Empty Seats in F?
May 27, 2019, 2:31 pm
#361
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
James
May 27, 2019, 6:26 pm
#362
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Seattle
Programs: AS MVP100K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Gold
Posts: 3,215
so I ended up getting the seat.
Jul 13, 2019, 6:01 pm
#363
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: San Diego, Ca
Programs: AA 2MM LT PLT; AS MVP Gold75k; HHonors Diamond; IHG PLT
Posts: 3,502
KOA-SAN with Empty Seats in F
I fly between SAN-KOA several times per year, SAN-OGG, HNL less frequently. Historically, I would use GGUs, mileage or paid F upgrades to guarantee a seat up front for the afternoon / evening return. I would occasionally be annoyed when the local staff would fill F (and Y+) with friends/family, particularly when they do not understand the etiquette (was once bullied to change my seat). Wife and I recently made the trip, received upgrades T-36 on saver awards, we came home separately, upgraded with either mileage of GGUs. On all three flights, there were empty seats in F (I did not check Y+), despite being a full load in the back, no apparent efforts by the gate staff to fill them (offering paid upgrades, etc). Difficult to say if this is due to the fact that AS increased service from 3x weekly to daily for the summer, on a leisure-heavy route. I am flying HNL-SAN at the end of the month, on a Saturday, half of the 16 F seats are currently open, I am debating if it will be worth burning my last GGU, or wait for the last-minute free upgrade.
Jul 14, 2019, 8:33 pm
#365
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend, Moderator, Information Desk, Ambassador, Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: FAI
Programs: AS MVP Gold100K, AS 1MM, Maika`i Card, AGR, HH Gold, Hertz PC, Marriott Titanium LTG, CO, 7H, BA, 8E
Posts: 42,953
Jul 16, 2019, 3:02 pm
#366
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: San Diego, Ca
Programs: AA 2MM LT PLT; AS MVP Gold75k; HHonors Diamond; IHG PLT
Posts: 3,502
Jul 16, 2019, 3:13 pm
#367
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: AS 100k, DL PM, New Sagaya
Posts: 1,291
@diver858, its a tough call. I do the PDX-HNL run a fair bit. For any AS flight over 5 hours, I tend to want to use the GGU and secure my preferred seat, like @beckoa. That said, if you are seeing U space open two weeks out (and assuming the upgrader is working) that means no one is currently on an instant upgradeable fare. So then its just the guess of how many non-instant elites are ahead of you (plus any last minute elite bookings, though on leisure routes I worry less about this.) Sometimes I will try to look at the PC seats/exit rows to guess at elite bookings. But thats crude math. I have to admit I tend to use the GGU when they are possible and on longer hauls just because U space is so fickle at times, I want to take it when I can get it.
Jul 17, 2019, 6:20 pm
#368
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: STL/ORD/MCI/SAN
Programs: AA CK MM, AC SE100K, BA Gold, UA 1K, DL Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,989
Sometimes, when a flight in Y is pricing at something like $700-800, F at >$1000, and a MileSAAver award is available for 12,500 miles or 8,750 with reduced mileage awards (equivalent of 'W' class on AS)... and you subsequently get a comp EXP upgrade out of it also, it's a pretty nice feature of the elite program.
In fact, the ability to get comp upgrades on Y award tickets is definitely one of the few remaining elite benefits left at AA or AS that I actually care about these days.
Jul 21, 2019, 10:20 am
#370
Join Date: May 2013
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVP Gold 100K
Posts: 2,030
7/20 SEA-SFO went out with two (of eight) empty F seats with eight people on the upgrade list. No attempt to upgrade anyone or to sell the seats.
We departed out of a bus gate so that adds a lot of confusion.
We departed out of a bus gate so that adds a lot of confusion.
Jul 21, 2019, 10:40 am
#371
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K
Posts: 21,371
I got the upgrade email at T-2 hrs; 1D was the only available seat ... the GA did a double-take as he came through the F cabin and saw me in 2A; we had a bit of a laugh as I explained (pointing to 1D) that I hadn’t actually self-upgraded
Last edited by jrl767; Jul 21, 2019 at 11:23 am Reason: left out the key part of the story
Jul 21, 2019, 10:49 am
#372
Join Date: May 2013
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVP Gold 100K
Posts: 2,030
I was behind you in 2F until you moved to the window. Too bad they didn’t upgrade two people to replace the two no shows.
Jul 21, 2019, 6:46 pm
#374
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K
Posts: 21,371
Jul 21, 2019, 7:45 pm
#375
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SEA, SFO, formerly ANC
Programs: AS 1MM/MVPG, AS Lounge, DL SkyClub (Life), Hertz 5* -- AA, DL, UA
Posts: 124