Upgraded to First Class and Removed at Gate
Jan 27, 2022, 4:23 pm
#46
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: Southwest A-List; Alaska MVPG; Hilton Diamond; Avis PreferredPlus; Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite
Posts: 920
My only issue with the situation, was that I didn’t receive a notification that my seat was changed out of first class until I boarded the plane. The plane change type was made 6 hours prior to departure, and my printed boarding pass an hour before departure still
showed first class. If I had known that I was no longer getting a meal from first class, and that my pre-ordered food from coach had also been cancelled for the 5.5 hour flight, it would have been nice to know earlier so that I could have gone to the Alaska Lounge prior to departure to eat breakfast or grabbed some food from the terminal to go (especially since I have to take food with some of the medications I need to take).
I don’t expect to get first class when I purchase a ticket, and I am certainly fine with buying premium and staying in that section, but it is certainly a nice perk/benefit when traveling 100k plus miles a year with an airline.
showed first class. If I had known that I was no longer getting a meal from first class, and that my pre-ordered food from coach had also been cancelled for the 5.5 hour flight, it would have been nice to know earlier so that I could have gone to the Alaska Lounge prior to departure to eat breakfast or grabbed some food from the terminal to go (especially since I have to take food with some of the medications I need to take).
I don’t expect to get first class when I purchase a ticket, and I am certainly fine with buying premium and staying in that section, but it is certainly a nice perk/benefit when traveling 100k plus miles a year with an airline.
That was our planned meal for the day, and it would have been a long flight without it. (Lesson learned: bring backup snacks… but that’s not the point of this post.) Fortunately, there was a leftover meal/snack (that someone decided they didn’t want), so we had something.
In the process, I wrote to Alaska Listens… not looking for compensation, but because I thought the data point about the checkin glitch might be useful. (We spent an absurd amount of time at the checkin counter getting the bags on the reservation).
Alaska responded with two discount codes, either for $25 or $50, I don’t remember now.
As others have said, you did get what you paid for… as did I. That doesn’t mean that Alaska doesn’t perceive it as worthy of a customer relations gesture. I’d detail your story and send an email (if you haven’t already).
Jan 27, 2022, 8:40 pm
#47
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: East Coast US
Programs: Hyatt: Diamond. Marriott: Platinum. AA: EXP 1MM. Delta: Silver. Etihad: Silver. Emirates Silver
Posts: 387
This is an unwelcome turn of events and understandably much to the chagrin of the OP. But, this does happen, though rarely. The thing is that the airlines run their operations of computer programs and there is no input in the various datapoints and information they crunch to attribute a value to a disgruntled passenger where the airline may or may not be at fault. The least I would imagine they could say is apart from a verbal apology is give an upgrade certificate for a future flight or miles, something to assuage the disappointment that was just experienced. Gate agents and supervisors no longer have the kind of decision making power they once had a generation or more ago where they had a lot of latitude to fix issues and compensate passengers for these kinds of aggrievements. So, you end with a "too bad" situation and a shrug.
I was on a flight booked in Y from DEL-FRA on LH many years ago. At check-in I was upgraded to Business as they said they were oversold in Y. I was happy, 9 hour flight in the comfort of J was a delight that I could barely contain. Boarded flight, settled into the aisle J seat, was offered PDB of Champagne which I took and felt content at the wonderful stroke of luck to have befallen me. Boarding was almost complete and all J class seats were now occupied, I greeted my seatmate and started conversation with them. All was good.
Then, a lady stands next to me and says that my seat is hers, she has a BP and it has the same seat number as mine. I am confused. Must be some mistake for sure I think. FA is called, she goes and gets the gate agent who then drops the bomb and says sorry this lady at the last minute showed-up and this was originally her seat so you have to go back to Y. I was flabbergasted and tried to protest but it was embarrassing and I did not want to argue so started packing my stuff up and getting my bag. I get myself together thoroughly deflated, I pick up the Champagne glass to take with me to Y and drown my woes and turn around and FA reaches out and takes it away from my hand. Well, so much for that. Anyway, I follow the GA in the walk of shame to the very depths of Y and my seat has been given away which was a nice exit row window. Instead, I am given a middle seat, I howl but this is the last seat on the plane (744), What to do. I settle in and the aircraft pushed back. Guy sitting next to me is chatty, and informs me that there was another passenger who was sitting in my current seat, said some other GA came and got him and said he had been upgraded to J, and I was given his seat instead. Yeah, really did suck. But could nothing but lick my wounds and ego and have some cheap wine to try and induce sleep to forget about it.
I was on a flight booked in Y from DEL-FRA on LH many years ago. At check-in I was upgraded to Business as they said they were oversold in Y. I was happy, 9 hour flight in the comfort of J was a delight that I could barely contain. Boarded flight, settled into the aisle J seat, was offered PDB of Champagne which I took and felt content at the wonderful stroke of luck to have befallen me. Boarding was almost complete and all J class seats were now occupied, I greeted my seatmate and started conversation with them. All was good.
