“Shena”: The Definitive “Shenanigans” Thread
May 6, 2011, 1:42 pm
#106
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,427
So, I'm usually ok with not getting an upgrade if I'm flying Y... but today pushed me over the top, not just because of the upgrade, but the circumstances.
Was on DL Shuttle 1382 LGA-BOS, on a paid F ticket. We all boarded, I had my drink in my hand when they announced the flight was cancelled, and that everyone on F was rebooked on 1384 1 hour later, but all on coach since F was completely full.
So, no big deal. If it's full, it's full, I could go on a later one if I wanted F, but I just wanted to get home.
Before boarding, 20 minutes before the scheduled take-off, I notice on the GIDS that there's 1 seat open in F, and I'm #1 in the UG list. Good, I thought, I'll probably get it.
We start boarding and they didn't clear UG. No problem I figure, they'll get me afterwards and move me up. I take my seat in 4C, which is not a bad seat. I'm thinking to myself it might not even be worth the trouble to move up once they call my name, but we'll see.
1 hour later they close the boarding door, and the seat is still open. Then, the FA moves to the back of the plane, and signal to another FA that was deadheading to BOS. He picks up his stuff and takes his FC seat.
Now.. I didn't mind flying in Y. But this seems like a serious lack of respect. I paid for my F ticket, and instead, the FA decided to give her colleague a freebie.... That is not cool in my book....
Was on DL Shuttle 1382 LGA-BOS, on a paid F ticket. We all boarded, I had my drink in my hand when they announced the flight was cancelled, and that everyone on F was rebooked on 1384 1 hour later, but all on coach since F was completely full.
So, no big deal. If it's full, it's full, I could go on a later one if I wanted F, but I just wanted to get home.
Before boarding, 20 minutes before the scheduled take-off, I notice on the GIDS that there's 1 seat open in F, and I'm #1 in the UG list. Good, I thought, I'll probably get it.
We start boarding and they didn't clear UG. No problem I figure, they'll get me afterwards and move me up. I take my seat in 4C, which is not a bad seat. I'm thinking to myself it might not even be worth the trouble to move up once they call my name, but we'll see.
1 hour later they close the boarding door, and the seat is still open. Then, the FA moves to the back of the plane, and signal to another FA that was deadheading to BOS. He picks up his stuff and takes his FC seat.
Now.. I didn't mind flying in Y. But this seems like a serious lack of respect. I paid for my F ticket, and instead, the FA decided to give her colleague a freebie.... That is not cool in my book....
Were you on an F fare or did you buy A/P fare. As has been discussed at length, A/P fares are actually coach fares. If you were on F fare, you shouldnt have been on an upgrade list. Also, if paid F, request difference between full F fare and walk-up coach fare. I believe you would have a valid claim under COC rules to compensation if on full F Fare. Dont settle for miles. If A/P fare, be happy with miles since they fulfilled the contract by getting you home and did offer a later flight in F.
May 6, 2011, 1:51 pm
#107
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: HSV
Programs: HHonors Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 880
So..let me get this straight. You were on a "paid F" ticket. Not an "A or P" fare? And you boarded because you were afraid of not having overhead bin space. And it was open seating and you felt, even if it is not written policy, that the GA/FA should take the time for find you after boarding?
)I don't care when the OP got on the plane -- if this happened, someone owes him some money, miles, or both.
May 6, 2011, 2:13 pm
#108
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,427
What the OP is really alleging is that the GA did not process the UG list so that his/her coworker could grab an empty seat in F. (Do I have that right? As most FTers, I couldn't be bothered to read the whole thread )
I don't care when the OP got on the plane -- if this happened, someone owes him some money, miles, or both.
)I don't care when the OP got on the plane -- if this happened, someone owes him some money, miles, or both.
May 6, 2011, 2:27 pm
#109
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: HSV
Programs: HHonors Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 880
(I'm so confused...)
May 6, 2011, 2:41 pm
#110
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: ICT
Programs: AA EXP, UA Plat, DL G, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,330
What the OP is really alleging is that the GA did not process the UG list so that his/her coworker could grab an empty seat in F. (Do I have that right? As most FTers, I couldn't be bothered to read the whole thread )
I don't care when the OP got on the plane -- if this happened, someone owes him some money, miles, or both.
)I don't care when the OP got on the plane -- if this happened, someone owes him some money, miles, or both.
And to be fair, boarding does not mean you give up your UG. I've been called several times over the PA system to gather my stuff and move to F.
May 6, 2011, 4:56 pm
#111
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,427
Agents are told the following.... 3. DO NOT upgrade passengers after they have boarded the aircraft to take their confirmed coach seat.
By the way...did you actually pay for a F class fare...or were you on an A/P (coach with an instant upgrade) fare?
May 6, 2011, 5:04 pm
#112
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: MN
Programs: Lots of programs, dirt on all of them!
Posts: 11,938
...which is why I hold back if I have not been UG'd by boarding time. But still, it has been reported that some GA's come on the plane to UG already-boarded coach pax. So this rule is not applied all the time at every gate.
