in to report it
Jan 27, 2019, 4:16 pm
#714
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BLI
Programs: Alaska Million Mile Flyer, Marriott Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 3,194
Glitch again this past week PHX-SEA. I was listed on the gate display upgrade waitlist; my wife, who is on the same PNR, was not. I'm used to that bug now.
But I was paged and, immediately after that, saw that her name suddenly appeared on the display waitlist directly below mine. The gate agent was going to upgrade me, since there was one seat available in First, then noticed my wife was waitlisted as well but didn't show up properly. She fixed that and wanted to know if I wanted to be upgraded without her.
I wisely declined. But noted the continuing glitch and the "fix" at the gate.
But I was paged and, immediately after that, saw that her name suddenly appeared on the display waitlist directly below mine. The gate agent was going to upgrade me, since there was one seat available in First, then noticed my wife was waitlisted as well but didn't show up properly. She fixed that and wanted to know if I wanted to be upgraded without her.
I wisely declined. But noted the continuing glitch and the "fix" at the gate.
Jan 27, 2019, 5:00 pm
#715
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
Jan 28, 2019, 6:33 am
#716
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BLI
Programs: Alaska Million Mile Flyer, Marriott Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 3,194
As I said to the gate agent, under no circumstance would the upgrade for me have been an upgrade for me. 
Actually, I did offer it to her before declining the upgrade, but she preferred to sit with me. That was kind.
Actually, I did offer it to her before declining the upgrade, but she preferred to sit with me. That was kind.
Jan 28, 2019, 2:19 pm
#717
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: PDX/HIO
Programs: AS MVPG; Hertz Pres; Tanquery Million Minier
Posts: 375
Annoying experience with the waitlist this weekend. Flying PDX-AUS I showed as added-to-the-waitlist online and in the app, but I did not show on the actual waitlist. I asked the GA at PDX about this and she confirmed that I was not on the list. She helpfully stapled me to the bottom of the list (which would not have been right unless there were no MVPs on that flight) but it wouldn't have made a difference at that point. Flying back I again was not on the waitlist and decided to call reservations about it. The agent there told me I could not be added to the list because F was full... which kind of defeats the purpose of a waitlist doesn't it?
This was a normal ticket with T and V fares. I got were I was going and was in PC both ways, so not the end of the world. It does however diminish MP elite benefits somewhat if I can't trust the system to work and AS employees can't help when it doesn't.
This was a normal ticket with T and V fares. I got were I was going and was in PC both ways, so not the end of the world. It does however diminish MP elite benefits somewhat if I can't trust the system to work and AS employees can't help when it doesn't.
Mar 2, 2019, 9:58 am
#718
Join Date: Aug 2006
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 48
How do upgrades to premium economy work? My husband and I have MVP status. We have had to call Alaska for the past few flights and ask them to move us to PE in the upgrade window to avoid paying the PE upgrade fees (we do not book saver fares). They said they didn’t know why we couldn’t do it ourselves in the app for $0. Currently we are scheduled to fly in less than 48 hours. The seat map shows a lot of open seats on the flight including 6 in first class, 12 in premium economy and only 4 seats are booked in the elite status section (2 of those are us). I don’t understand why I am unable to select 2 premium economy seats for $0 in the mobile or PC application.
Mar 2, 2019, 12:30 pm
#719
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: USA
Programs: AS MVPG75k
Posts: 330
How do upgrades to premium economy work? My husband and I have MVP status. We have had to call Alaska for the past few flights and ask them to move us to PE in the upgrade window to avoid paying the PE upgrade fees (we do not book saver fares). They said they didn’t know why we couldn’t do it ourselves in the app for $0. Currently we are scheduled to fly in less than 48 hours. The seat map shows a lot of open seats on the flight including 6 in first class, 12 in premium economy and only 4 seats are booked in the elite status section (2 of those are us). I don’t understand why I am unable to select 2 premium economy seats for $0 in the mobile or PC application.