Another bizarre tale of the upgrade list
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kirkland, WA
Programs: AS 75K,UA Gold 1.6MM, Hilton Dia, Marriott LT Plat, Hyatt Glb, Natl Exec, Hertz 5*
Posts: 3,657
Another bizarre tale of the upgrade list
SEA-DFW 658 6:10a on a Monday morning, typically elite heavy with 48 long upgrade list in this case.
F7 12 hours out, I am 12th on the upgrade list. Nothing clears until 2.5 hours before flight. I clear and show as #5 with 7 cleared into first (including one from the standby list).
I have heard that the waitlist that shows on the app may not always be completely accurate but this is pretty far off...
I had a T fare booked 4 weeks in advance so being 12th on the list is not unheard of on this flight although I do typically place closer to around 6th-7th.
Yes, I am pleasantly surprised but....
BTW, I found a horrible bug in the upgrade processor that would cause serious chaos if it became publicly known. I would like to tell AS about it but I don't see an easy fix and I am afraid it could cause them to have to eliminate major capabilities for the foreseeable future until it is fixed.
After all these years, I would hope that they could finally address all the upgrade processor bugs.
F7 12 hours out, I am 12th on the upgrade list. Nothing clears until 2.5 hours before flight. I clear and show as #5 with 7 cleared into first (including one from the standby list).
I have heard that the waitlist that shows on the app may not always be completely accurate but this is pretty far off...
I had a T fare booked 4 weeks in advance so being 12th on the list is not unheard of on this flight although I do typically place closer to around 6th-7th.
Yes, I am pleasantly surprised but....
BTW, I found a horrible bug in the upgrade processor that would cause serious chaos if it became publicly known. I would like to tell AS about it but I don't see an easy fix and I am afraid it could cause them to have to eliminate major capabilities for the foreseeable future until it is fixed.
After all these years, I would hope that they could finally address all the upgrade processor bugs.
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BOS/ORH
Programs: AS 75K
Posts: 18,323
Something is jacked up on the AS side. I thought AS was selling F seats from under elites on one flight saturday, now i'm thinking its this wait list problem as not everyone who clearing is showing as cleared on the wait list. My last flight was teh worst i had ever seen.
10/20/18
SEA-EWR AS 790
No advance upgrades processed. App showed my upgrade cleared a little under 2 hours from departure. My Y seat assignment was gone and I never received an F seat assignment. App only showed 3 cleared and all of those had seat assignments. One of the guys on the cleared list, I had spoken to and was lower status on the same R fare (mistake fare). There were 5 total upgrades so 2 were missing from the list (not on the awaiting seats list either)
10/20/18
SEA-EWR AS 790
No advance upgrades processed. App showed my upgrade cleared a little under 2 hours from departure. My Y seat assignment was gone and I never received an F seat assignment. App only showed 3 cleared and all of those had seat assignments. One of the guys on the cleared list, I had spoken to and was lower status on the same R fare (mistake fare). There were 5 total upgrades so 2 were missing from the list (not on the awaiting seats list either)
#3
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: PDX/AVL
Programs: AS MVPG75K, HH Diamond
Posts: 307
App showed my upgrade cleared a little under 2 hours from departure. My Y seat assignment was gone and I never received an F seat assignment. App only showed 3 cleared and all of those had seat assignments. One of the guys on the cleared list, I had spoken to and was lower status on the same R fare (mistake fare). There were 5 total upgrades so 2 were missing from the list (not on the awaiting seats list either)
This happened to me on JFK-SEA last week. I was first on the upgrade list, got the email confirmation about 3 hours out saying I had been upgraded but didn't receive a seat assignment. When I got to the gate to inquire, the screen showed that 4 people behind me on the list had cleared and F was now full, but my name was now on the standby list waiting for an economy seat assignment! When I mentioned this, the gate agent looked puzzled, then appeared to manually downgrade someone back to row 6 from what I could see and put me in that seat, but I'm not entirely sure. Was glad she was able to fix it, I was fully expecting to be in the back of the bus based on previous experiences.
