riteshraja

With 2 seats open in first I was second on the list for STL-SNA yesterday. When I got to the gate the agent said that he had just given away the last 2 seats. I was at the gate while they were boarding group 3. So the q is does arriving at the gate early needed if you are waiting for a sticker upgrade?

BTW I got into first anyway since a gentleman in first exchanged seats with me because he wanted to sit next to his girlfriend.

vasantn

I'm confused. Did the gate monitor say you were second on the list? How do you know there were two seats open at the time? What does "given away" mean? Were you late or were you just "not early?"

There are two or three very comprehensive threads dealing with the best ways of optimizing your upgrade prospects. I suggest you read them thoroughly. They will tell you everything you need to know.

shanj33

Checking in 24 hours before your flight is the key if you don't get the upgrade prior to the flight being released to the airport for upgrades. Once the flight is turned over to the airport agents for upgrades, the key is check in time. So use the online check in that's the key.....

bdemaria

Yes, OLCI time is important, but it doesn't apply here b/c OP was #2 on the list.

If I understand the OP correctly:

2 seats available in F (this is not based on the seat map I hope)
OP #2 on the list
OP doesn't initially get the seat

Question: Why not?

Ultimately it is hard to say, while there is a policy, a variety of threads report that sometimes gate agents do not follow it. Its possible that the GA called OPs name before OP was at the gate, OP didn't answer and GA simply went to the next person in line. Greater likelihood: OP was passed over from an irregular ops person.

riteshraja

Well I checked in 24 hours before. I know there were 2 seats and I was second because the agent at the Admirals club told me. Seems like the gate agents gave the seat to whoever was at the gate?

vasantn

Something doesn't compute here. If there were unsold seats they would have been allocated to upgrades already. The AC agent must have been referring to people who had not yet checked in, or less likely, people who had checked in (probably remotely) who had not yet claimed their seats (i.e., boarded).

Nonetheless (and I'm guessing here because you really haven't provided sufficient detail), if you were not at the gate at least 10 minutes before boarding completion, your seat was probably given to the next person on the list, since that is approximately when unclaimed seats are put up for grabs. There is also the possibility, pointed out by bdemaria, that you were trumped by an inconvenienced pax.

bdemaria

Ah, so you didn't see your name as #2 on the board at the gate (even this can be misleading). You were most likely trumped by an EXP who checked in at the gate. You could buy your ticket 330 days out, request the upgrade at that time and check in at 24 hours, but an EXP will bump you further down the list.

riteshraja

No I didnt see my name on the screen at the gate. I am just basing all this on what they told me at the Admirals club. I got to the gate 20 minutes before departure but for some reason they were already on group 3!

So given that they only give this away 10 minutes prior to departure no reason to get to the gate early for sticker upgrades right?

The reason for all this is since I have the club membership why stand around with the hoard of people waiting to get on board unless there is good reason

skywalkerLAX

Looking over my last BP I dont see a flight where boarding time is 20 minutes prior to departure.

And who says the upgrades are given away 10 minutes before departure? At this time the doors should be closed and the plane should already be off-blocks

OLCI helps to push your chances against other PLT members on the upgrade list (as long as it works, last tuesday I got a permanent error with OLCI and webservices couldnt help).

What is it with the inconvenienced pax 2 weeks ago in ORD the AC lady said she could put me on the standby list for a flight (after many hours delay and irrops of my incoming flight) but I wouldnt get First since there were people on the upgrade list. I asked why they process upgrades if I have a fix ticket and want to get out for what I paid for... only thing she said is if a passenger is booked on a flight his upgrade request has priority before someone just trying to get on, even distressed pax

mvoight

Why would they only give them away 10 minutes before departure?
They can give them away if they know seats are available.
Most of my airport upgrades have come before boarding has begun.

bdemaria

There's a thread somewhere (I can't seem to find it now) that lists priority for available F seats. If there is one F seat on Flight 123, then distressed paying F pax should receive it before booked Y pax who is first on the upgrade list.

C17PSGR

I had this happen once - I think at LGA. I left the AC a little later than normal and got to the gate when they were in the middle of boarding. The GA told me, I called your name, you weren't here, so I went next onto the list. I still had my exit row so it wasn't a big deal.

I do think the GA's look and see sometimes if you checked in at the airport or OLCI. OLCI always gives you better priority but when you check in at the airport, they know you're around somewhere. For example, one time while they were looking at standby's I remember one GA asking the other, did he check in online or here? The other GA said he checked in here so I must be around somewhere.

I think the moral to the story is don't go to the gate at the last minute unless you've already got your upgrade.

Peatisback

If I'm waiting to see if an upgrade clears, I'll ask the AC agent to call the gate to let the GA agent know I'm in the AC and to hold my BP if the upgrade clears. Even better is when an AC agent will process the upgrade for me in the club..

cynicAAl

boarding for domestic flights starts 30 minutes before flight time (sometimes even earlier if the plane is ready), so it is perfectly normal that you arrived 10 minutes after boarding started and they were on group 3. They frequently start clearing the upgrade list prior to boarding, so if you're still waiting for the upgrade, I'd suggest being at the gate before boarding starts.