oneworld_wanderer

That's really good value, given the current price...

Nno hope of improving the current price surge situation.

vanillabean

Much has been said about upper elite levels being inflated due to Alaska making it easy last year for this year. It’s my experience though that the waitlists get really flooded at T-48.

QT31415

Something screwy going on. So I just got upgraded, T-20, skipping the 5 in front of me who are still on the upgrade list. What is up with that?

vanillabean

Multi-passenger reservations?

Flying for Fun

There certainly appears to be ongoing issues with the upgrade processor from observations over my last 9 flights.

I just finished a 6 segment itinerary with a Companion using a Companion Certificate & 2 GGUs each to upgrade 4 segments at purchase. On one GGU segment, we showed up on the awaiting seats list in #1 & #2 position with our F seat assignments.

We were also #1 & #2 on the waitlist for EWR-SEA. 8F available at T-120, 4 available at OLCI, then it was 3, A name briefly popped into #1 position, disappeared and now down to 2F, then 1F then 0F. The names and position on the waitlist never changed.

James

GumboCook

I didn't know this was such a popular flight.
54 people on upgrade list right now.

QT31415

I hope someone can explain the process. There were three empty seats in F. #5,6 and 9 got upgraded. They all appear to be singles. But if there are three seats available, why wouldn't #1-2 get upgraded, then the next single? NOT complaining, but I want to understand the waitlist (lol). Otherwise what's the use of a waitlist?

I don't want to turn this into a waitlist discussion, but when I called AS with this question, the agent pulled up the lists of MVP, gold, and 75. There was no 100k list, and my name didn't show up on any Frequent flier list at all. She transferred me to customer care, who looked at the upgrade list and confirmed that the passengers before me were all 100k. ????

vanillabean

There’s your answer. Right there. The Alaska system prioritizes singles over the rest of us. It doesn’t matter if #1 is 100K or #2 is 75K; if #54 is an MVP and the top single on the waitlist, that individual will get the upgrade.

I sent feedback to Alaska Customer Care after my recent SFO-HNL to clarify this issue. I also sent feedback to Alaska Customer Care after my recent HNL-SFO for the same reason.

Alaska may well brush me off by saying the procedure is automated and nothing can be done about it. That won’t be good enough this time.

Flying for Fun

Remember though that once the flight goes to gate control the buckets are irrelevant; there are just unoccupied F seats the GA will fill. I always tell the gate agent we are willing to split if only one opens up.

I am watching the awaiting seats list a little more closely. Last night, I purchased a SEA-PHX ticket for an early morning flight for today. Once ticketed, I did a SDC during OLCI to an afternoon flight (2× price). Interestingly, the seat map showed no availability in Main & 4 unassigned F seats.

After OLCI, I don't have an assigned seat & there are none to choose from. The waitlist is 38 long and I am not on it. I am on the awaiting seats list in #8 position of 12. #1 & #2 have seat assignments, #3 & #4 appear to be on the same PNR as does #5 & #6, a solo in #7 & me in #8. It is going to be interesting to see how this plays out.

James

leroix

3/9 PHX-PDX … 1st on upgrade list. 4 seats in F empty until minutes before door closure, 4 passengers walk in at door closing into those 4 seats and standby list shows 4 pax assigned to F. Maybe there’s a reason but the optics aren’t great.

vanillabean

I have little experience being on the awaiting seats list, and it surprised me when I recently was on it, because we had seats in Premium, but apparently on the awaiting seats list because we weren’t upgraded to F when some others were, although later.

As for potentially being upgraded at the gate, that goes way back in time for me; I was probably new to being an elite. But right this minute, I’m sitting next to someone who appears to have gotten upgraded at the gate, I think it was the one with a documented medical condition, not from the upgrade list anyway.

Flying for Fun

UPDATE: I was assigned 8A Premium Class & #9 was assigned a seat in the 30s. Subsequently, the awaiting seats list grew to 20 & 18 were assigned Main/Saver seats. I was the only one with a Premium Class assignment. Although checked in, my boarding pass said seat woukd be assigned at the gate.

About 1 hour before boarding, EF indicated 2 open F seats, 3A & 4A. At boarding, 4A had been assigned leaving 3A. At the gate, I requested a boarding pass and one was issued for 8A. Knowing there was still one open F seat, I inquired about where I was on the upgrade list. He looked, advised I was "next," then printed a boarding pass for 3A.

In the awaiting seats list, I jumped to the first position and it showed 3A assigned. I was never on the upgrade waitlist which grew to 39 & never changed.

My last minute ticket purchase in Fare Class Q would, of course, knock out all lower fare class 100Ks that hadn't already been upgraded. The whole process seems cumbersome and translucent at best. Where is the transparency?

James

vanillabean

I’ll bring my legal team next time!

joachimm

Sometimes it does feel like the waitlist is "arbitrary and capricious"

Flying for Fun

I should also note that my boarding pass in the APP never updated & still showed me waitlisted for First Class. I suppose that is appropriate since I was never on the upgrade waitlist anyway. Well, at least, not the customer facing one.

James