Then, a lady stands next to me and says that my seat is hers, she has a BP and it has the same seat number as mine. I am confused. Must be some mistake for sure I think. FA is called, she goes and gets the gate agent who then drops the bomb and says sorry this lady at the last minute showed-up and this was originally her seat so you have to go back to Y. I was flabbergasted and tried to protest but it was embarrassing and I did not want to argue so started packing my stuff up and getting my bag. I get myself together thoroughly deflated, I pick up the Champagne glass to take with me to Y and drown my woes and turn around and FA reaches out and takes it away from my hand. Well, so much for that. Anyway, I follow the GA in the walk of shame to the very depths of Y and my seat has been given away which was a nice exit row window. Instead, I am given a middle seat, I howl but this is the last seat on the plane (744), What to do. I settle in and the aircraft pushed back. Guy sitting next to me is chatty, and informs me that there was another passenger who was sitting in my current seat, said some other GA came and got him and said he had been upgraded to J, and I was given his seat instead. Yeah, really did suck. But could nothing but lick my wounds and ego and have some cheap wine to try and induce sleep to forget about it.
Mar 13, 2024, 12:06 am
#49
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: FAT
Programs: AA LT GLD, AS 75K, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 181
This happened to me recently as a 75K on SAN-FAT.
Upgrade cleared at T-36, checked in for both segments as planned, and then 30 minutes before departure and 5 minutes before boarding, I received a notification on the app that I had been returned to economy. I asked the agent if that was correct and she claimed that first class was oversold because Fresno was really “popular.” Not that it would have mattered, but I wasn’t even returned to the upgrade list. My originally selected seat was also no longer available, but I was still given a comparable premium seat. As this was only a 1 hour flight on an E75, I didn’t really miss much besides a bag of popcorn although the fact that the last two passengers who boarded were in 1C (my seat) and 1D gives me pause and makes me wonder if there were shenanigans going on.
Upgrade cleared at T-36, checked in for both segments as planned, and then 30 minutes before departure and 5 minutes before boarding, I received a notification on the app that I had been returned to economy. I asked the agent if that was correct and she claimed that first class was oversold because Fresno was really “popular.” Not that it would have mattered, but I wasn’t even returned to the upgrade list. My originally selected seat was also no longer available, but I was still given a comparable premium seat. As this was only a 1 hour flight on an E75, I didn’t really miss much besides a bag of popcorn although the fact that the last two passengers who boarded were in 1C (my seat) and 1D gives me pause and makes me wonder if there were shenanigans going on.
Mar 13, 2024, 3:46 am
#50
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: New York
Posts: 7,348
This happened to me recently as a 75K on SAN-FAT.
Upgrade cleared at T-36, checked in for both segments as planned, and then 30 minutes before departure and 5 minutes before boarding, I received a notification on the app that I had been returned to economy. I asked the agent if that was correct and she claimed that first class was oversold because Fresno was really “popular.” Not that it would have mattered, but I wasn’t even returned to the upgrade list. My originally selected seat was also no longer available, but I was still given a comparable premium seat. As this was only a 1 hour flight on an E75, I didn’t really miss much besides a bag of popcorn although the fact that the last two passengers who boarded were in 1C (my seat) and 1D gives me pause and makes me wonder if there were shenanigans going on.
Upgrade cleared at T-36, checked in for both segments as planned, and then 30 minutes before departure and 5 minutes before boarding, I received a notification on the app that I had been returned to economy. I asked the agent if that was correct and she claimed that first class was oversold because Fresno was really “popular.” Not that it would have mattered, but I wasn’t even returned to the upgrade list. My originally selected seat was also no longer available, but I was still given a comparable premium seat. As this was only a 1 hour flight on an E75, I didn’t really miss much besides a bag of popcorn although the fact that the last two passengers who boarded were in 1C (my seat) and 1D gives me pause and makes me wonder if there were shenanigans going on.
Carfield
Mar 14, 2024, 11:17 am
#51
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: FAT
Programs: AA LT GLD, AS 75K, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 181
Mar 14, 2024, 8:30 pm
#52
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: PDX
Programs: AS 75K, BW Plat, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 10,725
This happened to me recently as a 75K on SAN-FAT.
Upgrade cleared at T-36, checked in for both segments as planned, and then 30 minutes before departure and 5 minutes before boarding, I received a notification on the app that I had been returned to economy. I asked the agent if that was correct and she claimed that first class was oversold because Fresno was really “popular.” Not that it would have mattered, but I wasn’t even returned to the upgrade list. My originally selected seat was also no longer available, but I was still given a comparable premium seat. As this was only a 1 hour flight on an E75, I didn’t really miss much besides a bag of popcorn although the fact that the last two passengers who boarded were in 1C (my seat) and 1D gives me pause and makes me wonder if there were shenanigans going on.
Upgrade cleared at T-36, checked in for both segments as planned, and then 30 minutes before departure and 5 minutes before boarding, I received a notification on the app that I had been returned to economy. I asked the agent if that was correct and she claimed that first class was oversold because Fresno was really “popular.” Not that it would have mattered, but I wasn’t even returned to the upgrade list. My originally selected seat was also no longer available, but I was still given a comparable premium seat. As this was only a 1 hour flight on an E75, I didn’t really miss much besides a bag of popcorn although the fact that the last two passengers who boarded were in 1C (my seat) and 1D gives me pause and makes me wonder if there were shenanigans going on.