Columbia04

Has anybody else had this happen? I patiently check my status on F standby, and calmly console myself when the GA says they're full. (What I really hate is when they rub it in and say "ahhh you're pretty far down the waitlist; no chance ...")

But, when they close the door, two seats fly empty! This happened last night on EWR-SJC (yes, empty F seats on a transcon!) as well as a few months back in a 762. Boy was I steamed not being able to sleep in a big boy.

So is there a protocol / policy for folks who are confirmed in F or A but don't show up? Would it be any good to politely show the FA my elite card and request to sit up front, even after the door is closed?

------------------
NW Silver since age 20
NYC since 2000

anthonyanthony

Those empty seats were probably the result of misconnects -- the passengers who held boarding passes and seat assignments for those seats were arriving on a delayed flight, and the GA couldn't give them away since they were already assigned.

iluv2fly

A good customer-service oriented airline would have the agents board the aircraft when they know of the misconnects and pull the pax who qualified from Y to F. United and American routinely does this. Too bad CO can't do this and make their elites happy.

kjbtraveler

I have had that happen before, and it is indeed frustrating. When I noticed the F seats empty, I got up and asked to be moved. After a big sigh and huge "eye roll" the FA said to get my things and move to F. She sneered a bit and said that I may not get my first choice of meal. With a big smile, I said no worries - I am not here for the food :-)

Has anyone ever not receied their upgrade, yet able to notice FA's sitting in F? That to me is even more upsetting . . .

dsimon

Was this the same flight that you said you were manually upgraded on the other night?

If so, what happened?

snake

KolumbiaKid musta changed the names to protect the innocent.

Better fire off an email to Gordo 'n' tell 'im you ain't bein' treated in the style you wanna get accustomed to.

Spiff

On other airlines, if I get the "first has checked in full" message, I'll wait a bit and ask if first has boarded full.

Misconnects do occur and you may still have a shot if you're at the gate instead of already on board...

supercalifragilistic

Exactly--wait in the gate till the FINAL final call. Otherwise, if you're in 25C and have to yank all your carry-on out of the bin, lug it up to F, find room, stow it, the flight could delay.

If the next elite on the list is in 5 or 6, no problem. I tell them to leave their stuff there and come up to F so there are no delays. We try not to take delays for upgrades!

edited for spelling

[This message has been edited by supercalifragilistic (edited Nov 28, 2003).]

MisterNice

The valid reasons are usually missed connections, last minute cancellations, change of equipment or broken seats. Only once in the last 3 years have I seen CO or NW overlook boared u/g and that was on NW.

MisterNice

Euroflyer

I think the "First class has checked in full" announcements are just routine chatter these days, along with "have a nice day" and "we value your business, thanks for flying us, blah blah blah". Just something to calm the masses to keep people from bothering the gate agent for an upgrade.

Columbia04

Haha funny that you mention this, dsimon. I DID indeed have an F boarding pass, but I was travelling with a non-elite companion so even though I saw TWO seats in F, I bit my tongue and we took our seats in 5B and 5C. I did have the generosity (?) to tell the lady sitting in 5A she could move to my empty 3F seat. That certainly made her day (she didn't fly much, from the looks of it), although it made the FA obviously uncomfortable. I felt like Peter Pan, giving an F seat away to the rif-raf.

chasbondy

Let me guess, you're a Silver on less than a full coach ticket-- You're not alone, its happened to me on 5 segments this year.

not a fan

Happens to me all the time.

On my most recent flight I was willing to
( even though I previously got down on my knees and swore that I would never) and tried to upgrade my fare from coach to business. I was told, more than once, as late as one day before my flight that business was “full”. Also tried with the gate agents. Got the same story. Of course , when the doors closed I counted at least 6 empty BF seats- three of which the flight attendants drew curtains around to make a sleep corner for themselves. ( they even re-seated someone who was going to sit in one of them) I don’t think that the FA’s are above asking the gate agents to close BF to upgrades so that they can have their “break seats.


You’ve have got to wonder about the airline that says it will be ****ed before it gives a BF seat to someone who paid only $200
( or whatever) but will reserve those same seats for people it pays to fly. ( the FAs). I have got nothing against FAs and know they like to relax on those long flights but I think it is kind of twisted when the airline won’t extend a courtesy freebie to its most loyal when it costs the airline NOTHING to do so.

I am always told that BF is full. I don’t think that I have ever flown a flight where it has actually been full. Maybe its just me.

With CO, its clear- if you want BF seats, buy BF seats

iluv2fly

Any guess who is going to chime in now?

sbrower

When receiving the "checked in full" statement, when I didn't believe it, I have, on occasion, said: "So, if there is an empty seat in First after the doors close, I just move into that seat, right?"

Then, if they say "No," I say "Okay, so what is the correct procedure for me to upgrade into an empty seat?" Normally, at that point, things get resolved, because they figure out that I intend to ride in the seat if it is empty. So, they take the time to process me properly.