Lost My Upgrade and Confirmed Seat 25' prior to delayed departure
Mar 6, 2015, 9:45 pm
#16
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SFO, SJC
Programs: AA - EXP 2MM+, Marriott PLT, UA, National Exec
Posts: 495
Had a somewhat similar experience. On a recent DFW-JFK flight I checked in about 20hrs before my flight. At an airport kiosk.
The next day, about 3hrs before the flight I checked the upgrade list on my phone and as EXP was first.
About 60mins out, I dropped the rental car and on the shuttle I was happy to see my upgrade had cleared and I was assigned the last seat available in F.
I used my phone to go through TSA and 35mins before departure I go to the gate to get a paper copy of my new boarding pass and I'm giving a seat in coach. Saying an "EXP showed up."
Obviously I complained but the agent didn't care.
Why confirm an upgrade and then take it back 30mins before departure? The person was not an Air Marshall and once on the plane I checked the upgrade list and I was magically 2nd.
Is there any official policy on this? Can/should I complain?
The next day, about 3hrs before the flight I checked the upgrade list on my phone and as EXP was first.
About 60mins out, I dropped the rental car and on the shuttle I was happy to see my upgrade had cleared and I was assigned the last seat available in F.
I used my phone to go through TSA and 35mins before departure I go to the gate to get a paper copy of my new boarding pass and I'm giving a seat in coach. Saying an "EXP showed up."
Obviously I complained but the agent didn't care.
Why confirm an upgrade and then take it back 30mins before departure? The person was not an Air Marshall and once on the plane I checked the upgrade list and I was magically 2nd.
Is there any official policy on this? Can/should I complain?
Go ahead and write AA CS and complain - you probably have nothing to lose except a little time!
Cheers.
Mar 6, 2015, 10:00 pm
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,233
Seriously, these situations described over the last few days are infuriating. It seems there's no integrity whatsoever to AA's upgrade policies. Not that it's really a new thing, it goes all the way back to, for example, AA never bothering to put in place a policy that requires GAs to clear battlefield upgrades (i.e., passengers who have already boarded in coach). They leave it to the GA discretion, which does little to give passengers any confidence about what will happen.
I haven't been following much of anything about UA/CO since that merger went through and I stopped flying them, but (putting aside TODs) they were pretty serious about upgrades at CO, and they even had a fairly generous predetermined package for ANY passenger who was downgraded.
Mar 6, 2015, 10:34 pm
#18
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP...couple hotels and cars too
Posts: 4,548
Complain, please. I frequently pick up my upgraded boarding pass in the Admiral's Club and show up at the gate after boarding has commenced, just like you did. Never a problem. Something is wrong with the system if the gate agent will not honor a boarding pass that has been properly issued for a seat in business class. When you write AA, ask them how it's possible for an upgraded passenger to be downgraded when you're at the gate in plenty of time. This should not have happened.
Agree. The passenger should not be blamed for AA's issues, be they with a gate agent or technology, once they have a boarding pass in hand.
Agree. The passenger should not be blamed for AA's issues, be they with a gate agent or technology, once they have a boarding pass in hand.
It is utterly absurd for people here to suggest that we need to do something other than what AA tells us is a minimum requirement.
If you have a boarding pass, you should be able to show up at t-20+ and not have to risk loss of your seat.
Period.
Anything else and people are suggesting that no upgrade is ever confirmed and can be changed at any time..... that is nonsense. This GA screwed up and screwed the OP.
Id create one heck of a scene. That GA needs to be told 'you made a mistake; the PALL list will show that you made an error; there will be an investigation, it will be obvious you violated procedures....you have an opportunity to correct this,..... simply the last PAX cleared should be moved.' Then escalate. Call the club, find the manager on duty, etc.
When you write AA stress that the GA made a mistake, knew they made a mistake and refused to address this error- THIS is the part that is inexcuseable.
Mar 6, 2015, 10:45 pm
#19
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Atherton, CA
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP; Owner, Green Bay Packers
Posts: 21,690
Hah!
It is absurd that the IT is so terrible it doesn't indicate to the GA that a pax has been been issued an upgrade and had the BP printed out.
Mar 6, 2015, 11:05 pm
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: SNA
Posts: 18,240
Had a somewhat similar experience. On a recent DFW-JFK flight I checked in about 20hrs before my flight. At an airport kiosk.
The next day, about 3hrs before the flight I checked the upgrade list on my phone and as EXP was first.
About 60mins out, I dropped the rental car and on the shuttle I was happy to see my upgrade had cleared and I was assigned the last seat available in F
The next day, about 3hrs before the flight I checked the upgrade list on my phone and as EXP was first.
About 60mins out, I dropped the rental car and on the shuttle I was happy to see my upgrade had cleared and I was assigned the last seat available in F
Mar 6, 2015, 11:16 pm
#21
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP, Virgin Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 204
This whole idea is insane to me. It's 2015, an era of mobile boarding passes that update automatically - why would manual human contact be required to "accept" this upgrade? It sounds like this is policy (though I've noticed some GAs are happy to ignore it) but how is it ok?
Mar 6, 2015, 11:54 pm
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,422
Mar 7, 2015, 12:05 am
#23
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,409
Agree 100%.
It is utterly absurd for people here to suggest that we need to do something other than what AA tells us is a minimum requirement.
If you have a boarding pass, you should be able to show up at t-20+ and not have to risk loss of your seat.
Period.
