I flew IAH-SNA Sunday. I was not EUAed for my entire trip, however I've been upgraded on every flight having a first class since I've been Platinum.

However, Sunday, the flight took off with me (not) comfortably in coach.

With an empty seat in F.

With me (and other elites) on the standby list for F.

I brought this to the attention of the flight attendant. She didn't want to be bothered with me or any of the other elites (in the row behind me). Matter of fact, she went out of her way to walk past us quicker the next few times through.

I didn't mind the coach seat. I only minded it when I saw the F seat empty. Makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

WMH

Must have been a gate agent slip-up.

The flight attendant has no authority to give an upgrade; that can only be done at the gate. You should have taken issue with the gate agent before pushing back.



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daniel baker -- [email protected]
Reliable, fast, and unmoderated forums at ITYT.

This happens to me frequently.

I've also never cleared the magical waitlist for upgrades, as soon as I hear "waitlist" I know that means "black hole" for me

I guess that you're a silver.

You poor child, next time fly Delta on a Looser fare (You areDL GM) and you won't have any unreasonable expectations.

No I am Gold.

Wow! I believe that I'm 100% EUA for Gold and even as a silver, I was often pulled up front by the gate agent before pushback.

I guess you just fly all the right routes

[This message has been edited by jetsetter777 (edited 12-05-2001).]

Waiting for my upgrades too!! I'm a plat on NW, at the plat window it was A4 D4 F0, no upgrade, then at the gold window it went A0 D0 F0, without me getting an upgrade. Makes me wonder what's going on and who is really getting the upgrade, this being on a Friday 2:30pm DCA-IAH flight. (IAH-SAN has upgraded, but only coz I called the NW Elite line and had them manually do it)

Now this afternoon it goes back to A1 D1 F0, what gives???? and still no upgrade....

[This message has been edited by thezipper (edited 12-05-2001).]

A pax traveling in A class probably moved his reservation to another flight, or cancelled it.

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daniel baker -- [email protected]
Reliable, fast, and unmoderated forums at ITYT.

What unreasonable expectation?

I'm anxiously awaiting snake's "intelligent" response as to why, as a Platinum Elite who has flown 100,000+ miles this year, I should sit in coach with a seat in F empty.

I won't get one, of course. I'll get some CO apologist claptrap.

I switched from DL to CO mainly because all fares are upgradable. According to the rules of the OnePass program, I am entitled to this benefit as a reward for flying as much with CO as I do.

I am GM with DL, but only because they comped me through 2003 because of the Comair strike. I've only flown 13 segments with them this year, mainly when there was no CO/NW/HP flight that worked.

Once again, why would the gate agent announce that first was full, board the plane, and then ignore the empty seat in F?

WMH

Well, you may feel entitled-- and I don't blame you, per se. BUT, the upgrades are "space-available" and has been discussed (and discussed and discussed...) here, CO and CO alone determines when "space" is "available" for a coach fare passenger in FC.

I can think of a couple of reasons the seat may have remained empty - both happened to me in years past (though not recently).

1) The seat was broken (mosf often, the seatback won't stay in the upright position). This of course is a FAA rule. I was once upgraded and when I got to my seat, the back was like a broken recliner. The FA told me I couldn't use the seat so back to coach I went. They handled it professionally and offered free booze and headset (I was taking a prescription so could not accept the offer).

2) Not enough FC meals banked. This happend too often in the 1994 bankruptcy days, but more recently the computers track meal banking very well. For example, say you're flying on a 12-seat-FC plane; 9 seats are "sold" but YM has held back the remaining seats, so it's A3 F0. The computer "knows" that there are enough elites to eventually be moved up into those three seats, so it will order a full load of FC meals. But I'm sure breakdowns in the procedure happen.

I'm not 100% sure but I think CO has (had?) a policy that they will not place a passenger (rev or otherwise) in FC if an FC meal is not available "to protect the integrity of the service presentation level" or something like that.

An empty seat means "space available."

Period.

They always have enough meals in F. I'm not sure how one could say that there wasn't space available or how they weren't prepared for someone to be sitting in that seat. The flight was at 1:30 PM CST and I was on the wait list for first since 7 AM. The gate agent said first was checked in full. Of course someone may not have showed up, but then the gate agent should've upgraded the first person on the waitlist.

Like I said in the original post, a flight in coach isn't a big deal. However, when I purchase a ticket well in advance and when I get on the wait list well in advance, I expect that, since I'm Plat, I will get the seat (or another Plat who got on the waitlist earlier would).

But I mainly posted this to see how many people would jump in to defend CO, even when they OBVIOUSLY screwed up. And I was not disappointed.

WMH

[This message has been edited by WeeMileHoar (edited 12-06-2001).]

Get over it WeeMileHoar! A number of posters have given plausable explanations for what may have happened.

You ain't the first and only one to be denied an upgrade that you so obviously deserved. You ain't gonna be the last.

You could get the same or worse treatment on any other airline, if that's the worst thing that happened to you after flying 100,000+ miles on Continental this year you should light a candle for the Patron Saint of Frequent Flyers. (Who ever that may be)