EXP told that Upgrade Must Be Requested at DFW AC + Crappy Seat Assignment
Mar 3, 2016, 11:42 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Austin
Programs: AA EXP +2MM- LT PLT! HH Diamond
Posts: 6,086
EXP told that Upgrade Must Be Requested at DFW AC + Crappy Seat Assignment
After flying in from HKG we were waiting for our connection to AUS at the DFW AC, when my wife noticed that although we had booked our tickets in August, we were not on the airport (within 4 hours) upgrade list.
She went up to the front desk to try to understand what was going on, and the "AAngel" explained to her that we always needed to request the UG. Even before the "auto/complementary" upgrade request policy was in place we would have known to make that for the domestic segments. My wife tried to explain that this was not the case to this person, but she was insistent.
Not wanting to get into any kind of confrontation, she asked if they could add us to the list, and low and behold, not surprisingly, we were #1 and #2 respectively. Unfortunately, it was too late, F was full.
To compound the issue is that our original booking had us sitting in MCE next to each other. When we were assigned our seats on this flight, I was in MCE, and my wife, also an EXP, was assigned a middle seat near the back, although an aisle seat, also in MCE was available.
Thankfully we got her moved up, and the flight is very short, but it was a truly bizarre set of circumstances we encountered..
She went up to the front desk to try to understand what was going on, and the "AAngel" explained to her that we always needed to request the UG. Even before the "auto/complementary" upgrade request policy was in place we would have known to make that for the domestic segments. My wife tried to explain that this was not the case to this person, but she was insistent.
Not wanting to get into any kind of confrontation, she asked if they could add us to the list, and low and behold, not surprisingly, we were #1 and #2 respectively. Unfortunately, it was too late, F was full.
To compound the issue is that our original booking had us sitting in MCE next to each other. When we were assigned our seats on this flight, I was in MCE, and my wife, also an EXP, was assigned a middle seat near the back, although an aisle seat, also in MCE was available.
Thankfully we got her moved up, and the flight is very short, but it was a truly bizarre set of circumstances we encountered..
Mar 3, 2016, 12:06 pm
#3
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Signatures
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: London, England
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador, National Exec, AA EXP Emeritus
Posts: 9,765
Are you sure you requested the upgrade when you bought the tickets? Did you ask why your seats had been changed?
Mar 3, 2016, 12:15 pm
#5
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: DFW/PHL
Programs: US CP, UA *G; SPG Plat, Hilton Gold; Natl Exec, Hertz PC
Posts: 623
I have received the same explanation at the DFW AC in Terminal A. She further explained that even though the complimentary upgrade was requested at time of purchase, an additional upgrade request is required after checkin.
I also didn't feel like arguing with her, but my anecdotal evidence suggests that the only time I'm not automatically added to the airport upgrade list is when I am manually checked in by an agent and perhaps also more than 4 hours beforehand. Perhaps there is a step that an agent must do to manually add you to the airport upgrade list?
I also didn't feel like arguing with her, but my anecdotal evidence suggests that the only time I'm not automatically added to the airport upgrade list is when I am manually checked in by an agent and perhaps also more than 4 hours beforehand. Perhaps there is a step that an agent must do to manually add you to the airport upgrade list?
Mar 3, 2016, 12:17 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Austin
Programs: AA EXP +2MM- LT PLT! HH Diamond
Posts: 6,086
Mar 3, 2016, 12:19 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Austin
Programs: AA EXP +2MM- LT PLT! HH Diamond
Posts: 6,086
Mar 3, 2016, 12:27 pm
#8
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Oakland
Programs: AA Explat, UA former 1K + PremExec, DL
Posts: 1,151
I find I am often not on any upgrade list for domestic segments after inbound international flights. For these I typically check in at the airport with an agent. I have noticed this for some time.
Mar 3, 2016, 3:46 pm
#9
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
I have found that if you check in early for a connecting flight your upgrade request will sometimes drop. However, if you rerequest it you will go back to your original place in the que. When I check in early for a connecting flight I always double check at the AC that I am on the list.
