1director

Recent flight RSW - CLE 4:45pm, I got EUA upgrade, husband didn't (both Plats) - one FC seat left the day of flight. I sit in 1A waiting to see if by chance he gets upgrade after boarding and the woman in 1B was the one who got the last open FC seat. It turned out she was a coach flyer on the 1:00pm that day and volunteered to go later on my flight - amongst other volunteers, she and her friend each got $250 travel voucher and for some stupid reason they thought they needed to offer her the FC seat as well - instead of the numerous elites sitting in coach. She went on to boast that she wished she could get bumped again and again and keep racking up $vouchers while flying first class - totally ungrateful.

I wrote to CO to tell them their policy sucks if FC seats are given for no good reason to volunteers who are already incentivized with money and not considered for the loyal elites. No reply from CO and my assumption is that CO is desperate to have people fly them again by giving away the house.

G- five

I see no problem with giving volunteers a F-Class seat on a later flight to help out. They did CO a favor, cut them some slack. Just because you get a free upgrade because of your status, why not give one to a volunteer. Perhaps this will create some loyalty on their part.

Get over it. Stick to doing your job, whatever it is, and let CO stick to doing their job..running an airline.

DCFlyer1

I have seen airlines do this in total deperation if they cannot get any volunteers for the $$$ and throw in First Class on the next flight - that is probably the case here. I am sure they dont make it an everyday practice. When you need to get people off that flight sometimes you have really give em that "carrot" to get them to go!

1director

Ooohhh G-5 - Not nice. I see you have posted 135 times, fairly new. I hope the majority of your replies concur with us who have no other job but to "bring such things to the attention of others" That, or quit your job at CO

G- five

1director,

For what it's worth, I do not work for CO.

I am just 15 post shy of your post count

I am sick of people complaining about First Class privelages, and those "who do not belong there". It's sad that the airlines have created this "class system". For God's sake, it's just a seat.

I am not trying to flame on you, but this issue of First Class is a bit old.

Flying Buccaneer

A similar thing happened to me on a NW flight from MEM-TPA on Dec 26. I never received an upgrade, and scanning boarding cards of the pax who boarded in first revealed a couple of silvers and the rest with no status. After boarding, two pax were taken from Y to F, one so she could "be closer to the front of the plane." As a CO Gold, I was never upgraded.

I wrote NW and got a form reply. I forwarded it to CO and told them that I didn't appreciate it. Here's their explanation:

I sincerely regret that you were not upgraded on your recent Northwest flight and were dissatisfied with the response you received from Northwest. Both Continental and Northwest attempt to upgrade elite passengers whenever possible, using similar protocol. Upgrades are awarded by Elite status, for example, on a Continental flight, CO Platinum Elites will upgrade first, then Northwest Platinum. Continental Gold Elites next followed by Northwest Gold, finally to Continental Silver and Northwest Silver. Reverse for Northwest. Unfortunately, I cannot answer for you why you were not upgraded recently, Once Northwest/Continental Platinum and Northwest Gold were upgraded, you and other Continental Golds would be upgraded, based on available space. However, there are occasions when at the airport, a passenger who may have been mishandled, or for other operational reasons, a passenger will be offered a complimentary upgrade as a customer service gesture. It is ultimately the carriers discretion as to the filling of their available first class seating.

It's tough enough to get an upgrade without battling "volunteers" and those who have been "mishandled." I consider this event (on my last paid CO/NW flight) a sign that my decision to leave CO/NW was the right one.

Weatherboy

I don't see any problems about this either --the earlier flight was oversold and they are re-accomodating the bumped passengers onto the later flight in the available classes. The passenger who got bumped can brag all they want ...but the odds of them volunteering their seat up -and- getting a 1st class seat on the next flight are probably pretty slim.

Bigpops

Remember, We pay for coach, and if we get an upgrade great, but if we don't we are not happy... Remember, the worst we can get is what we pay for...

dlen111

elite or not (im CO gold), i would never let an airline inconvience me without asking for an upgrade. they will almost always give it to you. that is a cheap and easy way to keep people happy. that's also one of the reasons that CO holds a seat or two open. sometimes it sells, other times it may give them some leverege when dealing with inconvenienced customers. as an elite, i dont think i would be upset. i did however miss an upgrade, and instead, saw three uniformed flight attendants sitting in FC. I also was once downgraded after the EUA came through and noticed that the agent had sat two little hooker looking girls in mine and someone elses seat. that kinda irked me. the agent insisted i never had the seat even though i had the boarding card in my hand.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

CO has a lot of things to balance. Whining elites, drunks, jerks, bumped passengers. They do what they can do to handle what they are faced with at the moment. Each flight is a different situation and I agree with an earlier poster - they probably had to offer 1st class to get a volunteer to give up a seat on an earlier flight. And I agree with another poster - the worst you can get is what you paid for in the first place. You got a nicer seat you didn't pay for - be happy for that.

JeremyZ

You might consider that CO has characterized you as a "serial complainer."

I remember you posting that you've contacted CO within the last 12 months to complain about a window being open on a Capeair flight, and not being happy with a scheduled stopover in Jamaica and the associated mileage policy.

I probably woulda started to ignore you by now.

fly co to see the yanks

i think it's common for continental to upgrade volunteers. whenever i get bumped, i always ask during the re-booking process if a first class seat might be available. even though it wasn't part of the comp package, the supervisor usually gives it to me as a courtesy. it's not 100%, but it's pretty close. and, i don't expect it. all i expect is what i was promised for my seat. but, it doesn't hurt to ask.

sllevin

I believe it's done because the gate agents are hampered by policies on what they can give as vounchers. Since they can't raise the voucher value to make it more attractive, they toss in the seat up front.

I love my domestic upgrades as much as the next person, but still, I understand the situation. Heck, I've even been known to take the double bump plus a seat booked into "A" myself when I lived in FLL.

Steve

1director

Boy am I being picked on today. I was teasing G-Five but Jeremy Z you are harsh. If I can't turn here to CO on Flyer Talk to air complaints and or situations, where can I go? Really this wasn't a big deal, I personally thought it was worth the post.

Viajero Joven

Maybe it was implied in other replies, but.....

I understand that rerouted pax are booked in Y on the new flight, or in A if in First Class... thus, an A passenger would trump any elite in the pecking order. EUA at its best.

I, too, have been the beneficiary of a class or service bonus when rerouted.

Quick comment re. dlen's observation: I don't appreciate the "hooker looking girls" reference..... I've had my raver-wannabe sister upgraded as my Plat companion, and she received dirty looks and even questions from waiting business-suit wearing Golds (and onlooking gate agents). There are plenty of threads on not "judging a FC passenger by their cover." But aside from that, welcome to FT!