May 6, 2011, 5:05 pm
#113
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: ICT
Programs: AA EXP, UA Plat, DL G, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,330
Yep...it does happen. But, then again, it raises expectations that it should happen each and every time.
Agents are told the following.... 3. DO NOT upgrade passengers after they have boarded the aircraft to take their confirmed coach seat.
By the way...did you actually pay for a F class fare...or were you on an A/P (coach with an instant upgrade) fare?
Agents are told the following.... 3. DO NOT upgrade passengers after they have boarded the aircraft to take their confirmed coach seat.
By the way...did you actually pay for a F class fare...or were you on an A/P (coach with an instant upgrade) fare?
And on any other day, I'd wait for the Ug to clear before boarding, but given that this flight was open seating, I didn't wanted to get stuck in a middle seat in row 35.
May 18, 2011, 2:16 pm
#114
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: BHM
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 42
NRT-DTW passenger SHENA
NRT-DTW last Saturday. Completely full in the back. Dude gets on, immediately approaches FA's at the front. Claims he was promised an exit row by "lady on the phone" when he switched onto this flight at the last minute. His current aisle seat is "completely unacceptable".
I know the story is shaky because I also changed flights last minute (about 16 hours earlier), and was warned before I made the switch that only seats left were middles. No aisle, no exit, no bulkhead, no soon to be EC, nothing. Just 15 hours in a middle seat on an old 747. I'm miserable.
Anyway, as expected, FA says sorry, ignores him as she's trying to get plane boarded.
He goes to a different FA. Drops his first DYKWIA. Claims he's going to call the DL VP of Marketing on his cell. Drops a few more DYKWIA's.
UNBELIEVABLY, she caves and GIVES HIM THE LAST BE SEAT. Not "sends him back up to the gate and let's him use miles to upgrade", not "asks GA to check his flight record to see if his story is even plausable", not "take your assigned seat and I'll see if a different one is available once we're fully boarded". Just let's him stroll up front and settle into BE.
I waited 5 days to post this, and I still can't decide how I feel about this. Right now I'm leaning towards 80% mad at FA for breaking about 10 different rules, 10% pissed at Mr. exit row for his arrogance, and 10% pissed at Mr. BHMike for not at least trying something like this before I sentenced myself to 15 hours of hell.
I know the story is shaky because I also changed flights last minute (about 16 hours earlier), and was warned before I made the switch that only seats left were middles. No aisle, no exit, no bulkhead, no soon to be EC, nothing. Just 15 hours in a middle seat on an old 747. I'm miserable.
Anyway, as expected, FA says sorry, ignores him as she's trying to get plane boarded.
He goes to a different FA. Drops his first DYKWIA. Claims he's going to call the DL VP of Marketing on his cell. Drops a few more DYKWIA's.
UNBELIEVABLY, she caves and GIVES HIM THE LAST BE SEAT. Not "sends him back up to the gate and let's him use miles to upgrade", not "asks GA to check his flight record to see if his story is even plausable", not "take your assigned seat and I'll see if a different one is available once we're fully boarded". Just let's him stroll up front and settle into BE.
I waited 5 days to post this, and I still can't decide how I feel about this. Right now I'm leaning towards 80% mad at FA for breaking about 10 different rules, 10% pissed at Mr. exit row for his arrogance, and 10% pissed at Mr. BHMike for not at least trying something like this before I sentenced myself to 15 hours of hell.
May 18, 2011, 2:33 pm
#115
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: ROC
Programs: Anything CC gives me
Posts: 1,118
NRT-DTW last Saturday. Completely full in the back. Dude gets on, immediately approaches FA's at the front. Claims he was promised an exit row by "lady on the phone" when he switched onto this flight at the last minute. His current aisle seat is "completely unacceptable".
I know the story is shaky because I also changed flights last minute (about 16 hours earlier), and was warned before I made the switch that only seats left were middles. No aisle, no exit, no bulkhead, no soon to be EC, nothing. Just 15 hours in a middle seat on an old 747. I'm miserable.
Anyway, as expected, FA says sorry, ignores him as she's trying to get plane boarded.
He goes to a different FA. Drops his first DYKWIA. Claims he's going to call the DL VP of Marketing on his cell. Drops a few more DYKWIA's.
UNBELIEVABLY, she caves and GIVES HIM THE LAST BE SEAT. Not "sends him back up to the gate and let's him use miles to upgrade", not "asks GA to check his flight record to see if his story is even plausable", not "take your assigned seat and I'll see if a different one is available once we're fully boarded". Just let's him stroll up front and settle into BE.
I waited 5 days to post this, and I still can't decide how I feel about this. Right now I'm leaning towards 80% mad at FA for breaking about 10 different rules, 10% pissed at Mr. exit row for his arrogance, and 10% pissed at Mr. BHMike for not at least trying something like this before I sentenced myself to 15 hours of hell.
I know the story is shaky because I also changed flights last minute (about 16 hours earlier), and was warned before I made the switch that only seats left were middles. No aisle, no exit, no bulkhead, no soon to be EC, nothing. Just 15 hours in a middle seat on an old 747. I'm miserable.
Anyway, as expected, FA says sorry, ignores him as she's trying to get plane boarded.
