IvanCU

I was originally booked on flight AA1223 today (DFW to SEA on October 23) and as an EXP received a First Class upgrade confirmation for this flight four days ago.

Upon getting to the airport 1.5 hours before the flight was scheduled to leave, I found out looking at the flight schedule display that the flight was cancelled. There was no e-mail or other notification sent to me regarding the cancellation. After going to the Priority Desk the person there was not aware of the cancellation and said I was "all set", but after I pointed out it was cancelled they got me on a standby list for flight AA1220 that had been delayed and scheduled to leave around the same time as my original flight. Arriving at the gate I went to the gate agent and they gave me a seat, 29F, and I asked if there was anything available in first class. At this time the display at the gate indicated that two people on the upgrade list were getting first class upgrades. The gate agent then looked at my information as they didn't realize I was Executive Platinum. They tried to add me to the upgrade list but said the system wasn't allowing them to do that. So I'm trying to understand how the following occurred, especially considering my Elite Status.

1. No cancellation notification.
2. Priority desk wasn't aware of cancellation and ready to send me to the gate.
3. First class upgrades taking place at gate even though I had already been upgraded on cancelled flight.
4. Gate agen didn't notice EXP status; I had to ask about upgrade. Was unable to put me in system for upgrade.

On a related note, I did look at the seat map this morning and there were six seats available in First Class and numerous open seats available in Economy. So even though they blamed the DFW area weather, I do wonder if they cancel flights that aren't full enough to their liking.

RogerD408

IRROPS often causes things to go sideways.

1. Have you been receiving other flight notifications? Check you account settings to make sure they have current contact info.
2. Did you just present your BP to the Priority desk or did they print one for you. If you presented a BP, good chance they just looked at it and didn't see the updated info on the flight. Falls in line with CSRs that will make an excuse for why the system is doing what it is doing rather than looking at what should have happened and taking the steps to get it fixed.
3. Again, GA may have presumed you were normal standby and not an IRROPS/Elite traveler as it takes more effort to process an IRROP that might trump someone taking their ticketed flight.
4. See #3.

Travelling defensively is getting to be more of a requirement and knowing what should be done allows you to know if the TA/GA are actually considering all options. It is a sad situation, but getting to be a fact of life these days.

IvanCU

All good points.

So here's the clincher; I just walked up to first class and spoke with the flight attendants. Seat 5F is empty. I specifically asked the gate agent if First Class had checked in full, and he said it had. This was after he told me that he couldn't get me into the upgrade system.

Nice way to treat an EXP.

richarddd

Someone can check-in but not show up for the flight.

iadisgreat

I don't think that the complimentary upgrade for EXP gets you rebooked in first during IRROPS by policy (though YMMV and someone please correct me if I am wrong). You probably should have been added to the upgrade list though when you were rebooked into coach.

With that, I am not sure what pointing out an empty first class seat would do except further annoy you. Most (all?) of the time, if an agent doesn't give you a go-ahead, it isn't going to happen.

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

I don't understand why the OP could not have been added to the upgrade list at the gate. When rebooking I always make sure that I have been added to the upgrade list by checking the mobile app before I leave an agent. As far as an empty seat, its a lazy GA that is not pulling the number 1 on the list out of Y.

RogerD408

The proper question to ask is "Has F boarded full?" The check-in could have happened more than 24 hours ago from an area far, far away and pax either missed the connection or got rerouted and the flight not updated. Yes, there are lazy GAs that will spout no upgrades available to be able to close the flight quicker. After all that is their measure of success and not how many elites they satisfied.

All you can do is ask and hope the other person finds the time to do the extra work. That's where being nice and I try to get them laughing so they aren't thinking I'm just another self-entitled elite trying to get something for free (I wish all my traveling earning status was free) and it seems to work for me. There are some that just can't pull off funny no matter what.

arollins

That is how it works, after all, you bought a coach ticket, therefore you need to standby for coach, once that is cleared then you can get added to the upgrade list. In cases where the flight is empty, then you might be added to first class form the beginning. I can assume that with all the irrops going on yesterday that they would be holding back on upgrades, and the standby list was rather long. If you would have bought a first class ticket, then you can go into first class provided there was space, if you would have gone into coach due to no room on first you are allowed a refund on fare difference as determined by AA. Also, remember that upgrades are complementary, not mandatory. An empty seat in first could have been broken, or a passenger that misconnected, if misconnect, then it could have gone to the first person in the list.

scholity

OP clearly states he was assigned seat 29F, *then* asked to be placed on the upgrade list. The gate agent was unable to do so, which is the primary question here.

Complementary means free (without any form of charge) in this context.

Upgrades are one of the primary reasons we all have status. Upgrades are in fact 'free' (complementary) and EXPs are entitled to them, if available. Whether or not a gate agent *prioritizes* processing of upgrades (complementary or not) at the gate is the main point of discussion here. I think any seasoned traveler would appreciate that upgrades often are not (and should not) be a priority for a gate agent when a flight is running behind.

IvanCU

Agreed on all points.

As to an earlier comment about Elites feeling entitled; why yes, if an upgrade seat is available, they should be entitled to it considering what it takes to earn the status. Just as we are entitled to take our business elsewhere.

I boarded Priority, right after First Class, so there were many open seats in first class when I boarded. I could not have asked if First Class had boarded full at that point.

Not sure how I could have made it any more clear, and the fact that after all of my questioning there was still an empty seat in First Class was disturbing. To be clear, the flight attendant didn't "point out" there was an empty seat in First Class; I saw it and asked the flight attendant about it. She was very apologetic when I explained the situation and repeated the same comments as I was leaving the plane.

As an added comment, the person I dealt with at the AA Priority desk at DFW was amazingly clueless. Not sure how she ended up at that desk.

RogerD408

This does happen. If the GA was more concerned about getting the flight out on time than making sure all possible upgrades have been processed, there may be empty seats. The passenger that was supposed to be in that seat may have missed the connection but was correctly showing as checked in. Had you asked if F had boarded full, then you get to make the tactical decision whether to board now and hope the GA will come get you should an F seat still be available, or you could have held back near the podium so should the GA noticed a seat still empty just before closing out the flight you'd be able to get it. If the choice is to not upgrade an elite and get the flight out on time or delay the flight to process the seat change, elites lose.

Just one of those facts of life in elite flying.

flymeAAway

AA allows great discretion to the GA to skip upgrades and to a lesser extent standbys to get the flight out on time. I was #1 on the list with 4 open seats and waited at the gate area hoping my patience would pay off. No such luck, I was last to walk down the jet bridge along with the GA. He kept apologizing but said there was no time. He wouldn't even let me just take one of the open seats in F. It did not stop some AA uniformed employees from the jump seats and bulkhead to fill them up. My complaint from AA confirmed the agent was within policy.

IvanCU

Thanks for all of the comments and information. Makes a little more sense now. One of the joys of flying...