PDX-SEA Originally FC Changed to Waitlisted
Dec 15, 2017, 6:05 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Alaska
Programs: AS MVPG
Posts: 131
PDX-SEA Originally FC Changed to Waitlisted
I was just curious if anyone else encountered this scenario:
We were flying back home from MSN-ORD-PDX-SEA on one day and received automatic FC upgrade. When we checked in with AA, they were only able to print boarding passes to PDX and we’d have to get them there. I believe I checked in with the AS app the night before. After we went through security, I checked the app and we were now waitlisted for seats. I assumed it was a plane change and for us, FC was not a big deal for such a short flight. A call to reservations said seating was under gate control, so we couldn’t do anything until arrival at PDX.
Once at the PDX gate, it was confirmed there was a plane change and now the flight was overbooked. We were immediately offered $125 vouchers, which due to my time on the forum, I negotiated to $250 each to take the next flight. While the agent was processing the vouchers, it became evident that there were a lot of no shows for the flight and we were able to be seated, with vouchers dropped to $125.
The only other glitch was we couldn’t check in with the app. I’m paranoid enough that I dropped my wife off at SEA to get her boarding pass (had the last segment canceled once because we caught an earlier connection).
So, I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced having a confirmed seat changed to being waitlisted? We’re both Golds, so you’d think that would’ve carried some weight for not being bumped.
We were flying back home from MSN-ORD-PDX-SEA on one day and received automatic FC upgrade. When we checked in with AA, they were only able to print boarding passes to PDX and we’d have to get them there. I believe I checked in with the AS app the night before. After we went through security, I checked the app and we were now waitlisted for seats. I assumed it was a plane change and for us, FC was not a big deal for such a short flight. A call to reservations said seating was under gate control, so we couldn’t do anything until arrival at PDX.
Once at the PDX gate, it was confirmed there was a plane change and now the flight was overbooked. We were immediately offered $125 vouchers, which due to my time on the forum, I negotiated to $250 each to take the next flight. While the agent was processing the vouchers, it became evident that there were a lot of no shows for the flight and we were able to be seated, with vouchers dropped to $125.
The only other glitch was we couldn’t check in with the app. I’m paranoid enough that I dropped my wife off at SEA to get her boarding pass (had the last segment canceled once because we caught an earlier connection).
So, I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced having a confirmed seat changed to being waitlisted? We’re both Golds, so you’d think that would’ve carried some weight for not being bumped.
Dec 16, 2017, 3:49 am
#2
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Anchorage, AK
Programs: CO - Onepass Gold Elite--> UA - MileagePlus Gold Premier--> Silver --> AS - MileagePlan MVPGOLD!
Posts: 735
The -800s are losing a row of F during their cabin reconfiguration, so if the flight was initially scheduled on a four-row-F aircraft, and swaps to a three-row-F aircraft, the entire last row gets the boot.
And it doesn't seem to have much to do with status level.
Similarly, if the flight goes from a 737-900 to a 737-800, ditto above.
I don't know that this is the exact situation you were facing, because I don't know what your F seats were.
BUT, here's a thought... if you were NOT in the last row of F before you got downgraded, then it would make an interesting data point for the flyertalk community. Because it just might indicate that, indeed, they bumped you BEFORE they bumped elites of higher status than yourself OR revenue/paid F customers.
Either way, it's a good data point (for us.. for you, it just stinks):
You were in the last row, and they're booting last row PAX, or
You were in other than last row, and they're using some sort of methodology to select the
Dec 16, 2017, 11:46 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Alaska
Programs: AS MVPG
Posts: 131
I believe it was a E75 flight, switched out to a smaller plane. We usually take row 2 seats when we can and never row 4 for the reason you mention. When we talked to the agent, he said they were going to have to bump 6 passengers from the flight if they didn’t get more volunteers. Curiously though, the flight ended up being about 2/3's full, so I’m guessing a flight was delayed causing a lot of missed connections.
