missamo80

I'm flying SEA-SFO tomorrow. According to the website I'm waitlisted for premium class. Looking at the waitlist in the mobile app I see the following:



What's the deal with all the giant gaps between upgrades to Premium Class? I'm at 23, so why did 25, 27, and 28 upgrade ahead of me? I get that upgrades are based on purchase date, fare bucket, etc., but presumably that's how I wound up at 25 in the first place.

The entire upgrade list looks like this with gaps all over the place. What gives?

Neil

PDXPremier

Join the club...very confusing....as expected, despite the "Premium Class waitlisted" designation, I still end up in Y or clearing into F....although I have noticed that if I book far enough out before the plane gets the "Premium Class" designation, I can pre-book what may eventually become "Premium class". So far, it's easier to get into F than Y+ and to be completely honest, I'm not complaining in this case....lol.

Kieron

That's also including everyone on the waitlist for first class. For everyone on the F waitlist currently in a PC seat, it'll show them as "upgraded" to that seat on the list, even if they're a 75K and just picked it at booking time. Likewise if anyone opted out of PC upgrades but stayed on the F list, they'll cause gaps.

missamo80

So how did people after me in the list get upgraded? If they didn't make it to first and didn't want to get PC, I can see them being skipped. I'm definitely on the PC list. I count six people after me on the list who got a PC seat.

Edit: Oh wait, I think I get what you're saying. Everyone I see after me didn't actually get upgraded at T-whatever to PC, they were 75k (or MVP with the right fare class) and picked it at booking time?

Neil

PV_Premier

Correct but if they're 75K and you're MVP,they shouldn't be behind you on the list under any circumstances with the new upgrade sorting rules. And it sounds from your post like you're in a non-instant upgrade fare bucket so those MVPs shouldn't be behind you either.

I don't know how this all works anymore, and in some way I think that is AS' intention.

jsguyrus

No one knows nothing about anything as far as upgrades anymore. Hopefully after all the aircraft have premium class we can actually get this figured out.

Scottrick

The list includes everyone who wants either a first class upgrade, or a premium class upgrade, or both. (You can choose to opt out of either upgrade, so it's not necessarily true that a person has requested both.) This is why the list is very long.

First class upgrades are listed first, which is why premium class upgrades start with higher numbers. Your number really doesn't matter. What matters is how many people above you have not been upgraded yet.

In theory both kinds of upgrades are being processed simultaneously. Being upgraded to premium class DOES NOT affect your chances of being upgraded to first class.

Some people appear on the list even if they already have a premium class seat because they selected it in advance, probably at the time of booking, or perhaps they already paid for it. I believe this is a bug in the system that allows passengers to stay on the list even after they have a premium class seat. But remember, since this one big list is also being used for first class passengers, that's probably why they continue to appear.

Remember that because all upgrades are determined by status and fare class, those passengers who have to wait for a premium class upgrade probably also have low priority for a first class upgrade. Passengers who have already received a premium class upgrade will probably have higher priority for a first class upgrade. But it's not guaranteed and depends a lot on which fare you buy and how many seats are available on the plane.

missamo80

So essentially if I see people upgraded below me, they weren't actually upgraded at T-whatever, they either:

* Did an instant upgrade at time of booking due to combo of fare class and status
* Paid for the seat

?

Neil

berliner5000

As an MVP, you should be able to pick any available PC seat free of charge at T-24. My guess would be 25, 27, and 28 checked in right at T-24 and picked those seats. At T-24, it's not an automatic upgrade to PC, I believe you have to pick the seats.

missamo80

There were no available window or aisle PC seats on the flight for at least two weeks leading up to departure. I checked regularly, and checked in right at T-24. Nobody nabbed one at T-24.

At the gate the upgrade list on the monitor has all the PC upgrades bubbled to the top of the list and I am at #30 .

Neil

missamo80

Here is what the upgrade list looks like at the gate:​​​ https://imgur.com/a/JS3Bk

Neil

pcoll

I can't help but think this was the intention of AS.
To make the upgrade process so confusing and non-transparent, it will discourage passengers from calling to ask for their upgrades . No one has a clear picture so, we are left at the mercy of the "amazing" upgrade processor.
We have chosen not to play this game until it is straightened out.
We fly P fares ,for the time being. (and yes, they inform me that I am on the upgrade list for PC, without box checked)
Again, AS had a plan.

rustykettel

If it's also pax in PC seats on the F waitlist regardless of how they got there, then also:
* booked and selected seats prior to being PC (tail swap or booked before January or whenever PC went on sale)

mczlaw

Presumably there is further confusion injected into the process by those (like me) who booked prior to the new prioritization system going into effect. That problem will eventually run its course, however.

I don't really like conspiracy theories, but it is tempting to go along with the idea that if an airline makes its upgrade system both byzantine and opaque, there will be precious few who will be able to tell if it is functioning as intended or, worse, if exceptions are made at the whim of the airline.

missamo80

Well, for those who like conspiracy theories, here's the reply I got on Twitter:

Sigh.

Also the reason why the list at the gate looks different is the gate only shows FC upgrade requests, not PC upgrade requests.

Neil