First goes out with empty seat, multiple people on upgrade list.
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2006
Programs: AA EXP, MR PLT
Posts: 12,848
How often have people seen first go out with an empty seat despite multiple people on the upgrade list? Flew on AA3748 from ORD-MSP yesterday and despite multiple people on the upgrade list, 7 or 8 if I recall correctly, we departed with an empty seat in first class.
Seat map showed one seat open, asked GA who claimed 'first had boarded full'. Even so I waited until the all groups/all rows announcement and then boarded. I sat near the front of Y and could clearly see an open seat in the first row. More than a little annoying...
Seat map showed one seat open, asked GA who claimed 'first had boarded full'. Even so I waited until the all groups/all rows announcement and then boarded. I sat near the front of Y and could clearly see an open seat in the first row. More than a little annoying...
I wrote AA and told them about it. Granted, my upgrade had cleared and I could have just left it alone but that could have been me next time who is first on the upgrade list and the flight leaves with one or more empty but working seats in F.
#32
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: EXP, SPP
Posts: 8
Saw this happen last night. Last flight from ORD to DFW #2355. The upgrade list was at 26 when I walked up yet 3E was open and working when the door closed. The never moved anyone up and the guy from moved over from 3A to get the aisle.
Then the APU went out...
Then the APU went out...
#33
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 18
Well after learning my my hypothesis was correct, I submitted a complaint to AA customer service who basically verified what was said here. I should have been upgraded and they were forwarding incident to appropriate people at ORD.
However no compensation . Not thrilled.
Thanks to the FTers who actually looked the flight up!
However no compensation . Not thrilled.
Thanks to the FTers who actually looked the flight up!
#34
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Hotlanta.
Programs: I've gone underground!
Posts: 4,564
Well after learning my my hypothesis was correct, I submitted a complaint to AA customer service who basically verified what was said here. I should have been upgraded and they were forwarding incident to appropriate people at ORD.
However no compensation . Not thrilled.
Thanks to the FTers who actually looked the flight up!
However no compensation . Not thrilled.
Thanks to the FTers who actually looked the flight up!
Thank you for validating the information for me. I feel that I am due compensation of (5k?) miles for the inconvenience of your agents in ORD not following upgrade rules and my inconvenience.
Thanks so much!
#35
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: USA
Programs: AAdvantage, Hawaiian Miles, HHonors
Posts: 1
Looks like there was 1 no-show who was dropped from the flight right before closeout. All Eagle flights must be closed in the system 10 minutes to posted departure time so the weight and balance numbers can be entered and processed. The agent probably didn't want to risk any delay with an onboard upgrade.
#36
Join Date: May 2008
Location: DFW
Programs: AA CK, Marriott LT Ti, Hertz 5*, Avis PC
Posts: 541
Your certainty turned out to be true. Can you read me the lottery numbers for tonight? Thanks
#37
Join Date: Aug 2003
Programs: Bonvoy Amb; AA EXP
Posts: 1,136
Ah great, here I was hoping it was something else. Broken seat, small person, really anything but it looks like it was just laziness.
When people talk about the 'paperwork' required to upgrade someone, really how long does it take to clear someone off the list? Is it really so cumbersome agents don't do it?
Why don't they clear the upgrade list before boarding? Are they really waiting for the mythical walk-up full fare purchase? Just clear the list 15 minutes prior to boarding, say all upgrades have been accommodated, and be accurate about it. It would restore people's faith in the system. If there is a F pax who doesn't board the FAs have the list of upgrades handed to them before the door shuts. I don't see why this is so difficult...
When people talk about the 'paperwork' required to upgrade someone, really how long does it take to clear someone off the list? Is it really so cumbersome agents don't do it?
Why don't they clear the upgrade list before boarding? Are they really waiting for the mythical walk-up full fare purchase? Just clear the list 15 minutes prior to boarding, say all upgrades have been accommodated, and be accurate about it. It would restore people's faith in the system. If there is a F pax who doesn't board the FAs have the list of upgrades handed to them before the door shuts. I don't see why this is so difficult...
I can think of one reason...because I may have the opportunity as an F purchaser on a later flight to make this earlier flight as a standby and replace the #1 person on that upgrade list. As this new flight may have been too tight a connection for an original itinerary, it may be something to be accomplished if my flight arrives early enough.
A more likely reason is that they only want to clear the list one time. If someone is running a little late on a connecting flight and is due an upgrade, the GA surely doesn't want to issue the upgrade to the connecting passenger only to have them not make the flight and have to reissue the upgrade to a new passenger (who may now be on the plane ;-))). It is simply easier to just wait and process with all of the relevant information.
#38
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: OAK/SFO/SJC
Programs: AA Plat 2MM+, HHonors, Amtrak GuestRewards
Posts: 1,158
I have never seen an agent not process an upgrade if someone was supposed to get one and if a seat was not broken. I have experienced a zillion people who get on and tell me 20 times they are next on the list and where they are sitting, as though the upgrade list and seating chart are a mysterious secret. Those are usually the people who are 20th on the list.
That flight went out with 3 pax in first (2 AA employees and 1 apparent paid pax) and at least 1/3 of the business cabin empty. There were many (maybe 20-30--a couple screens) of upgrade requests, but the GAs didn't process any--it seemed they were too busy redoing all the seat assignments to accommodate the switch back to a 762.