SS255

I know that I've seen the answer to this posted before, but for some reason the search function is only picking up threads from 2004 and earlier, so I'm starting a new thread in the hopes that somebody can give me a quick answer.

I discovered to my horror when printing out my boarding pass for CO 1402 (EWR-LAX) tomorrow that there was an equipment change from a 753 to a 764, and I lost my primo exit row aisle seat.

I called the Gold line, and asked to be waitlisted for a mileage upgrade (knowing that mileage upgrades clear ahead of EUA upgrades), assuming that I could waitlist within 24 hours of the flight. She wasn't sure, but she tried it, and she said that it took. I received a confirmation of the waitlist, followed a few minutes later by an e-mail that the waitlist had expired.

I cannot for the life of me remember how it works after the 24-hour mark: I kind of recall that there is a loophole for mileage upgrades between T-24 and T-3. Do I need to get added to the upgrade standby list at the airport, or will I automatically be added at T-3? When I refreshed the upgrade waitlist after putting in for the mileage upgrade, my placement did not change. It has since dropped a few rungs, and F is full....with 12 of 35 checked in.

dergon darkhelm

You'll need to be added at the time of check in at the airport. You should be ahead of other EUAs. But for now you are only going to show your Gold status, hence dropping on the list.



Good luck!

SS255

Thanks. Considering the fact that I am originating in AVP, which is outsourced to Comair, I'm not holding out much hope that the agent will know how to properly waitlist me. Hopefully I will have time to hit the PC in EWR to take care of it.

sbm12

I do not believe that you are allowed to request mileage upgrades within 24 hours of departure. I have no idea what the agent did or why they think it "took" but I do not think that what you are trying to do is actually possible.

Here is the text from co.com:
Sorry.

That being said, I doubt that the flight is actually booked to 35 in F. I'm guessing that the PDA is showing it as "full" because they are no longer selling F seats, not because the additional capacity has been taken. Not great news since you still seem to be on the outside looking in at position 12, but I'm not sure that you're completely out yet.

Bonehead

It of course shows F0, and all but three seats are shown as occupied. Why would they pull FC inventory the day before the flight if FC isn't sold out? I'm guessing it's legitimately booked solid.

ijgordon

Because there's a chance the equipment could revert back to the original equipment, or because Y is meaningfully oversold and they want to keep room so as to not have to IDB anyone.

Bonehead

Ah yes...Scott mentioned that they sometimes zero out FC in order to have space available in coach (via upgrades) if needed. Thanks for the reminder.

bdraco

In the past I have had some good experiences with the agents in AVP. On multiple occasions they did not know how to do something, however they made the effort to get the information needed to successfully accomplish the task. The only reoccurring issue I really have with AVP is the on time performance. If I am flying to LA from Northeast PA, its always ABE-CLE-LAX for me as I prefer to avoid ewr (and being put on a bus from AVP-EWR when things don't go quite right).

SS255

I'm down to #14 now. 3 seats are showing unoccupied in F.

I guess to most people a 753-->764 is an equipment "upgrade," but when you lose 8C......it's a downgrade.

I just hope that I can squeak into the F cabin with a mileage upgrade, or it will be a loooooong flight with that stupid IFE box under my right foot. Had I known when I booked that it would be a 764, I would have avoided this aircraft like the plague. Even as late as Thursday when I checked in for my outbound, the aircraft was still a 753, and my 8C was secure.

SS255

Update:

The PC agent did not think that you could waitlist at the airport if a waitlisted mileage upgrade had expired. She called OnePass, and they "confirmed" her suspicion.

I asked again at the gate, and the gate agent sang the same tune.

Based upon what I read on Flyertalk, I think that everybody was wrong. I trust the knowledge of Flyertalkers far more than the knowledge of airline employees.

2 people got battlefield upgrades. I was not one of them. I believe that I ended up #21 on the waitlist.

Thankfully, the woman sitting in front of me did not recline, so it was not a bad ride at all. But it would have been a better ride up front.

ijgordon

You were told in post #4 (including a reference to the publicly stated policy) that you would not likely be able to waitlist for a mileage upgrade less than 24 hours prior to departure. Sounds like the message from the Continental employees was garbled, but the end result was the same.

Bonehead

What does this mean then?

sbm12

You have to make the initial upgrade request more than 24 hours out. Once you've requested it then you can be added to the list on the day of travel. But if the initial request hasn't happened and the 24 hour mark passes then you aren't allowed to redeem miles for the upgrade.

Bonehead

Yup...upon further review, OP's initial request was inside 24 hours.

SS255

Thanks. That's what I was wondering about, and for whatever reason the search function was not picking up any threads more recent than 2004.

When I made the upgrade request, I asked if I could make it within the 24 hour timeframe, and the agent did not know. She tried it, and she said that it did "take." (But she had to un-check me in, and told me to re-check in afterwards.) I did get an e-mail confirmation, and the miles were deducted. Then I got an e-mail notification that the waitlisted upgrade had expired, but that I would automatically be added to airport upgrade waitlist when I checked in.

I was just curious what the actual rules were. It seems as if CO will seemingly allow you to waitlist for a mileage upgrade within 24 hours, but not really. At least now I know!

Thanks, all.