May 3, 2019, 11:36 am
Last edit by: dayone
Please post your upgrade successes & failures including:
Date
Route (Please bold if failure)
Flight Number
Status (MVP, Gold or 75K)
Fare Class
Add companion if there was one
Time the upgrade cleared or position on waitlist if didn't clear
Date of ticket purchase
Examples:
2/2/19 SEA-ANC AS 67 75K Upgrade cleared at T-120 hours
2/19/19 MSY-SEA AS 887 MVPG Didn't clear 4/22 on waitlist
Date
Route (Please bold if failure)
Flight Number
Status (MVP, Gold or 75K)
Fare Class
Add companion if there was one
Time the upgrade cleared or position on waitlist if didn't clear
Date of ticket purchase
Examples:
2/2/19 SEA-ANC AS 67 75K Upgrade cleared at T-120 hours
2/19/19 MSY-SEA AS 887 MVPG Didn't clear 4/22 on waitlist
I Got/Didn't Get MVP/Gold/75K Upgrade on AS (2019)
Mar 24, 2019, 1:27 am
#151
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
Mar 24, 2019, 10:25 am
#152
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan MVP Gold, Marriott Rewards Lifetime Titanium Elite
Posts: 120
Glad you liked 11E. I have that seat assigned to me for a flight from LAX to DCA. I have been monitoring the equipment to see if it gets reconfigured before our departure date.
Mar 26, 2019, 8:29 pm
#154
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Austin, Texas, USA
Programs: AA Platinum Pro, Hilton Silver, Marriott Titanium Elite, AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 130
3/25/19
aus-sjc
as 3301
mvpg/75k
g fare
t-120
purchased 3/5
3/25/19
sjc-pae
as2741
mvpg/75k
g fare
t-120
purchased 3/5
3/27/19
pae-san
as2678
mvpg/75k
r fare
t-120
purchased 3/5
3/28/19
san-aus
as3336
k fare
t-24
purchased 3/5
aus-sjc
as 3301
mvpg/75k
g fare
t-120
purchased 3/5
3/25/19
sjc-pae
as2741
mvpg/75k
g fare
t-120
purchased 3/5
3/27/19
pae-san
as2678
mvpg/75k
r fare
t-120
purchased 3/5
3/28/19
san-aus
as3336
k fare
t-24
purchased 3/5
Last edited by MikeShores; Mar 28, 2019 at 2:19 am Reason: update
Mar 26, 2019, 9:53 pm
#155
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
It would’ve really had to be some luck in the Airbus 8 seat F cabin. I pay for F far less on AS than other airlines, because my upgrades usually clear as a 75k, but this is one of those routes where I‘ve started buying F more routinely (usually SFO-SEA-STL). Upgrades tend not to clear otherwise. I up-fared a few months ago after seeing I was #6 on the list for just one seat. The Airbus seats and service are generally decent enough to justify not sweating out the upgrade IMO, but obviously everyone’s threshold for locking in the F seat is different. Overall, though, what I’m really saying is that it would’ve basically been a total shock for an MVP to be upgraded on the flight in question.
Mar 26, 2019, 11:43 pm
#156
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 10,904
3/18/2019
AS1109
SFO-SEA
MVP
R
Purchased 2/10
No upgrade - I was something like 6/9 on the list, and everyone else was upgraded to premium, but no one got F.
There were premium class seats available that I could have moved to, but only in the middle when I checked, and I'll happily take 7D over 6E in that case. Not a full flight, but did fly with a full F as far as I could tell. I was really hoping that I might get lucky and get to try out the old VX F before it goes away.
AS1109
SFO-SEA
MVP
R
Purchased 2/10
No upgrade - I was something like 6/9 on the list, and everyone else was upgraded to premium, but no one got F.
There were premium class seats available that I could have moved to, but only in the middle when I checked, and I'll happily take 7D over 6E in that case. Not a full flight, but did fly with a full F as far as I could tell. I was really hoping that I might get lucky and get to try out the old VX F before it goes away.
You could also buy a cheap flight in economy on one of those short routes, and on the day of the flight pay $25 to SDC to a flight with some U space, if any exist. I successfully did that on an LAX-SFO flight last year, and got instant-upgraded as soon as the SDC went through. And it was an 8-seat Airbus! These are not necessarily elite-heavy routes, particularly on weekends.
Clearing on a flight to/from Seattle on an 8 F seat plane as MVP is tough. I was something like 40th on the list on my SEA-SFO flight last year. Too many high level elites in SEA...
Mar 26, 2019, 11:52 pm
#157
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: AS 100k, DL PM, New Sagaya
Posts: 1,291
You could also buy a cheap flight in economy on one of those short routes, and on the day of the flight pay $25 to SDC to a flight with some U space, if any exist. I successfully did that on an LAX-SFO flight last year, and got instant-upgraded as soon as the SDC went through.