Anything else and people are suggesting that no upgrade is ever confirmed and can be changed at any time..... that is nonsense. This GA screwed up and screwed the OP.
Id create one heck of a scene. That GA needs to be told 'you made a mistake; the PALL list will show that you made an error; there will be an investigation, it will be obvious you violated procedures....you have an opportunity to correct this,..... simply the last PAX cleared should be moved.' Then escalate. Call the club, find the manager on duty, etc.
When you write AA stress that the GA made a mistake, knew they made a mistake and refused to address this error- THIS is the part that is inexcuseable.
It is utterly absurd for people here to suggest that we need to do something other than what AA tells us is a minimum requirement.
If you have a boarding pass, you should be able to show up at t-20+ and not have to risk loss of your seat.
Period.
Anything else and people are suggesting that no upgrade is ever confirmed and can be changed at any time..... that is nonsense. This GA screwed up and screwed the OP.
Id create one heck of a scene. That GA needs to be told 'you made a mistake; the PALL list will show that you made an error; there will be an investigation, it will be obvious you violated procedures....you have an opportunity to correct this,..... simply the last PAX cleared should be moved.' Then escalate. Call the club, find the manager on duty, etc.
When you write AA stress that the GA made a mistake, knew they made a mistake and refused to address this error- THIS is the part that is inexcuseable.
Mar 7, 2015, 12:51 am
#24
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Atherton, CA
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP; Owner, Green Bay Packers
Posts: 21,690
Mar 7, 2015, 1:25 am
#25
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: PHL / NYC / PSA-BLQ
Programs: AA PPRO, Marriott/Hilton Gold, AMX-Plat, Global Entry
Posts: 3,109
Does anyone really trust the electronic BP''s? I can't tell you the number of times that the app will revert my upgraded BP to my old one. Or, when I get to the gate, the app can't produce the BP at all. Also, it seems from this thread, that even a paper BP isn't worth the paper it is printed on.
I have had a lot of bugs/problems with the electronic BP's and, while I use them, I often get a paper one printed as they are less of a hassle. If I REALLY NEEDED to rely on a electronic, I would screenshot it. That said, if I had received a BP and not had it honored when I was at the gate ontime, I would have blown a gasket.
I have had a lot of bugs/problems with the electronic BP's and, while I use them, I often get a paper one printed as they are less of a hassle. If I REALLY NEEDED to rely on a electronic, I would screenshot it. That said, if I had received a BP and not had it honored when I was at the gate ontime, I would have blown a gasket.
Mar 7, 2015, 2:22 am
#26
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
IME the GA will usually call the AC and ask them to bring out the F BP (somehow the GA has the ability to see if a pax is an AC member). But this is scary stuff. Seems as though you need to be hovering around the gate at T-45.
Mar 7, 2015, 2:34 am
#27
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Monte Sereno, California
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA EXP, 2 mm, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,398
This actaully worked out to my AAdvantage
When I arrived at JFK last Monday my upgrade still had not cleared so I went directly to the gate... Nervous, had that lump in my stomach like when your boss calls you in for an unexpected meeting and he is not smiling.
We started to board 40 minutes before departure time and they announced business class cabin had fully checked in... Oh my, I started to board sweating, heart started to rapidly beat... coach cabin... oh dear
About 20 minutes before departure time I heard in the distance, seat 11C, seat 11C... I jumped up with joy... that's me!!! The gate greeted me with a new boarding pass 10A!!! business cabin!!! Someone failed to show up and I was upgraded
WHEW.... that was a close one....I continue my run of 100% upgrades on the SFO/LAX - JFK trans-con. This week was a nerve racking one for upgrades, several flights have been canceled and these flights have been over sold.
We started to board 40 minutes before departure time and they announced business class cabin had fully checked in... Oh my, I started to board sweating, heart started to rapidly beat... coach cabin... oh dear
About 20 minutes before departure time I heard in the distance, seat 11C, seat 11C... I jumped up with joy... that's me!!! The gate greeted me with a new boarding pass 10A!!! business cabin!!! Someone failed to show up and I was upgraded
WHEW.... that was a close one....I continue my run of 100% upgrades on the SFO/LAX - JFK trans-con. This week was a nerve racking one for upgrades, several flights have been canceled and these flights have been over sold.
Mar 7, 2015, 5:55 am
#28
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: PBI/FLL/MIA
Programs: DL DM/2MM, MR Ambassador, National EE
Posts: 1,614
Mar 7, 2015, 6:43 am
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: jfk area
Programs: AA platinum; 2MM AA, Delta Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,291
At JFK, particularly for the first flt. to LAX, they begin boarding VERY early--sometimes (nearly) the whole plane has been boarded at T-30.
On the screen at the gate, there is a "count down timer" showing when boarding will begin...this seems to be only a "frill".
From OP's post #1, once one arrives at the gate, they have to "get permission from the GA" when they go to the toilet--sort of like students in school do.
On the screen at the gate, there is a "count down timer" showing when boarding will begin...this seems to be only a "frill".
From OP's post #1, once one arrives at the gate, they have to "get permission from the GA" when they go to the toilet--sort of like students in school do.
Last edited by JY1024; Mar 7, 2015 at 10:01 pm Reason: merged consecutive posts
Mar 7, 2015, 7:15 am
#30
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SFO, SJC
Programs: AA - EXP 2MM+, Marriott PLT, UA, National Exec
Posts: 495
You'd think that AA would be able to publish and update the boarding time on the mobile device app in real time to help make this process easier on everyone!!
Cheers.
Cheers.