He goes to a different FA. Drops his first DYKWIA. Claims he's going to call the DL VP of Marketing on his cell. Drops a few more DYKWIA's.
UNBELIEVABLY, she caves and GIVES HIM THE LAST BE SEAT. Not "sends him back up to the gate and let's him use miles to upgrade", not "asks GA to check his flight record to see if his story is even plausable", not "take your assigned seat and I'll see if a different one is available once we're fully boarded". Just let's him stroll up front and settle into BE.
I waited 5 days to post this, and I still can't decide how I feel about this. Right now I'm leaning towards 80% mad at FA for breaking about 10 different rules, 10% pissed at Mr. exit row for his arrogance, and 10% pissed at Mr. BHMike for not at least trying something like this before I sentenced myself to 15 hours of hell.
May 18, 2011, 2:38 pm
#116
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: ATL
Programs: DL SkyMiles (Silver), UA Mileage Plus, US Scareways, AA Advantage
Posts: 336
I'm sorry, but how does this affect you? Unless it was your seat that the man wanted than it's not really your business. I just don't understand why this is a big deal--obviously it's against policy and the guy shouldn't have been rewarded for being a DYKWIA, but again, it doesn't seem like it would be any of my business or why I would care that someone was upgraded last-minute. Just my 2 cents. 
DL757ATL
DL757ATL
Last edited by DL757ATL; May 18, 2011 at 2:57 pm Reason: fixed a silly grammar error
May 18, 2011, 2:40 pm
#117
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: DTW, LAX, MBJ
Programs: AA, Delta Kryptonium (DM) Hyatt Diamond IHG Fake Plat (Ambassador), HH Gold
Posts: 832
The bad thing about giving in to jerks like this is that it only encourages this behavior...
May 18, 2011, 3:20 pm
#118
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: UsA
Programs: Starwood
Posts: 658
NRT-DTW last Saturday. Completely full in the back. Dude gets on, immediately approaches FA's at the front. Claims he was promised an exit row by "lady on the phone" when he switched onto this flight at the last minute. His current aisle seat is "completely unacceptable".
I know the story is shaky because I also changed flights last minute (about 16 hours earlier), and was warned before I made the switch that only seats left were middles. No aisle, no exit, no bulkhead, no soon to be EC, nothing. Just 15 hours in a middle seat on an old 747. I'm miserable.
Anyway, as expected, FA says sorry, ignores him as she's trying to get plane boarded.
He goes to a different FA. Drops his first DYKWIA. Claims he's going to call the DL VP of Marketing on his cell. Drops a few more DYKWIA's.
UNBELIEVABLY, she caves and GIVES HIM THE LAST BE SEAT. Not "sends him back up to the gate and let's him use miles to upgrade", not "asks GA to check his flight record to see if his story is even plausable", not "take your assigned seat and I'll see if a different one is available once we're fully boarded". Just let's him stroll up front and settle into BE.
I waited 5 days to post this, and I still can't decide how I feel about this. Right now I'm leaning towards 80% mad at FA for breaking about 10 different rules, 10% pissed at Mr. exit row for his arrogance, and 10% pissed at Mr. BHMike for not at least trying something like this before I sentenced myself to 15 hours of hell.
I know the story is shaky because I also changed flights last minute (about 16 hours earlier), and was warned before I made the switch that only seats left were middles. No aisle, no exit, no bulkhead, no soon to be EC, nothing. Just 15 hours in a middle seat on an old 747. I'm miserable.
Anyway, as expected, FA says sorry, ignores him as she's trying to get plane boarded.
He goes to a different FA. Drops his first DYKWIA. Claims he's going to call the DL VP of Marketing on his cell. Drops a few more DYKWIA's.
UNBELIEVABLY, she caves and GIVES HIM THE LAST BE SEAT. Not "sends him back up to the gate and let's him use miles to upgrade", not "asks GA to check his flight record to see if his story is even plausable", not "take your assigned seat and I'll see if a different one is available once we're fully boarded". Just let's him stroll up front and settle into BE.
I waited 5 days to post this, and I still can't decide how I feel about this. Right now I'm leaning towards 80% mad at FA for breaking about 10 different rules, 10% pissed at Mr. exit row for his arrogance, and 10% pissed at Mr. BHMike for not at least trying something like this before I sentenced myself to 15 hours of hell.
....hopefully the above tricks work for you on your next INTL flight
May 18, 2011, 3:42 pm
#120
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: MCO
Programs: DL-DM/1MM, HILTON-DIA, .HYATT-DIA/GLOB , IHG-PLT,HERTZ 5*, NATIONAL ES
Posts: 8,691
Is this one of those times where the phrase "All is fair in love and upgrades
" I agree it sucks, and I would be up for a TTU message. However, (hpothetically), if the OP had been the one to throw a hissy, and they got upgraded, I am sure there would be no complaint here.
Bottom line is that the FA was wrong to do this and that DL should be made aware of such actions...
" I agree it sucks, and I would be up for a TTU message. However, (hpothetically), if the OP had been the one to throw a hissy, and they got upgraded, I am sure there would be no complaint here.
Bottom line is that the FA was wrong to do this and that DL should be made aware of such actions...