#4
Moderator, Amtrak & Spirit Airlines
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: EWR :rolleyes:
Programs: AC 50K, AS MVP, AA Plat Pro, DL Plat, UA Silver, IHG Spire, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 9,607
I can say that I also had a weird upgrade list issue today.
When I checked in yesterday I was surprised to see myself (75k) as 5th on the upgrade list for EWR-PDX this afternoon.
At T-60 I got an email that I was upgraded. Going back into the App I am now showing number 1. Guy that was listed as 4th is showing number 2 and he has also cleared into F with me.
A happy ending, but still strange.
When I checked in yesterday I was surprised to see myself (75k) as 5th on the upgrade list for EWR-PDX this afternoon.
At T-60 I got an email that I was upgraded. Going back into the App I am now showing number 1. Guy that was listed as 4th is showing number 2 and he has also cleared into F with me.
A happy ending, but still strange.
#5
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: STL/ORD/MCI/SAN
Programs: AA CK MM, AC SE100K, UA 1K, DL Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,986
BTW, I found a horrible bug in the upgrade processor that would cause serious chaos if it became publicly known. I would like to tell AS about it but I don't see an easy fix and I am afraid it could cause them to have to eliminate major capabilities for the foreseeable future until it is fixed.
After all these years, I would hope that they could finally address all the upgrade processor bugs.
After all these years, I would hope that they could finally address all the upgrade processor bugs.
If there's another new bug I'm not aware of yet, it only further highlights the poor integrity of their upgrade list and the way it's processed.
#6
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: STL/ORD/MCI/SAN
Programs: AA CK MM, AC SE100K, UA 1K, DL Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,986
I can say that I also had a weird upgrade list issue today.
When I checked in yesterday I was surprised to see myself (75k) as 5th on the upgrade list for EWR-PDX this afternoon.
At T-60 I got an email that I was upgraded. Going back into the App I am now showing number 1. Guy that was listed as 4th is showing number 2 and he has also cleared into F with me.
A happy ending, but still strange.
When I checked in yesterday I was surprised to see myself (75k) as 5th on the upgrade list for EWR-PDX this afternoon.
At T-60 I got an email that I was upgraded. Going back into the App I am now showing number 1. Guy that was listed as 4th is showing number 2 and he has also cleared into F with me.
A happy ending, but still strange.
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kirkland, WA
Programs: AS 75K,UA Gold 1.6MM, Hilton Dia, Marriott LT Plat, Hyatt Glb, Natl Exec, Hertz 5*
Posts: 3,657
I can say that I also had a weird upgrade list issue today.
When I checked in yesterday I was surprised to see myself (75k) as 5th on the upgrade list for EWR-PDX this afternoon.
At T-60 I got an email that I was upgraded. Going back into the App I am now showing number 1. Guy that was listed as 4th is showing number 2 and he has also cleared into F with me.
A happy ending, but still strange.
When I checked in yesterday I was surprised to see myself (75k) as 5th on the upgrade list for EWR-PDX this afternoon.
At T-60 I got an email that I was upgraded. Going back into the App I am now showing number 1. Guy that was listed as 4th is showing number 2 and he has also cleared into F with me.
A happy ending, but still strange.
#8
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: STL/ORD/MCI/SAN
Programs: AA CK MM, AC SE100K, UA 1K, DL Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,986
This happened to me on JFK-SEA last week. I was first on the upgrade list, got the email confirmation about 3 hours out saying I had been upgraded but didn't receive a seat assignment. When I got to the gate to inquire, the screen showed that 4 people behind me on the list had cleared and F was now full, but my name was now on the standby list waiting for an economy seat assignment! When I mentioned this, the gate agent looked puzzled, then appeared to manually downgrade someone back to row 6 from what I could see and put me in that seat, but I'm not entirely sure. Was glad she was able to fix it, I was fully expecting to be in the back of the bus based on previous experiences.
