More EUA schanigans
 

So, I won't bother to recap the entire story but suffice it to say that my name resembles the name of a bad person the authorities are looking for. As a result I can never checkin online or at the kiosks (at least on the originating flight). So, I'm already at a disadvantage on scoring the upgrade since I'm not added to the standby upgrade list until I get to the airport (hours after many plats have already checked in). Well, I'm traveling with my wife tomorrow. Surprisingly, no EUA last night even though it looks like it was A6D6Z6 on a 735. I check my wife in online and it asks if she wants an upgrade. I say "yes" and it upgrades her (a GOLD). That means that it is definitely possible for a lower level elite to be upgraded ahead of a plat. Now, because it's my wife, I'm happy she got the upgrade (if only my upgrade had cleared, I would have given her mine). And, given that there are still 5 seats, my chances for tomorrow are probably decent as well. But, it annoys me to no end that a GOLD can get upgraded ahead of a PLAT depending on how quick the GOLD is to check in. Should I complain about the bug? I definitely have proof in the form of a F boarding pass for a GOLD and my reservation which shows me in coach. Who should I call? The 1-800-WE-COULD-CARE-LESS line?

Argh,

Brooklynflyer

Ouch
 

Brooklynflyer,

that does suck. What's even worse is that I would wager upon calling CO all they would do is refer you to the TSA. Is there anyway that you could 'change' your name? (e.g. If you name is Jason Edward Linn could you go by J.Edward or perhaps Edward Linn) If the computers are only looking for matching names then perhaps you could slip under the radar and check in online. Hope that helps :) .

J.Edward

PS. J.Edward is already taken.

Thanks, J.Edward. I should note that, while I enjoy a special type of hell because of my name, the fact that a lower level elite can steal a F seat by being quicker at the keyboard is something that affects every FT'er.

As to your advice, going by my middle name doesn't work because it won't accept my OP number (in which case, I wouldn't get an upgrade).

Brooklynflyer

I ran in to an issue a couple years ago when my corporate travel and CO decided that I needed to use my full name instead of the short version that I have been using since schoool. Basically, my name in the record needed to match my passport. Unfortunately it took one flight before I realized the issue that it created with my OP account. Luckily a quick fax to the OPSC solved the problem and they updated my account.

Perhaps you might be able to do something similar, perhaps by adding your entire middle name?

Since my problems started, I have been using my middle name, which shows up as follows on the reservation "DOE/JOHNQUINCY". Although the computer will accept my FF number if I reserve in that way, I still get the same treatment at the airport. My guess is that the TSA locks any reservation with a "DOE/J" in it. Now, if I try to use only my middle name "DOE/QUINCY", it will not allow me to add my FF number to the reservation.

Have you asked CO to update your record ?

I think the online check-in system should be changed to make sure there are no un-upgraded, un-checked-in passengers at higher Elite levels and fares before a lower elite/lower fare customer is upgraded online. It can't be that difficult a fix, and probably should have been designed that way from day 1.

No, I haven't. I'm not sure that CO would allow me to change my first name on my OP account to my middle name. Even if they did, I'm not sure how the "ID checker" at security would view a boarding pass that only has my middle name.

Yes. That was the point of my original post. How hard could it be to ensure that there is no "R" inventory at any point during the checkin process except when EAU is running?

I know it’s a pain in the ..., but have you tried phoning the CO Plat line 5 days beforehand to see if they’ll upgrade you, rather than hoping to do it all online? I’ve done this once or twice when I didn’t clear at 5 days, & a couple of times the system simply missed me. But I understand this isn’t the larger issue you’re raising.

on a recent flight I checked in on-line and it asked if I would like to be placed on the upgrade wait-list, what a dumb question. I thought for a minute that there were seats still available and would be assigned at the airport, so of cause I was a FOOL and said YES. I then called CO and found out that Not Only were all the seats in 1st taken but I was #18 on the wait list, for a flight with 12 1st class seats with no less than 11 Plats ahead of me.
I would have felt better if I got a message that no upgrades were available. if the computer can know that all of 1st class is accounted for then IMHO it shouldnt play with our heads letting us think theres a chance at an upgrade, nor should it allow anything near 18 people to be placed on a waitlist when theres all of 12 seats.
Heck I purchased a cheap seat in the back and had no problems seating there otherwise I wouldnt have purchased it. Did I think Id get an Up no, not at all, once I got the message about the waitlist then my mind frame did change, when in fact it wasnt gonna happen, so why does CO have to play games. I didnt try to figure out on which flight an Up might occur, I booked the flights that were most convinent time wise for me or that were the cheapest. I have no problems with the fact that I didnt get an Up, I do mind the head games that CO is playing.
Is there anyone really out there that would say NO to being put on the waitlist. Maybe CO should just do the waitlist on its own and start by either putting the highest fare base on top or Plats, if they did that even the OP would beable to get it without actually having checked in. And no one would think that theres a chance they will be Uped when in fact theres no way that that will occur.

As a lowly silver, I'd personally like the option of selecting alternate flights based on time & upgrade possibilities at time of checkin (OLCI, that is). Yes, I can check availability and then head to the airport early... but it would be nice to be able to do this from home (or hotel) and then plan the day around the new departure time. Perhaps Plat/Gold can have a shot at 1st on their 1st choice flight - I'd be happy taking a different & possibly longer routing if my schedule permits.

Bring BOTH boarding passes with you to my CO event. I will introduce you to the guy who can fix this. That is part of the purpose of this event, to learn from the customers.

If you could introduce me to this person as well, that would be appreciated. I pretty much gave up on reporting co.com bugs.

Just for kicks I once reported a bug and follwed up on it every few months for a year and just got boilerplate responses (despite me documenting and including instructions to duplicate it). I ultimately forwarded it to Larry, and it was fixed in a week.

The co.com bug reporting process is clearly broken. Maybe that's the first bug that should be fixed. :D

Document everything. Bring everything. They want to fix the stuff. We are cutting out all the middlemen. No more the emperor has no clothes.