jackal

Based on the way we now understand the upgrade waitlist to work*, I would expect you to be below every single person who booked the flight before you SDCed to it, including all lower elites, unless you happen to be 75K, in which case you remain above all MVPGs and MVPs (as 75Ks are on a separate, higher-priority waitlist).

*that is, how AS has managed to jerry-rig SABRE, which was never designed to deal with such things, to handle upgrade waitlisting...which leads to the process not working as equitably as you'd expect it to

baliktad

That would have been my understanding too, but the last time I did this as a Gold I did show up on the airport waitlist above everyone else (presumably MVP's). So I do think there is a little extra logic for the airport waitlist to sort by status first, and then time added to waitlist.

jackal

I think you're half-right. I seem to recall AS acknowledging that the airport waitlist would display priority by status, but I also seem to recall that the airport agents would no longer be working off of the airport list but rather the original (invisible) complimentary upgrade list, on which an MVPG booking (or SDCing) at the last minute would be behind everyone else. This means that upgrades don't necessarily happen in the order shown on the screens. :\

(I could be misremembering, but I'm fairly sure I'm recalling something along these lines.)

SamuelS

Thanks for the replies.

I'm still unclear as well as to whether SDC'ing will in effect put an MVPG below all other elites - including partner elites - at the very bottom of the list.

It makes no sense that AS would prioritise a DL Silver member over one of their own MVPG's, but I know there has been much discussion about this already up-thread, and from what I can glean, as sad as it it is, it seems to be the case if you SDC?

Airport list is apparently incorrect as the GA's go off the "invisible list" that would be ordered based on time added to upgrade waitlist, thereby putting any MVP or MVPG making same day booking or same day changes to the bottom...

And what about using the app - is that upgrade list ordered correctly, or is that also incorrect like the airport lists?

I'm surprised AS doesn't think this any of this is worthy of an IT investment? I know that Sabre is clunky, but if DL can get it figured out with the Delta-crapit system...

baliktad

Unless you SDC to a flight with available U space, you should not count on sitting up front. I value the ability to switch flights if I really must get there earlier or leave later, but part of that flexibility is giving up your place in line for an upgrade.

Seattlenerd

When I SDC I call. Easier to immediately get upgraded if there is space available (as happened recently LAS-SEA; I'd been in U space on my original flight and there was space in First on the earlier flight).

Yes, it requires talking to an actual human synchronously. But it works.

baliktad

If there is U space on the new flight, you can upgrade yourself during OLCI just by clicking the "Request First Class Upgrade" button - no human involvement necessary.
If there isn't U space on the new flight, you're not eligible for a first class seat and can only go on the waitlist. I don't know if you get added or not, but human involvement here may or may not help you, depending on how AS handles SDC online and how much faith you have in phone agents to do the right thing.

Seattlenerd

I just get so nostalgic for human contact at the airlines, though. So sometimes I'll just call.

(Had a great experience using the new Partner Awards interface to book award travel next year, though, so tech does have its place. ^)

johnp012001

I think your recollection is from the first post of this thread. Maybe missydarlin can chime in and let us know if this has been fixed four years later, and what list the mobile app is using.

jackal

Ah, you're right. Relevant excerpt:

Kermee

This is still the behavior. I was #17 on a recent U board and I was the first one to clear. Makes me feel much better when I'm looking at the SEA-DCA U board and see I'm like #34 as long as they are clearing in the correct order. Nevermind the fact I still haven't gotten a T-1 U on SEA-DCA

Cheers,
Kermee

hamburgler

After reading this thread and the DL thread, I'm a bit confused. Newly minted DL GM who has upcoming AS travel. AS website today updated to confirm I'm a DL elite, and offered me exit row seating. But doesn't show "Upgrade Waitlisted" anywhere. Agent said I shouldn't see this until 24h before departure (flight is on 9/22). Is this correct or am I not currently on the waitlist at all?

tombiro

This is interesting. I'm about to board AS 315 SFO-SEA and there's currently one seat available in FC. This is the first time I've flown AS in quite some time where I haven't been upgraded when there was FC available. I watched myself crawl down the list (I think I'm currently fifth, and one person has been upgraded) as others checked in (I checked in at T-24), so I'm presuming that list isn't taking into consideration whether they're 75K or not, and is what's mentioned in the post at the top of this thread as far as the "airport" list goes. Presumably, if someone else gets the upgrade ahead of me, it means that they purchased their ticket before me and are a 75K, correct?

I'm good either way, just found it to be a different experience than I've been used to in 2013/2012. Gate agent didn't really have a firm answer one way or another on things, simply that I was on the list and that there was at least one seat available in FC that hadn't been assigned. Is it just that it hasn't been let go into U?

Kermee

I've seen this happen before. It'll probably get released in between T-40m to T-30m. It's probably someone who received a FC UG but wasn't assigned a seat (that's happened to me many times before), and you can't pick your seat with OLCI and told to check-in with an airport agent. So that seat-assignment is probably being held open for that person who hasn't checked-in yet. If that person doesn't check-in within 30-40 minutes of the scheduled departure, it'll open up.

Least that's what I think is going on... We'll find out shortly.

Cheers,
Kermee

P.S. I see the FC UG board list shows 54. Never seen that many on an SFO-SEA leg before on a Friday flight. I was on AS331 SFO-SEA earlier today.

PDXPremier

Two MVPs on the same reservation (using companion certificate), will still never be on the upgrade list, correct?