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Kirkland, WA
Programs: AS 75K,UA Gold 1.6MM, Hilton Dia, Marriott LT Plat, Hyatt Glb, Natl Exec, Hertz 5*
Posts: 3,657
I just noticed this. Has fare class always not been part of the criteria at the gate (or is this old language not updated)? Maybe when the list got transferred to DM it took out fare class and just went by time? With more and more upgrades being held until the gate now (mine was 7!) we are seeing this effect more?
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/mi...upgrades#class
The gate agent will assign available First Class seats, even those not designated as "U" class of service, that are still available less than 1 hour prior to departure. Those seats will be assigned by tier then time waitlisted.
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/mi...upgrades#class
The gate agent will assign available First Class seats, even those not designated as "U" class of service, that are still available less than 1 hour prior to departure. Those seats will be assigned by tier then time waitlisted.
#10
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: SJC / DPS
Programs: AS G75K, UA Silver
Posts: 1,756
Something is jacked up on the AS side. I thought AS was selling F seats from under elites on one flight saturday, now i'm thinking its this wait list problem as not everyone who clearing is showing as cleared on the wait list. My last flight was teh worst i had ever seen.
10/20/18
SEA-EWR AS 790
No advance upgrades processed. App showed my upgrade cleared a little under 2 hours from departure. My Y seat assignment was gone and I never received an F seat assignment. App only showed 3 cleared and all of those had seat assignments. One of the guys on the cleared list, I had spoken to and was lower status on the same R fare (mistake fare). There were 5 total upgrades so 2 were missing from the list (not on the awaiting seats list either)
10/20/18
SEA-EWR AS 790
No advance upgrades processed. App showed my upgrade cleared a little under 2 hours from departure. My Y seat assignment was gone and I never received an F seat assignment. App only showed 3 cleared and all of those had seat assignments. One of the guys on the cleared list, I had spoken to and was lower status on the same R fare (mistake fare). There were 5 total upgrades so 2 were missing from the list (not on the awaiting seats list either)
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA Plat 2MM; AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 35,067
You won't be able to snipe U. They will release U and run the upgrades. You'll be double booked in Y and F for a few minutes until it gets sorted. You can re-checkin shortly after the 2 hour mark to secure a seat.
#12
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: SJC / DPS
Programs: AS G75K, UA Silver
Posts: 1,756
In fairness, the few times I've done this, the agents were surprised too, because yes, that's not how it's supposed to work...
#13
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Dallas
Programs: AA PLT/5MM; AS MVP GLD 75K; DL DM; EK SLV; HHonors DIAM; Marriott GLD
Posts: 4,092
Ughh... first, they take away most of the U inventory, making the surcharge for a first class upgrades a bit of a gamble.... now you’re saying that the upgrade processor works in a somewhat unpredictable manner?
The attractiveness of the 75K program has been massively devalued in a manner of weeks.
The attractiveness of the 75K program has been massively devalued in a manner of weeks.
#14
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
For eligible fares you go immediately to the upgrade list and immediately clear if U is available. If U is not available you remain on the list and will be upgraded when U opens, in the order they are added regardless of status. A MVP who purchases an eligible fare "should" always be upgraded before any Elite on the complimentary waitlist.
Is it possible that a last minute eligible fare purchased is being slotted into the waitlist ahead of all complimentary upgrades? That seems logical to me as eligible should always clear before complimentary. Since nothing, as of late, seems to be released until the day of, it would appear to be more prevalent than if U was being opened and upgrades were being processed throughout the Tier windows.
James
#15
Moderator, Amtrak & Spirit Airlines
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: EWR :rolleyes:
Programs: AC 50K, AS MVP, AA Plat Pro, DL Plat, UA Silver, IHG Spire, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 9,607
Yes, they all slid down below the two of us that did clear. They didn't clear into Premium or anything else. Strange experience although good to be on the "winning" side.
Let's see what happens Wednesday on SEA-EWR.
Let's see what happens Wednesday on SEA-EWR.