Finkface

This is definitely still a thing. I just checked my flight for tomorrow and U space is showing available (there has been no U space for at least 2 months up until now) yet there is a bunch of people on the upgrade wait list. We are well within 24hrs. So the upgrade processor is definitely not working and anyone on my flight who wanted to score an upgrade just has to call in and they can leapfrog the w/l. Or redo OLCI and likely get a paid upgrade offer. I am already in F or I'd be dialling right now. I guess I have figured out 'the system'.

Seattlenerd

My recollection from several years ago is that the upgrade processor runs every 30 minutes. So if U space opens up between runs, before the processor runs again someone can grab U space out from under someone who is waiting properly and patiently in line.

If this is still true, it's still a flaw, and one of several with how the upgrade processor works and displays waitlist position.

Finkface

U was still available the next morning, as late as T-7' which was the last time I checked. The u/g waitlist still had the same names on it and didn't show any of them assigned to that one remaining open F seat . F did go out full but I don't know if if was a buy-up or a gate upgrade.

rune87

Another DP. T-72 rolls around with U Space open and no upgrade. I move around in Premium to see if I can trigger it. Nada. Decide I'll be good and wait 6 hours to see if its just taking time to clear. Nope. Call Alaska and she confirmed everything I saw and then put me on hold to "reboot the Upgrade Processor" and about 2 minutes later it cleared. So either they know its an issue or they are manually just pushing things at this point. So I would say just keep an eye on your tickets at this point.

flyupfrnt

Had a reservation where T-72 came to pass tonight (was eligible at T-120 and had been patient enough) and despite U being open and available and about 9 seats unchosen. No Auto Process. Called in and spoke with a nice agent who looked into it and said things were a little "jammed up" but once she "Cleaned up" the reservation it processed automatically. Voila. Funny because it was a straightforward booking and no changes had previous been made to it despite her eluding to some. Moral of the story, The system is still running on Windows. lol

eponymous_coward

Just got off the phone and was told that the upgrade processor isn't upgrading anyone at the moment (which is why my upgrade didn't clear).



I've got an open seat next to me in PC for my SEA-DAL-LGA flight, so I guess it's OK... though I'd sure like power for some of that flight.

Puppis

I've seen similar upgrade issues where U space is available but people are not being upgraded. I've eventually received my upgrade 5 out of 6 times, but it's stressful.

Orwaid

Hi -

This morning I noticed U space opened on my EWR-PDX flight on Saturday. 2 hours later still no upgrade. I called in at T-75 (I am 75K and did not want Gold to somehow usurp me). The agent saw the U space, then put me on hold (similar to what other people have reported here). She comes back in a few minutes to tell me that "they just ran the processor" and that I was upgraded. Even though EF showed U space 2-3 hours earlier.

PV_Premier

If true, that is completely unacceptable.

dmodemd

Everyone call in and force a manual process (if U shows non-0 and within window). That may make them realize how important it is....

PV_Premier

Important to us is not the same as important to AS

A broken upgrade processor does result in additional ancillary revenue, after all

Seattlenerd

It's not just the upgrade processor that's wonky. It's the upgrade display in the app and on the gate screens.

If you're traveling with a companion without status on the same PNR (reservation), that second person often won't show up next to you in the upgrade waitlist you see in the app or at the gate after check-in. Or that companion won't show up at all on the waitlist display.

I recently experienced this again, for a second or third time since last October, when traveling with my spouse in January. Both of us were on the same PNR. I'm Gold. Both of us were waitlisted for First in the ticketed reservation itself. On the outbound flight, on the app/gate screen upgrade list after OLCI, I was at number 4. She was at number 12 or so, and kept dropping, always staying at the bottom of the list. On the return flight, I appeared on the list, and she did not, ever. (Yup. I've got screen captures and photos.)

The good news? After talking with gate agents and exchanging emails with AS, the actual behind-the-scenes list from which upgrades are processed has it correctly. It shows me, as a party of two, waitlisted. But the list that is displayed in the app and on the gate screens is totally borked.

I'm sure I'm not the only frequent traveler who's wondered about this continuing display discrepency, either.

Orwaid

Hi -

My takeaway from all of this is that my EF subscription is still worthwhile, if only to check for U space 5 days out on my flights. When I see it, call in and have them force it through.

As my father used to say "When the pain of inaction becomes greater than the pain of action, people perform". When enough people call in and take resources to process upgrades (instead of booking tickets), then AS will fix the processing system.

eponymous_coward

I don't even know if it's true or not (I wasn't told "we can upgrade you manually or run the processor manually", just "it's all b0rked"). I report what the phone agent tells me, you decide...

I eventually got put into F for my SEA-DAL segment, U hasn't opened on DAL-LGA, though there are still 4 open F seats available for sale, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Everyone and their uncle calling into the call center to do upgrades that should happen automagically will certainly incur extra costs. They have to schedule agents based on phone call volume...

PV_Premier

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).

And regarding point 2, remember, this is the airline that requires you to call to clear a 5 minute schedule change...

I am also beginning to believe that they don't know how to fix it. That, or the cost to fix it is so high, that it's not worth it. I'm always shocked when my company's enterprise IT tells me how much it will cost to do something. It's not uncommon that something I think should cost 10's or 100's of thousands actually "costs" millions to do.