Upgrade Processor Glitches
Feb 1, 2018, 1:26 pm
#91
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,387
Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that I doubted the validity of your report. I was more flabbergasted that the system is so broken that it is not upgrading anyone, or running at all, and even more flabbergasted that an agent would openly admit that to a customer (though I do appreciate their honesty).
hearing that. (I wasn't thinking you were implying my report; I am somewhat skeptical myself. given that people ARE reporting upgrades on schedule in the upgrade thread.)
Feb 1, 2018, 10:32 pm
#93
Join Date: May 2006
Location: TUS/PDX
Programs: WN CP/A-List, AS MVPG75K
Posts: 5,798
Upgrades have recently been a little wonky for me. Booking a B/M or other auto-upgrade fare with U space available never results in an upgrade for me. I have to call in, and everything is done cheerfully and within 90 seconds of them answering the phone.
Feb 2, 2018, 8:39 am
#94
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Seattle WA
Programs: AS 100K, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 1,828
Are you booking at the Alaska website? Are you hitting the link after purchase that says "request comp upgrade"? Is that giving an error?
Feb 2, 2018, 8:43 am
#95
Join Date: May 2006
Location: TUS/PDX
Programs: WN CP/A-List, AS MVPG75K
Posts: 5,798
Yes and yes. When clicking the "request comp. upgrade" it gives me an error saying "this reservation is not available for upgrades." Last happened on a B fare with U5. This also happened late last year when I was trying to burn some of my UG certs.
Feb 2, 2018, 8:49 am
#96
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: BLI
Programs: Alaska Million Mile Flyer, Marriott Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 3,194
However, that may not be the same error you're seeing.
Feb 2, 2018, 9:10 am
#97
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,640
If you try to do it immediately after purchase, before you get the email confirmation, I've discovered the upgrade request doesn't take and I get an error. I have to wait until after I receive the email confirmation (assuming that means after the ticket is issued) to successfully request an upgrade.
Feb 2, 2018, 4:44 pm
#99
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: AS MVPG, WN A-List
Posts: 100
Does this count as an upgrade error? Called last night at T-24 to ask about paid F upgrade space on a VX flight, and somehow my ticket got invalidated during the process... 2 hours and 21 minutes later, AS reps informed me they are giving up. My ticket was cancelled, reissued as some sort of placeholder, and I have to go plead my case to the VX ticket counter tonight.
Feb 6, 2018, 2:11 pm
#100
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: AS 100K
Posts: 184
Odd thing to happen another day. I decided to switch my inbound from JFK-PDX to JFK-SEA on 1/28 when Ianded in JFK. I booked it 2 hours before departure. Checked F and U space. One paid F available, no U space. I booked anyway and one minute later received an upgrade notification. Did not book an instant upgrade fare. It could be a total coincidence for timing, but it's almost as if the AS upgrade processor used a minimum fare threshold to trigger U availability.
Feb 6, 2018, 2:41 pm
#101
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
Same here. Same route, but my outbound was on 2/2. I noticed U space available in F and 9 seats open at T-120, but for some reason I didn't clear at T-120. I gave it a day and still nothing. I didn't clear until T-48. Since it was a half empty plane, I didn't stress about it or bother calling. The same occurred on a similar flight the weekend prior.
Odd thing to happen another day. I decided to switch my inbound from JFK-PDX to JFK-SEA on 1/28 when Ianded in JFK. I booked it 2 hours before departure. Checked F and U space. One paid F available, no U space. I booked anyway and one minute later received an upgrade notification. Did not book an instant upgrade fare. It could be a total coincidence for timing, but it's almost as if the AS upgrade processor used a minimum fare threshold to trigger U availability.
Odd thing to happen another day. I decided to switch my inbound from JFK-PDX to JFK-SEA on 1/28 when Ianded in JFK. I booked it 2 hours before departure. Checked F and U space. One paid F available, no U space. I booked anyway and one minute later received an upgrade notification. Did not book an instant upgrade fare. It could be a total coincidence for timing, but it's almost as if the AS upgrade processor used a minimum fare threshold to trigger U availability.
Feb 6, 2018, 8:10 pm
#102
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,953
Same here. Same route, but my outbound was on 2/2. I noticed U space available in F and 9 seats open at T-120, but for some reason I didn't clear at T-120. I gave it a day and still nothing. I didn't clear until T-48. Since it was a half empty plane, I didn't stress about it or bother calling. The same occurred on a similar flight the weekend prior.
Odd thing to happen another day. I decided to switch my inbound from JFK-PDX to JFK-SEA on 1/28 when Ianded in JFK. I booked it 2 hours before departure. Checked F and U space. One paid F available, no U space. I booked anyway and one minute later received an upgrade notification. Did not book an instant upgrade fare. It could be a total coincidence for timing, but it's almost as if the AS upgrade processor used a minimum fare threshold to trigger U availability.
Odd thing to happen another day. I decided to switch my inbound from JFK-PDX to JFK-SEA on 1/28 when Ianded in JFK. I booked it 2 hours before departure. Checked F and U space. One paid F available, no U space. I booked anyway and one minute later received an upgrade notification. Did not book an instant upgrade fare. It could be a total coincidence for timing, but it's almost as if the AS upgrade processor used a minimum fare threshold to trigger U availability.
Feb 6, 2018, 11:51 pm
#103
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: PDX
Programs: AS 75K, BW Plat, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 10,724
Same here. Same route, but my outbound was on 2/2. I noticed U space available in F and 9 seats open at T-120, but for some reason I didn't clear at T-120. I gave it a day and still nothing. I didn't clear until T-48. Since it was a half empty plane, I didn't stress about it or bother calling. The same occurred on a similar flight the weekend prior.
Odd thing to happen another day. I decided to switch my inbound from JFK-PDX to JFK-SEA on 1/28 when Ianded in JFK. I booked it 2 hours before departure. Checked F and U space. One paid F available, no U space. I booked anyway and one minute later received an upgrade notification. Did not book an instant upgrade fare. It could be a total coincidence for timing, but it's almost as if the AS upgrade processor used a minimum fare threshold to trigger U availability.
Odd thing to happen another day. I decided to switch my inbound from JFK-PDX to JFK-SEA on 1/28 when Ianded in JFK. I booked it 2 hours before departure. Checked F and U space. One paid F available, no U space. I booked anyway and one minute later received an upgrade notification. Did not book an instant upgrade fare. It could be a total coincidence for timing, but it's almost as if the AS upgrade processor used a minimum fare threshold to trigger U availability.
Feb 7, 2018, 10:01 am
#104
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
I learned that if you reissue the ticket too many times it makes it so you cant make any changes online and also it gets stuck in the auto upgrade process. I called in and had my upgrade pushed through for Sunday.
Feb 7, 2018, 10:44 am
#105
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Bothell, WA
Programs: AS 75K, SPG Plat, Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Globablist, Mlife Gold, Caesar's Diamond
Posts: 79
I have a PDX-JFK flight this Sunday with my upgrade window opening last night. I had to call them last week for a similar flight since no upgrades posted well into the Gold upgrade window. I just got off the phone with them (30 minutes) to tell me that the entire upgrade process is down right now due to a known issue. Apparently, they're working on it right now.