teCh0010

Was the door open or closed when the FA pulled someone up?

If the door was open, then shenanigans.

If the door was closed then the FA is allowed by rule to pull non-rev passengers up based on probably seniority. What sucks is when the GA has plenty of time, but doesn't pull someone up because the FA wants to put her buddy in first. I've heard this conversation happen in the galley (sitting in 1B) where the GA says she is going back to print a boarding pass and the FA asks her to leave it.

eneq

So, is this shenanigans or did I get unlucky?

- At the DM window, there were 8 FC seats available and I wasn’t upgraded.
- Availability dropped to 6 seats at 48-hours out.
- At check-in, there were two seats left and I was 3 on the upgrade list.
- This morning, no more seats available, still 3rd on the list.

Seat guru still shows two seats available. Seems fishy to me, but maybe I’m reading too much into it.

jeet

Probably reading too much into it.
Though it does sound strange that these many FC seats sold out in last 3-4 days before flight but not knowing the ac type and route, can't comment on that.
The 2 seats gone after check-in window could have been SDC.

Did you try to do a dummy booking in DM window and see 'Upgrade Available' for this flight? (i don't know if that still works...)

eneq

Guess I could’ve given more info. I’m flying ATL-DEN on a 739. The only reason I’m suspicious is because of how many seats were “sold” in the past 48 hours. Maybe the winter storms are causing people to reroute?

Intl359Widget

It’s been a crazy weather week with multiple IROPs impacting all of DL’s hubs so there will be a lot of reroutes. I wouldn’t read too much into this as shenanigans since you weren’t inconvenienced.

Want First? Buy First.

MSPeconomist

Did you see a FCM offer to pay to upgrade to FC in th app at any time. My guess is that people purchased the upgrade at T-48 and then IROPs rebookings and SDC took the remainder of the FC seats. Don't forget DL's capacity limitations; not every empty seat in FC is available.

The Situation

I believe winter storms is the answer. There were some DL flights to/from DEN (and other cities in the central U.S.) that were CX yesterday and over the weekend. Paid F pax were probably moved to OP's flight.

jamesteroh

Not sure if this is still the case but some Skyclub and diamond desk agents used to book the new flight as a Y fare and if that's what happened here then those people would take priority for upgrade if the OP had a lower fare class booked.

eneq

It seems like IRROPS is the answer. I was offered a bunch of FC upgrades for over $300 (nice try, Delta), so I made the mistake in assuming other pax wouldn’t want to pay that either. Oh well, no big deal. I’m still in C+. Thanks for the responses.

eneq

Ended up getting upgraded at the gate. That’s the last time I’ll assume the app has the most accurate info.

jamesteroh

Could have been people that were on an earlier flight they though they'd miss and were protected on yours There's been times when my flight was really delayed and I was on a paid F ticket and the agent has protected me in F on the next flight and said if my scheduled flight left before the new flight I still had my seat and if it was delayed past the second flight or was cancelled to get on the protected flight.

Also had that before with a connection when my first flight was late and I knew I could miss my connection, diamond desk or sky club just protected me on the next flight and if I made it in time I was on my regular flight and if I didn't I didn't have to worry about getting rebooked and got on the flight I was protected on.
That is one advantage to a first clas paid ticket.

amolkold

Is Shena back at it? My SO who's still a general member has been paying for Exit Row seating on her company trips -- today was in 27A on a 757 where it's the 2nd exit row on 1434 ATL-LAS, while she was landing on her inbound flight, her seat was moved to 24A a non-exit row Main window. She told the sky club agent on arrival who stated that someone in reservations had made the change in the past hour looking at the history. Told her to grab a redcoat at the gate -- gate agent went onboard when she brought it up, came back and offered 26F which she declined because it didn't recline. Went back onboard and got her 27A back. I wonder which positive space or NRSA temporarily had her seat ...

MSPeconomist

She might have been SOL if she had gotten the seat due to elite status rather than paying for it. Did she stress to the redcoat that she had paid for the seat? DL's normal response is that seats aren't guaranteed and they would refund the fee if an "equivalent" seat isn't available.

I wonder whether someone at DL was trying to do a favor for a 360 or other VIP who couldn't get into FC or even an aisle/window in C+.

I suspect that the seat was (attempted to be) nabbed before NRSAs would have been cleared onto the flight, especially since she had time to go to a SkyClub. What was the timing of stuff? [Since she was moved to another window seat, I don't think someone decided that she would miss the connection.]

Good for the SO for standing her ground. I suspect that she's a keeper, if you don't mind my saying this.

amolkold

As I said - General Member, paid for the seat as preferred seats are allowed by company policy but not Comfort+. I had a front seat view to this as I am on the same flight as her though on a separate ticket with different origins, thus couldn't attach the PNRs -- I was booked into Comfort+ at booking with my PM status, and was going to give her the seat so I had a vested interest in her having an Exit Row seats

I think that's in bad form when it displaces a paying customer. Where's the line drawn? Can a 360 displace a General Member who paid for a Preferred Seat? How about a PM who got upgraded to a Comfort Aisle at booking?

Happened sometime between 17:36 and 19:11 when she noticed on the app inflight. Got to Sky Club at 19:30 as no agent at the desk for a 20:05 boarding (soon realized this was due to knowing about a gate change upon arriving to SC). Her inbound flight landed ~2 minutes late but it was an ample connection time of > 60 minutes.

I agree -- I was impressed!

GagaPilot

One other possibility - said as an airline pilot here - sometimes crew members are contractually obligated to be provided with exit row seating when deadheading to operate a flight after the one they are deadheading in on. Generally the other way (operating first, with a deadhead after) doesn't require one. Note this is deadheading - not commuting to/from work or for leisure NRSAs.

Now I fully agree it should never displace a paying passenger. They should be accommodated before all elite's too in this specific situation. Glad to see it worked out and she got her paid seat back!