MSPeconomist

I'm sure some would. Don't forget that (some) GAs fly nonrev themselves. If they commit Shena for others, why wouldn't they do it for their own benefit when given the opportunity?

sethb

Not quite: upgrading a coach passenger (who might be in 40F, not 10C) takes a lot longer, especially if they have luggage in the overhead they want to bring with them and there's no space left in F.

MSPeconomist

PMNW used to upgrade people on board but tell them not to move bags until the flight is up in the air with the seatbelt sign turned off. It worked beautifully and did not lead to delays. [FAs will often find space for nonrev bags in the closet or even cockpit when needed, if the nonrev can't just put them in a FC bin and leave them there during the flight and doesn't want to move them later.]

davetravels

It takes just as long for the GA to key in 40F as it does to key in 10C to UG. The rest can easily be sorted out onboard, one way or another, as MSPecon states above. It's been done very easily without delaying flights for YEARS on other airlines, and even on THIS airline when it had a different name. Even once the door is closed, there's almost always a few minutes lag before pushback. Perhaps you've never experienced such efficiency.

kop84

DL Operates something like ~5400 daily flights. How many times is this actually an issue? 1 per day? Obviously we really don't know but even if we say it happens 5 times per day, that is .09% of flights.

I'm not saying it's a good thing at all or nothing should be done about it, but it seems like a disproportionate amount of time is spent worrying about shenanigans vs the number of times they actually happen.

jeet

You'd be surprised how many employees are deadheading to/from work everyday. The number would easily be over 100. if it was only 1 or 2 per day we wouldn't have so many posters experiencing this so frequently

davetravels

On NW, the GAs knew the consequences if they gave UGs to friends, so it rarely happened. NW had a very strict policy about it, and, I can only speak for myself, but, the way it was managed, the pax KNEW the GAs would keep the proper pecking order of the list intact and pull UGs from Y before the door closed, so there was little angst about whether to board or not.

We former NWers were SHOCKED during the merger <and still are> to see how poorly DL manages this. I think most of us are STILL IN SHOCK that it hasn't been fixed.

PayItForward

Fact is, it might not be a priority or even considered a problem. Since planes are filled, what we have here is some informal treats / perks to employees vs a bit of angst amongst customers is hard to say which is more advantageous.

Honestly, as a company who has millions of passengers, nothing they do can ever be perfect and if it is not this issue, then it is another. I take UGs as treats so I do not plan for or expect them. I get it, I win, I don't, I still get to my destination with the MQM. RDM is a sad story altogether but again, their program, their rules.

sethb

It's not as if the FA getting to 40F (past all the pax standing in the aisle futzing with their carry-ons) and then the passenger in 40F getting out and going all the way forward takes any longer than the passenger in 10C.</sarcasm>

It's easy enough without delaying flights if you start a couple of minutes earlier. But that gives the connecting passenger who purchased that last seat a couple fewer minutes to get to the plane.

19103_aa

The continued apologists for this blatant practice continue to astound me.
There is no question in the most recent scenario that Shena occurred, and following procedure would not have resulted in a delay.

I am convinced Delta leadership doesn't care about this problem. These incidents are reported routinely and they look the other way on a constant basis.

My dream is for this thread to be retired: for a consistent policy, followed consistently, with consequences for employees who fail to follow procedure.

I likely will be flying another airline before this thread is retired.

davetravels

Just a side thought, that, just because the UGer in our faux scenario is in 40F, the nonrev can certainly sit in a row much closer to the front, if available.

jamesteroh

And the odd's of #1 on the UG list being in seat 40F are VERY low. Unless it's a last minute purchase or SDC, they are probably going to be sitting in C+.

And even if there isn't room in the overhead bins, all the passenger has to do is leave their bags above their Economy seat, and if they checked a bag it wouldn't be an issue anyway. I have been pulled up a few times by GA's and I either leave my bag above my economy seat or the FA will offer to put it in the closet.

The only time I wasn't in the front when it happened was before EC was introduced and I was in an exit row. Took me a while to get back to retrieve my bag but was worth it for an upgrade on a DTW/SFO flight. The GA came on board a few minutes before the door closed and read my name and another passengers name and said to come up front that our upgrades cleared and the FA saw us getting our bags down and said the first class bins were full and we would have to leave anything that went in the bins above our economy seats

MSPeconomist

Most people would be happy to take the upgrade and leave their overhead bin items where instructed by the GA or FA. For several hours in FC, I can swim upstream or wait upon landing.

sethb

The flight was completely full except for one no-show, that's why the non-rev was waiting until the last minute. Had there been an empty seat, the non-rev would have been cleared into it earlier than 10 seconds before the door closed.

MSPeconomist

If you say so, but I can imagine a nonrev waiting, with encouragement from the GA, until the last minute to see whether he/she can be cleared into FC.