Mar 3, 2016, 5:09 pm
#10
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: AUS
Programs: AA EXP/OW Emerald
Posts: 352
I also didn't feel like arguing with her, but my anecdotal evidence suggests that the only time I'm not automatically added to the airport upgrade list is when I am manually checked in by an agent and perhaps also more than 4 hours beforehand. Perhaps there is a step that an agent must do to manually add you to the airport upgrade list?
Other times, when checking in online or at a kiosk, no such issue with it automatically rolling over.
Mar 3, 2016, 6:14 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: NYC/PHL/HKG
Posts: 210
I can vouch for that as well—at least two times when I'm checked in manually by an agent (e.g. flights to/from China) my domestic leg would drop me from the upgrade list. Once that happened w/in 2 hours of departure though.
Mar 3, 2016, 9:28 pm
#12
Join Date: Oct 2012
Programs: AA EXP, PriorityClub Gold, SPG Gold, Hertz Gold fivestar
Posts: 486
Sometimes I have found out that I'm not on the visible upgrade list but my upgrade does still clear. Normally happens if I used a SWU on the Long Haul to the USA and am connecting to a domestic flight. I believe this is because I end up being listed as DSR rather than upgrade.
Mar 3, 2016, 10:28 pm
#13
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 2,203
if it is SWU that dies not clear prior to moving to the airport, the request WILL cancel out and go out of the PNR. when you checkin, you have to ask to be moved to the airport list. Your timestamp is preserved from when you originally created a waitlist for the SWU upgrade. thus, if u go to an agent and say "hey i should be on the upgrade list"...they tap, tap, tap snd say "nooooo, i don't see you," this is why. u have to be added.
Mar 4, 2016, 7:20 am
#14
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: KAUS
Programs: AA EXP; AC 100K
Posts: 132
After flying in from HKG we were waiting for our connection to AUS at the DFW AC, when my wife noticed that although we had booked our tickets in August, we were not on the airport (within 4 hours) upgrade list.
She went up to the front desk to try to understand what was going on, and the "AAngel" explained to her that we always needed to request the UG. Even before the "auto/complementary" upgrade request policy was in place we would have known to make that for the domestic segments. My wife tried to explain that this was not the case to this person, but she was insistent.
Not wanting to get into any kind of confrontation, she asked if they could add us to the list, and low and behold, not surprisingly, we were #1 and #2 respectively. Unfortunately, it was too late, F was full.
To compound the issue is that our original booking had us sitting in MCE next to each other. When we were assigned our seats on this flight, I was in MCE, and my wife, also an EXP, was assigned a middle seat near the back, although an aisle seat, also in MCE was available.
Thankfully we got her moved up, and the flight is very short, but it was a truly bizarre set of circumstances we encountered..
She went up to the front desk to try to understand what was going on, and the "AAngel" explained to her that we always needed to request the UG. Even before the "auto/complementary" upgrade request policy was in place we would have known to make that for the domestic segments. My wife tried to explain that this was not the case to this person, but she was insistent.
Not wanting to get into any kind of confrontation, she asked if they could add us to the list, and low and behold, not surprisingly, we were #1 and #2 respectively. Unfortunately, it was too late, F was full.
To compound the issue is that our original booking had us sitting in MCE next to each other. When we were assigned our seats on this flight, I was in MCE, and my wife, also an EXP, was assigned a middle seat near the back, although an aisle seat, also in MCE was available.
Thankfully we got her moved up, and the flight is very short, but it was a truly bizarre set of circumstances we encountered..
Mar 4, 2016, 7:24 am
#15
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Programs: AAdvantage Exec Platinum, Hertz #1 Club Gold Five Star, IHG Platinum, Marriott Gold, HHonors Silver
Posts: 2,035
This sounds like a bug in the system and should be reported to AA. If enough people say something about it, they may pay attention and make a fix.