MSPeconomist

When GUCs/RUCs were announced and first issued, I had understood that they were to ahve the same priority as old SWUs, although if people are trying to use GUCs and RUCs on the same flight, who knows? It might seem reasonable to give priority to the GUCs since DMs can only get four or them versus eight RUCs as a (DM) choice benefit, so GUCs are more valuable (as we already knew, since GUCs can be used on a longer list of routes/flights). There's also the issue of whether miles are given different priority from upgrade certs of various types.

It was never clear to me whether priority would depend just on time of request or whether fare class would matter too. I think status mattters (but this wasn't clear either) with request time as the tiebreaker.

Transparency please!!!!

Does anyone know of any evidence from gate upgrade lists?

sethb

But a sensible GUC user for a domestic flight (it must be, if it's competing against a RUC) is probably using that GUC on a connection to a TATL/TPAC flight (where the long segment already cleared). I'm not saying that all GUC users are sensible (and, for that matter, some might have leftover GUCs at the end of the year and burn them on whatever they can).

Delta has published rules at times, with little to no way to check whether they're being followed (and they aren't complete and sometimes not consistent).

MSPeconomist

I agree, although IIRC AA gives different priority to eVIPs versus stickers for the same flights. I think the same is true for UA's regionals versus SWUs.

gooselee

Here's one. LGA-ATL this evening. UG list has cleared and I'm a few out, but I also only have my briefcase so am waiting as long as possible to board.

During a pause, I ask the GA if F has boarded full and if not, will she UG on board or just in the gatehouse. She ignores the latter question and just says that F has boarded.

Somewhere in Zone 3, about 20 SBs clear. As I'm still standing near the podium, I can't help but notice that nearly everyone boarding now has a NRSA seat request, as do a bunch of others standing around apparently waiting to clear.

Final boarding call at T-15ish. I'm the only person left on the UG list on the GIDS and no UGs are showing on the cleared list on GIDS. Again I ask if there were any no-shows in F. GA says no and I board, with only one or two people behind me.

Get on the plane and at least three seats are empty in F - not together at all. I go back to Y and get settled. At around T-5, three people board and take the remaining F seats.

As I see it, the GA lied to me twice when I asked if F had fully boarded. As for the late boarders, either:
1. The separate people confirmed in F decided to wait until the last possible moment to board.
2. GA knew that F was not full, had NRSAs on SB, waited until all medallions had boarded, then gave the F seats to the SBs.

Perhaps I'm a cynic, but I see option one as being highly unlikely. Someone please tell me there's a scenario I'm not considering...

us2

Could be late check-ins/late connections she knew were on the way. I'd discount this at an outstation, but at LGA it is a distinct possibility with connections and frequent security line delays. While not at LGA, I've been called on my cell from the gatehouse from time to time to inquire whether I'd make it or not on a late arriving connection.

MSPeconomist

This part is possible, but the GA (apparently deliberately) lied when she said that FC had boarded full, assuming that gooselee was sufficiently emphatic when asking the question.

If it had been me, I would have been tempted to deplane, go back up the jetway, and ask the GA for an explanation. Then I might have called for a redcoat, although this would probably cause one to miss the flight.

mridley2

This! Good call MSP. Since you're already on the jetway & you cannot miss the flight, I would have walked back and asked. Especially after visual confirmation that you had been lied to... twice. Also I would have asked for the agents name and reported it later.

gooselee, were you on the 9pm LGA-ATL flight? That flight is a catch all for delta. IME all standbys on this flight clear. Delta leans in heavy on this route to ensure they can accommodate a reasonable # of pax from issues earlier in the day. I have more than once same day standby to the 9pm flight heading back to ATL when SDC isn't option. Done this probably 5 times in the last year. Haven't missed it once. Knock wood.

Burj

Having read several times of situations like this I'm prepared and if I find myself in this situation I'm going to look the GA straight in the eyes and say:

"Great! I'll board now and if I see an empty seat in F I'll just go ahead and sit it."

If nothing else it will force the GA to address the issue of if there are empty seats or not.

GRALISTAIR

SHENAs mother?

MSPeconomist

Good thinking, although then the GA could decide to board and pull the original #1 on the upgrade list from coach. Still, it's better than having those remaining FC seats go to the GA's nonrev friends or fly empty.

gooselee

Thanks for the input. I had not considered late connections/arrivals. The sequence of seeing a bunch of NRSAs clearing, then seeing the empty F seats, then seeing the three late arrivals all board together then sit separately caused my mind to link all those observations together, whether they were actually related or not.

Some additional notes:
1. This was the 6:59pm flight. Though I've definitely experienced the 9pm SB catchall flight before
2. IIRC, my first interaction to the GA was something like - "Has everyone in first actually boarded?" (blank stare, pause) "Will you come on board to UG medallions if there is a no-show in F?" ("F is already full")
3. My second interaction, which I remember more clearly because a) I only asked again after realizing the first response could have been interpreted differently and b) because of what happened next, was approximately - "Did there end up being any no-shows in F?" ("Nope." <scan BP> "Enjoy your flight!")

I'm sure I could have pushed harder, come back up the jetway, whatever. Maybe I would have for a longer flight. But it's 2.5 hours in an M90, I had 2 HOOUs on me, and really I just wanted to get home at that point, so I picked my battle.

At this point, I'm more curious for an explanation than anything else, and more irked that the GA wasn't truthful (or perhaps too lazy to actually check) than I am about not getting an UG.

Sadly, I don't have cojones of this caliber.

MSPeconomist

Even if the flight is only 2.5 minutes long, free elite upgrades are a published benefit of the DL FF program. We have earned those upgrades and we are entitled to get them when seats are available.

gooselee

Completely agree. In that exact moment, though, I just didn't have the energy to fight it, and I have a bad habit of thinking the best of people (esp. frontline customer service employees).

Perhaps that's what Shena is counting on.

Ledfish

In other words, your an optimist.

jrl767

or a fatalist

as he said, "I just wanted to get home at that point, so I picked my battle ... I just didn't have the energy to fight it ..."