Thanks for all the responses -- I see there are very differing opinions on the subject. When I said 3 min connection time that was more when we got off the other flight. It may well have been T-0 or later by the time we were at the AUS gate. The exact time became a bit of a blur once we started running. I think the only reason we made it at all was because some other pax was already arguing with the GA for some other reason when we got there. Maybe there was already a previous reason for a delay.

I think there's a difference between not getting the upgrade and already having it. I'm very much used to not getting the upgrades since I haven't managed to get myself to Platinum yet, plus I usually have el-cheapo tix. It's just when the upgrade has already cleared and I don't get to use it that a sense of entitlement comes up.

Thanks for the operational details SFOGate.

Several of you have said we should just we happy we made the flight. And we were, which is also why we did not want to argue with the GA or FA at the time. I had actually assumed that we had already been removed from the flight. However the interesting thing that made me start to question things was that the pda site still showed us in the F seats after we landed in AUS. I think there were still people after us on the upgrade list according to the pda site (from when we checked when we landed in IAH), but I'm not sure anymore and they certainly didn't clear any of those. That would imply to me that we had not yet been removed from the flight pax list. But the GA not scanning the BP when we boarded implies to me that we had been removed and some sort of manual entry would haven been necessary. Can't know for sure, so it's really just speculation on my part. My assumption is that the GA simply didn't want to take the time to verify our details in order to get the flight out ASAP.

So in summary, yes I'm happy we didn't have to spend some extra quality time in IAH. I try to keep my flying expectations realistic, but I can't help being a little annoyed when things don't go as smoothly. CO has still treated me better than most other airlines, so I can't really complain in the grand scheme of things. My post here was really just to get a little discussion going and see what you all thought, especially given the detail-oriented nature of this forum.

Thanks everyone!

If they had been offloaded they would not have shown up on the "Upgraded into F" list on the PDA site.

What I do not understand is why the GA did not scan the BPs. Did the original poster get his miles?

If the GA had scanned the boarding passes, an error would have sounded (multiple beeps) and small tickets with the new seat assignments would have popped out of the scanner.

Got the miles+bonus+DEQMs and the flight shows as class ZU. So everything thinks we were in F.

Maybe they had already signed out of their computer. Can't scan anything if nothing is signed into. I have no idea why they wouldn't have scanned the boarding cards because this is a very sure way of reconciling the flight.

If they unsat the customers and didn't rebook and seat them, then no they won't be getting credit for this flight.

Opps....major error on everyone's part. :td:

36 posts in and no one has welcomed someone who has a complaint thread for a first thread but did not gripe the way that the usual first-time complainers do? Come on now...it's so nice to read a reasoned complaint thread instead of the people who sign up, write a rant that was not checked for spelling or grammar, and then are never heard from again. Good for you paranoiatx, please post the resolution and hang around after that. And most importantly, welcome to FlyerTalk! :D

Yes, welcome to flyer talk paranoiatx! Sfogate, I have a question, would the GA know that these PAX were coming from a connecting flight that had landed and were likely on their way to the gate and thus be expecting them?

The GA would know that they were connecting to that flight, sure. It affects their seat count for upgrades and oversells.

I have never worked in IAH but, yes we know who is connecting and can follow the flight status. Often times IAH GA's will have the carts at the arriving gate to whisk the connecting customers to their next flight, especially if there is a large number of them or it's the last flight of the night.

Furthermore experience will also tell you just how long it takes for someone to make it from this gate to that gate.

Welcome to FT paroniatx. Leave it to CM to point out that we are rude and a lower class of people....just like werldporks in the Ebay postings pointed out. :D

Thanks!

We are a bunch of low class toenail picking, no shoes wearing dirtbags sitting in first class. :p

I have had a Caaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrtttt at the gate a few times, I figured I just got lucky and found it, I didnt know the GA's sent them over. ^ to them.

Oh and welcome to FT paranoiatx

Well since the OP got their miles and turns out they were on the Upgraded list, could be the GA simply wanted the flight out 1-2-3, but as you say hard to understand why they didnt scan the BPs

As for the FAs, I assume and Im asking You at the same time. Even if the OP showed an FA the PDA list and that they were UPed, is an FA allowed to rely on that alone and sit them in FC?

I ask since after seeing what some on here were able to do with making up a website that looked like it was indeed COs except for the extras they added at time (RNE) whats to stop me or anyine else from making up something that looks like the real PDa site and show it to a FA and say can I now take my UPed seating assignment. I would hope that it still remains the sole job of the GA do process the UPs. and yes that would also mean if a non-rev wasnt UPed before the door closed that they too should have to remain in the back of the bus

Here's what I want to know. If the FA was so busy getting ready for departure that she couldn't take a second to look at the manifest. How did she even have time to question the OP and his friend? I think she had time to check the manifest if she felt she had time to question the OP.

I can't help but think about the grad student who wrote a program to make fake NW boarding passes.