Empty First Class Seats
Feb 10, 2020 | 12:05 am
#136
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Texas
Programs: AA EXP | Hyatt Globalist | Marriott Platinum Elite | Hilton Diamond | Avis Preferred Plus
Posts: 29
I was on that flight earlier January. F was packed with about ten on the list. Lady in front of me on the list cleared while onboard. Luckily that flight takes longer to taxi at CLT than airborne.
Feb 10, 2020 | 9:10 pm
#137
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
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Posts: 7,462
DCA-SDF on Sunday afternoon or evening -- have had one to five empties and no list on each of the last six weeks. E75 magic.
Feb 13, 2020 | 11:41 am
#138
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Las Vegas since 11/2023
Programs: No status anywhere anymore, it was fun while it lasted
Posts: 4,648
Flew LAX-LAS on Feb 10. Forget the flight number, 8:20PMish departure. LUS321 with 16 F seats, 3 empty.
Saw a remarkable scene when boarding. A rather large pax was in a wheelchair - had to be 250# plus. His companion got him out of the chair facing him and lifted him up, so that the disabled pax's legs are looped under the companion's arms and his arms are around the companion's head - and he carried him from the edge of the jetbridge to his seat, which admittedly was 1D so the closest to the door. The companion wasn't that large an individual. Companion eventually sat down in 1F. I didn't stick around to see how they got him off.
Saw a remarkable scene when boarding. A rather large pax was in a wheelchair - had to be 250# plus. His companion got him out of the chair facing him and lifted him up, so that the disabled pax's legs are looped under the companion's arms and his arms are around the companion's head - and he carried him from the edge of the jetbridge to his seat, which admittedly was 1D so the closest to the door. The companion wasn't that large an individual. Companion eventually sat down in 1F. I didn't stick around to see how they got him off.
Feb 13, 2020 | 12:31 pm
#139
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: SE Wisconsin
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton Diamond for Life
Posts: 359
Flew AMS-LHR-ORD a couple days ago. LHR-ORD had 11 empty Business Class seats and about as many empty Premium Economy seats. I was booked in PE and exhausted from a week of meetings through Europe. In LHR I went to the T3 AA lounge and asked if I could upgrade using SWU or Miles+. I had no idea what a hassle this would be. The lounge agents could not do anything and told me to call in. After about 45 minutes on the phone I finally got my upgrade to clear.
The plane then took of with only 10 open business class seats.
The plane then took of with only 10 open business class seats.
Feb 14, 2020 | 9:52 pm
#141
Join Date: Mar 2016
Programs: AA-EXP
Posts: 708
Personally I believe that if there are no upgrade requests in the system then it is fine for there to be empty F seats. I think the main reason this thread was started was for the times when there ARE people in the upgrade queue that do not get processed due to GA laziness/incompetence which results in people who should have been move up but weren't.
Feb 18, 2020 | 11:10 am
#142
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Still going through ORD security when boarding has already started
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Seven (yes, 7) empty F seats on the midday ORD-RIC flight today on an E175.
Feb 18, 2020 | 11:12 am
#143
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Still going through ORD security when boarding has already started
Programs: AA EXP, UA Silver, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold, IHG Plat, Hyatt Disco, Reno Air MEGA Platinum
Posts: 10,322
Personally I believe that if there are no upgrade requests in the system then it is fine for there to be empty F seats. I think the main reason this thread was started was for the times when there ARE people in the upgrade queue that do not get processed due to GA laziness/incompetence which results in people who should have been move up but weren't.
Feb 18, 2020 | 12:18 pm
#144
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
Somehow I never seem to find these elusive flights with empty F seats. I would imagine when the upgrade list comes up tonight for my Tuesday evening MIA/PHX flight I'll be lucky to be number 5 on the upgrade list.
Feb 18, 2020 | 2:24 pm
#145
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: NYNY
Programs: Marriott LT Titanium, UA Silver, AA PLT
Posts: 857
Saw a remarkable scene when boarding. A rather large pax was in a wheelchair - had to be 250# plus. His companion got him out of the chair facing him and lifted him up, so that the disabled pax's legs are looped under the companion's arms and his arms are around the companion's head - and he carried him from the edge of the jetbridge to his seat, which admittedly was 1D so the closest to the door. The companion wasn't that large an individual. Companion eventually sat down in 1F. I didn't stick around to see how they got him off.
Feb 18, 2020 | 2:30 pm
#146
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New York, NY
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I had a similar F load on my CAE-LGA flight yesterday morning (the 6.27am departure). Row 1 was empty with maybe three other F passengers on the E175. No upgrades requested either!
A young lady was moved up to F at the end of boarding and the FA remarked to the captain in a way that suggested it was for weight and balance/trim.
As it happened after the door closed on the LGA-CAE segment I mentioned above a couple were moved into row 1 ahead of us, I think they were employees though.
A young lady was moved up to F at the end of boarding and the FA remarked to the captain in a way that suggested it was for weight and balance/trim.
As it happened after the door closed on the LGA-CAE segment I mentioned above a couple were moved into row 1 ahead of us, I think they were employees though.
Feb 18, 2020 | 4:09 pm
#147
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: The Land of Pleasant Living
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, AA ExecPlat, Amtrak Select Exec, former WN apologist
Posts: 1,939
If you are hoping for empty F seats or easy upgrades on a weekday hub-to-hub flight, well... I wouldnt hold my breath.
Feb 18, 2020 | 6:21 pm
#148
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Las Vegas since 11/2023
Programs: No status anywhere anymore, it was fun while it lasted
Posts: 4,648
Flew AMS-LHR-ORD a couple days ago. LHR-ORD had 11 empty Business Class seats and about as many empty Premium Economy seats. I was booked in PE and exhausted from a week of meetings through Europe. In LHR I went to the T3 AA lounge and asked if I could upgrade using SWU or Miles+. I had no idea what a hassle this would be. The lounge agents could not do anything and told me to call in. After about 45 minutes on the phone I finally got my upgrade to clear.
The plane then took of with only 10 open business class seats.
The plane then took of with only 10 open business class seats.
Feb 19, 2020 | 6:50 am
#149
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
Actually on my MIA/PHX flight last night I was number 2 on the list but at the gate it didn't seem like an upgrade was going to happen. At the end of boarding I was happily sequestered in an unoccupied row 8 (8A) when the GA came on board last minute with my name and seat number written on her hand (LOL). She said George go ahead move up to seat 3F.
Feb 19, 2020 | 7:21 pm
#150
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: SDF/TLV/ATL
Programs: AA EXP, UA LT Ag, Marriott LT Ti, Hyatt Glob, Avis PC, Busted-Knuckles Club.
Posts: 3,023
PVR-ORD last Saturday went out with 8 empty F seats. We used miles to book F awards, a family of four upgraded at the gate somehow (EXP?) and there were two others up front.
My flight down from DFW the prior Monday was full in Y/F. That was a Y web special for only 7500 miles!
My flight down from DFW the prior Monday was full in Y/F. That was a Y web special for only 7500 miles!