My parents just bought a HoKeY fare to CDG, however on the return flight they were told that the waitlist is closed.

Now, isn't this along the lines of not getting what you pay for? You buy a HoKeY fare and you expect to be put on the waitlist, why pay the HoKeY fare if you cannot get on it?

Has anyone ever experienced this and do you ever get on the list OR can you demand that CO ticket you in B,V,Q or T on return the portion since you are going to be sitting in coach anyway?

Please advise so I can give my parents some advice on how to proceed and what to expect.

- HobokenFlyer

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum20/HTML/004900.html

You only need three words. Refund. Reticket. AA.

As you can read I had a similiar experience just 2 weeks ago.
I've done a little investigative work and once rev management closes a wait list ---it is virtually impossible to find anyone who can "over ride" the closed waitlist.
---they will tell you to check back that it could open up --- but that is another gamble.

Usually they wait list 10 passengers. Sometimes they close the list at 8---

Before/during the purchase they should have told you the waitlist was closed -- so you could make a decision to HoKeY or not -- but they don't tell you anything ---

Actually they shouldn't close a wait list ---especially since you paid to play....

Just to give an update to this situation...

Even after many phonecalls (at least 1 every 3-4 days) and after being told that once the waitlist was closed that it can "NEVER" be reopened....

Well I called today; got a real competent agent on the phone and asked if the waitlist for the CDG-EWR leg has was open and he replied, "Yes and we have seats we can upgrade you into right now".

5 minutes later it was a done deal as well as getting upgraded to BF on my EWR-MAN flight in late June...

O Happy Day!

So the moral of the story is keep trying!!! Even if they tell you the waitlist is closed and that it can "NEVER" be re-opened; I was still able to get the upgrade.... I mean technically I never was put ON the waitlist; I was just upgraded.... Go figure...

- HobokenFlyer

I had a similar situation on a recent trip to AMS. At the 30 day point (& beyond), I was told repeatedly by OP that 'no more upgrade seats were available', and that those that had been given out went to full Y purchasers---not to H or K fare payers and it didn't look good for any more BF upgrades. I kept calling just about daily and at times I would get a OP agent who did say sometimes they open it up again as it gets closer to departure date. Well, happily enough at 10 days prior to my flight I happened to call and was given a BF seat. So you never know, also you never take the word of just one OP agent

Is there some magic "number of days" prior to flight where things change and one should re-check the waitlist situation? Does anyone know?

If I were you, I'd keep checking daily. Yes, the OP desk is technically supposed to call you and let you know you were upgraded, but in my last 3 flights to Europe, I found out through my call not theirs.

ditto

I agree with mauld and Hobokenflyer, my regular calls have often found availability for flights/upgrades that had not cleared the waitlist.

They claim you will be called, but it has never happened for me either. I find out by checking the itineraries or PDA page.

I wonder if it's a computer programming issue. If the waitlist is programmed as a static array instead of a dynamic array (which is more complicated), it is possible that the computer system cannot accept more than a certain number of upgrade waitlists per flight. Therefore, in order to get on the list, they must kick off somebody else. Which I presume isn't very politically pleasant either.

- Edward

I just made a K fare reservation for BRU for late July, and before having it ticketed I asked the nice OP agent how it looked for availabiltiy to upgrade to BF, and was told 'very good'. She then proceeded to put me on the waitlist, and noted once again 'oh, you should have no problem, as you're Platinum and there's only one person ahead of you on the list!'.... Now I know there's been lots of discussions of buying a HoKeY ticket and there not being seats available etc, etc., but from this experience (as well as others I've had in the past), if you ask nicely, and you get the right OP agent-- they'll let you know prior to booking.

Ever occur to you that she might have been LYING? I was in the EWR PC a month ago and overheard an agent having a rather heated discussion with a passenger about the waitlist. She kept saying, "Sir, all I can tell you is that it looks like you should have no problems clearing the waitlist." As soon as he left, I overheard her mumble to her counterpart "remember that phrase, it will keep the line moving." As I moved up to the desk, I mentioned to her, "Thank goodness I already cleared my waitlist."
-"Oh, you weren't supposed to hear that."

I was told at the EWR PC last week that they are no longer allowed to let passengers know where the stand on a waitlist--for example, I used to know if I was #3 or #5, which being Plat meant that unless an industry exec (only status above plat) cut in front of me, that's where I would be on the list.

Now--my last couple of flights, I've gotten "things look good" or "you're near the top" but never anything specific.