ScottCLE

I just got off CO4 from MSY to IAH (today is July 18, 2008).

Before I got on the flight it looked like there were 2 seats open up front and I was showing first on the list, so I thought I had a chance. I am a Plat in a B class seat.

Before boarding, I asked the GA if the upgrade list had been cleared. She looked at my boarding pass, looked at the computer and said that there was one seat, but it went to someone else. OK, no problem, I can handle that.

However, I checked pda.continental.com again when we landed and it showed me in seat 1A! I was actually seated in 27D.

Annoying, huh? It's not that big a deal since it is a short flight. But, if there are procedures and rules in place for who gets which seats I expect them to be followed.

Here is what is on pda right now. I am ANT, S.

--------------
First Class Upgrade Information
Continental Flight 4
New Orleans, LA (MSY) to
Houston, TX (IAH - Intercontinental)
Fri., Jul 18, 2008 at 2:46 PM
Boeing 737-800

Capacity: 16
Booked: Full
Checked In: 15

This information will change frequently.
This page was last refreshed Fri., Jul 18, 2008 4:39 PM New Orleans, LA (MSY) local time

Customers Upgraded into First Class:
ABR, M. 2F
ANT, S. 1A
BAR, R. 2A
BAY, W. 1E
BUT, C. 3F
BUT, D. 3B
COO, D. 4E
COU, V. 3E
GAR, H. 2B

shell nyc

Yeah, I'd be pissed too. Paging CO Insider...

ScottCLE

Here is a short update. I asked the Customer Service Agent at the President's Club to look into it and she and her supervisor thought it looked very strange. The more they asked me about it, the stranger they thought it was. They ended up calling the supervisors at MSY and left a message but have not heard back.

Also, she suggested that I call the WE-CARE line. So, I did. The woman on the phone was not sympathetic at all and gave me a list of things it could be:
a - a last minute air marshall
b - a last minute paid ticket
c - a plat with a higher fare class

While those are all explanations as to why the seat would have gone to someone else, I would not expect it to show that I DID get the upgrade.

Oh well, it is not that big a deal. I just don't want any hanky-panky going on! Thanks for listening.

OptionsCLE

The upgrades are supposed to be confirmed, right? I don't get how a Plat with a higher fare class could have come along and taken away your confirmed upgrade (according to the pda site). Good luck getting it all sorted out.

keisari

it is a huge deal. that is one of the main reason why we are loyal to Continental and they cannot afford to screw that up. I would send a private message to COInsider and let him know. In the past he has said that he takes these things seriously. I would not bother calling customer service/we care. I don't think they get the importance of this perk.

vatraveler

I agree about contacting Scott. Something like this happened to me several months ago, and he handled it beautifully.

AuntieMame

I just looked at the flight history for CO4 from 7/18.

There was a customer already confirmed in First Class. His record was somehow canceled. It appears he stood by for an earlier flight, was cleared and did not board the earlier flight. When the customer was cleared onto the earlier flight, his segment on CO4 was cancelled.

It appears the problem was discovered after ScottCLE was upgraded, but before ScottCLE was actually moved into the First Class cabin.

It also appears that this happed within a few minutes of departure time......so best educated guess.....the agents put the displaced First Class customer in the seat that ScottCLE would have had and closed the door.

No Hanky Panky..................

We run across things like this from time to time and have to think and act quickly.

Have a great day.

socrates

Are you sure you want to keep working for Larry? I hear Richard Anderson is a great boss.....speaking for a bunch of us NW elites, the one thing we're going to miss when this entire change happens is the CO ground staff, especially the CLE team (sorry we wont miss the ERJ's though).....as always thanks for being here

AuntieMame

Our door is always open, ya know!!!!

ScottCLE

Auntie Mame -

Thanks for looking into that. There was a 1:45 flight (which was an hour earlier than this flight) which was delayed a couple of hours due to a mechanical problem. I bet that person was trying to get on that flight and was moved.

Honestly, I was hoping that nothing improper was going on. I am impressed that the process is transparent enough on CO that they show us this much info.

ScottCLE

one other strange thing that the person in the PC discovered was that the system showed an open seat in first class. So, it showed me in 1A and one of the seats in row 4 was listed as open even though there was a lengthy wait list.

I don;t know, maybe the GA just didn't update the records of who was actually onboard and in which seats, but it seems strange.

socrates

Yeah I know...that person we all know and love down in IAH keeps telling me that too...the only problem is from where my office is based most of the connections would be EWR, I always make sure to check and see just how late or how many are cxl'd as I make my way down to the DTW bound gates (next time I pass through I'll stop by again and say hi, it's been too long)

PS..you know I knew CO was leaving Skyteam but until I responded I didn't realize it would give me a hub in WAS that I could use to avoid EWR.....hmmm...I'm going to have to research things

chasbondy

>>>pda.continental.com shows me in seat 1A while I was in row 27>>>>

I absolutely hate it when that happens

coachsux

i was just wondering..i used that pda website for the first time to track my wife's flight and it showed the upgrades...

my question is are those all types of upgrades listed (paid, etc), or just the elite upgrades?

vatraveler

I believe it's elite upgrades only.