Alaska sold upgrades flight before clearing waitlist
Aug 28, 2019, 1:13 am
#31
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: 0°48′24″N 176°36′59″W
Programs: Taiwan is a country.
Posts: 1,206
That customer is more valuable. They are willing to pay for F
Aug 28, 2019, 12:30 pm
#32
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: Alaska Airlines
Posts: 659
Yes, walk up customers would be more valuable if they're willing to pay $250 on top of their purchased airfare to upgrade - but most won't. Especially not for short flights.
Airlines would not offer complimentary upgrades to elites unless they thought on the grand scale that it was more profitable to sell every F seat for cash at the gate. Plain and simple economics.
Airlines would not offer complimentary upgrades to elites unless they thought on the grand scale that it was more profitable to sell every F seat for cash at the gate. Plain and simple economics.
Aug 28, 2019, 12:44 pm
#33
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
Where, in the OP's example scenario, is someone able to buy an upgrade before the gate is staffed? Are people prompted during OLCI? I have never seen it and if I did see it, I sure would raise a question about it.
I don't know if this still is the case but many years ago on UA, elites were in an uproar because OLCI was offering cheap ($99) upgrades to people and it was specifically excluding elites from the offers with the assumption that they were already on the "complimentary" list so they wouldn't want to pay!
I don't know if this still is the case but many years ago on UA, elites were in an uproar because OLCI was offering cheap ($99) upgrades to people and it was specifically excluding elites from the offers with the assumption that they were already on the "complimentary" list so they wouldn't want to pay!
Aug 28, 2019, 12:54 pm
#34
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 169
Sigh ... I’d just appreciate clear rules of the game. AS can do whatever it wants with upgrades as far as I’m concerned, but I’d appreciate honesty and integrity of the process so I can make rational decisions about future reservations. It sounds from some of these posts that integrity of the process has gone away, which is sad, and a poor reflection on the current AS executive team.
Aug 28, 2019, 9:55 pm
#35
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Seattle WA
Programs: AS 100K, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 1,828
Yes, there are prompts during OLCI. Sometimes elites are charged too (reports here are that one can get it refunded after the fact if you contact CS) -- other times it is free for elites. Either way, anyone can jump the list.