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First goes out with empty seat, multiple people on upgrade list.

First goes out with empty seat, multiple people on upgrade list.

 
Old Feb 18, 2011, 4:53 am
  #31  
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Originally Posted by newgrad071
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...
I saw it about a month ago on a flight from DFW. I was in 4E and noticed that after the door closed, 4A was empty. However, I clearly recall there were several people on the list (at least two screens-full). I chalked it up to a broken seat but the guy in 4B got up and moved to 4A and the FA didn't say thing to him to indicate that there was something wrong with the 4A and he could not sit there.

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.
AGuyAndADogInDFW is offline  
Old Feb 18, 2011, 10:00 am
  #32  
 
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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...
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Old Feb 18, 2011, 10:46 am
  #33  
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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!
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Old Feb 18, 2011, 10:54 am
  #34  
 
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Originally Posted by newgrad071
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!
I think I'd respond with:

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!
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Old Feb 18, 2011, 11:07 am
  #35  
 
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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.
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Old Feb 18, 2011, 12:44 pm
  #36  
 
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Originally Posted by thedoorchick
I've never seen it either, but with all due respect, that doesn't mean it has never happened. I'm sure it's extremely rare, but certainly believable to have occurred from time to time.
Your certainty turned out to be true. Can you read me the lottery numbers for tonight? Thanks
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Old Feb 18, 2011, 1:39 pm
  #37  
 
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Originally Posted by newgrad071
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...

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.
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Old Feb 18, 2011, 2:24 pm
  #38  
 
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Originally Posted by AAFA
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.
A significant reason why first goes out partly empty is when GAs are under pressure to get the flight out. On a fairly recent SFO-JFK 762 redeye, the 762 was subbed with a 75L mid-day, but they got the 762 fixed and it was back by about 2 hours prior to the flight.

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.
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