Mar 27, 2019, 9:41 am
#158
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: AS 100K, HH Diamond, SPG/Marriott Gold
Posts: 189
3/26/19
AS 1375
SFO-SEA
MVPG 75K
T Fare
T-?? (Was traveling internationally and never got an email. Saw UG when I checked in)
AS 1375
SFO-SEA
MVPG 75K
T Fare
T-?? (Was traveling internationally and never got an email. Saw UG when I checked in)
Mar 27, 2019, 3:12 pm
#159
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: AS 100K, Marriott Titanium, Delta Gold, United Silver
Posts: 250
3/27/19 AS 771 DCA to PDX
G75; Didn’t clear; 3/17 on the waitlist
I suspect between Spring Breaks and the Cherry Blossom Festival, that upgrades are going to be challenging on this route for the next month or so
G75; Didn’t clear; 3/17 on the waitlist
I suspect between Spring Breaks and the Cherry Blossom Festival, that upgrades are going to be challenging on this route for the next month or so
Mar 29, 2019, 9:40 pm
#160
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 981
Did end up getting the exit row 11E, which was amazing economy seat. My boarding pass indicated "First Class", but seat 11E. Status also indicated "upgraded to first class" During the flight, the flight attendant came to my seat and inquired after checking her inflight app, "you had reserved a top sirloin?.... How did you do this?" She obviously didn't have top sirloin for me in economy, and wondered why her screen indicated the first class meal choice I had reserved.
I was disappointed but I was prepared for the outcome. I didn't complain. Alaska overall treats me well and this aircraft swap is something I came to expect. Flight was good with very cheerful flight attendants. All good.
Jiburi
PS- In my life of flying, I can recall two past instances where my flight upgrade was rescinded. One was on Delta, flying BWI to MSP. It was due to inop F seat. Second was on Northwest Airlines due to DC10-40 to DC10-30 Swap. DC10-30 had less business class seats.
I was disappointed but I was prepared for the outcome. I didn't complain. Alaska overall treats me well and this aircraft swap is something I came to expect. Flight was good with very cheerful flight attendants. All good.
Jiburi
PS- In my life of flying, I can recall two past instances where my flight upgrade was rescinded. One was on Delta, flying BWI to MSP. It was due to inop F seat. Second was on Northwest Airlines due to DC10-40 to DC10-30 Swap. DC10-30 had less business class seats.
Mar 30, 2019, 5:50 am
#161
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: SEA
Programs: Alaska Airlines MVP Gold
Posts: 301
I had a companion on a GGU downgraded due to equipment sawp on the day of departure, and the FAs ended up serving the pre-selected F meal anyways.
Mar 31, 2019, 3:01 am
#162
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: AS 100K, HH Diamond, SPG/Marriott Gold
Posts: 189
3/31/19
AS 328
SEA-SJC
MVPG 75K
G Fare
T-42
AS 328
SEA-SJC
MVPG 75K
G Fare
T-42
Mar 31, 2019, 3:04 am
#163
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: AS 100K, HH Diamond, SPG/Marriott Gold
Posts: 189
Apr 2, 2019, 10:11 pm
#164
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: USA
Programs: AS MVPG75k
Posts: 330
4/3/19
SFO-IAD
Gold 75K
T Fare
Ticketed 3/2/19
battlefield upgrade
This was my first battlefield upgrade of 2019. Original upgrade came at T-12. Was downgraded at gate when GA noticed F seat was broken and labeled "permanently broken. will not be repaired." GA apologized, saying, unfortunately, to expect this because Alaska has stopped making more complicated repairs to VX seats. He said 10% of VX flights have broken seats and that percentage will keep going up (until retrofit) because AS isn't spending the $$$ to repair. Considering the reports in the airbus retrofit thread of cabin refurbishments taking much longer than planned, this is concerning.
SFO-IAD
Gold 75K
T Fare
Ticketed 3/2/19
battlefield upgrade
This was my first battlefield upgrade of 2019. Original upgrade came at T-12. Was downgraded at gate when GA noticed F seat was broken and labeled "permanently broken. will not be repaired." GA apologized, saying, unfortunately, to expect this because Alaska has stopped making more complicated repairs to VX seats. He said 10% of VX flights have broken seats and that percentage will keep going up (until retrofit) because AS isn't spending the $$$ to repair. Considering the reports in the airbus retrofit thread of cabin refurbishments taking much longer than planned, this is concerning.
Apr 3, 2019, 4:57 pm
#165
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: AS 100K, HH Diamond, SPG/Marriott Gold
Posts: 189
4/7/19
AS 3350
BUR-SJC
MVPG 75K
V Fare
T-80
AS 3350
BUR-SJC
MVPG 75K
V Fare
T-80