pragakhan

Yes, it was me.. I understand for some it may seem like a very bad idea, but in any case not only did the OP not get what they paid for, they didn't get a reason why, something that could maybe explain to him/her what to do next time to make sure they get what they have paid for.

I had an upgrade once and the equipment got changed (nwa) to a TATL NB that didn't have the same first class configuration. Needless to say the GA explained the situation and gave me an aisle seat in coach also blocking the middle seat. It was a great flight and I appreciated the GAs gesture.

In my case, even though I didn't pay for the upgrade or anything the GA still explained to me why I couldn't sit in my seat, it didn't exist!

Like I also said, knowing the reason why might be more important to me then being refunded or gifted.

zman

Depends if there is checked baggage. If so they can not just leave. May close the door but have to find and off load the luggage.

DevilDog438

+1 - if this rule existed, all of us that just flew DTW-BWI on DL1936 would have been subject to denied boarding, since Operations did not assign a GA to the gate (one walked over from another gate 25 minutes before departure, since she saw "so many people" standing around an empty desk). She managed, with some massive work on the part of the cabin crew, to get the flight pushed at 1233 (3 minutes late), but did not start boarding until 1215.

Marylou

Canarsie, one of our esteemed moderators, just put this to rest. He just completed the Walk a Mile in a Gate Agent Shoes event and posted this:

When a passenger does not show up within 30 minutes — or fewer, if the opportunity calls for it — of their flight, the gate agent will “bust” the seat in the economy class cabin so that it becomes available for stand-by passengers, or in the first class cabin so that it becomes available for those eligible passengers waiting on the upgrade list.

By the way, I learned definitively that if one boards a flight before waiting to see if the upgrade list clears their upgrade, they technically lose the upgrade chance once boarding, although many gate agents are lenient and reportedly do not strictly follow that policy.

Sorry I couldn't remember how to post an embedded link to a thread, but it's post #4 in We Were Delta Air Lines Gate Agents for the Morning

DevilDog438

Here is the link: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...s-morning.html

Marylou - to embed the link, do the following:

1. Copy the link location to the Clipboard (if using Windows)
2. Type the word/phrase/sentence that will be the base for the embedded link
3. Press the button in the message box that looks like a world with a chain link, this will open a pop-up box
4. Insert the URL that you copied in step 1 and click OK
5. You will end up with a blue word/phrase/sentence which now links as desired

jimrpa

I read that and I'm still not buying it. He never defined "shows up". As many others have posted, the argument could be made that if you're in the gate area 30 mins prior to departure, you've "shown up". Similarly, an agent could simply start boarding 30 mins before and, because your boarding pass hasn't been scanned, youre oats the 30 min window and subject to losing your seat (via that interpretation).

I'll just try to board as early as I can and go on the assumption that the delta gate agent is trying to do their job as fairly and ethically as possible. Problem solved.

Stripe

He must be referring to being checked in 30 minutes prior. There is no way a GA could know who is in the gate area or not.

I would not assume the GA is doing the job as fairly as possible from my standpoint as a passenger. The GA is ultimately evaluated on he/she gets the flight out on time. Everything else is secondary. If there is choice between sending a plane out with an empty F seat and delaying it by a couple of minutes to move a passenger up on the system and get the info down to the plane, the plane will go out with the empty F seat. Especially if the system knocks you off the automated standby list when you board. I doubt there is any negative follow-up with the GA.

In contrast, I understand CO does audit its F seat occupancy and a GA gets called on the carpet if an elite is needlessly left stranded in back.

sethb

Given that they only know if the passenger has checked in or boarded (and they typically don't even start boarding more than 30 minutes prior to departure), what does "show up" mean? (I guess they could also page the passenger in the departure area, but in the case that started this thread, they didn't.)

QueenOfCoach

I am a database administrator. I don't work for an airline, but do work with a gigantic amount of data in my daily work.

Sometimes things go wrong. They just do. I try to build in checks and validations to find and fix bugs and other glitches, but sometimes bugs and glitches sneak past even the most vigilant DBA. I have a weird glitch, right now, that has evaded extinction for a couple of days, now.

I'd like to bet something like that happened on this flight, deep in the database. Somehow, the seat got double-sold. That should not happen, but then again, sometimes things go wrong.

So?

If you want to get to where you're going, take the Coach seat, then get a refund of the miles/money paid to upgrade.

Alternatively, you can do what I do. I try to board as soon as I can. Sure, the departure seats are more comfy. Sure you can stretch and look out the window. Sure, you end up standing in line in a jetbridge. Sure, you don't get boinked in the head by a succession of backpacks and diaper bags.

But, you're on the plane, in your seat. Your carryon is stowed. Any bugs or glitches in the computer system will be someone else's problem, not yours. The other guy who "owns" your seat will be the one sent to Coach, not you. If the bug shows up when you attempt to board, and if you are in the first wave of people boarding, there's more time to figure out what's wrong.

weezl

This puts nothing to rest, as I was there the entire boarding process, I just did not board with my section.