“Shena”: The Definitive “Shenanigans” Thread
May 25, 2018, 8:43 am
#3061
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: MSP
Programs: DL DM, PMNW 1MM, DL 1MM
Posts: 557
SDS'ed on a 6am flight today. At the time of change I was the only one on the standby list. At the time of boarding I was still #1 with two more passengers behind me.
GA starts to clear seat assignments and next thing you know I am still #1 for 1 C+ seat.
About 10 minutes prior to departure pax who was #3 on the list gets paged and his name disappears from the list.Seat count is now 0.
I am still #1 and the other pax was still #2 .
I am standing by the desk and the GA looks at me "Can I help you?" I politely asked if the standby list has been completely processed and he nods.
I told him that I was #1 on the list and #3 leapfrogged me for the last seat. He mumbles about no more upgrades are available and goes about his business. I replied that I wasn't looking for an upgrade, I was looking for a seat as a standby pax and that I had been #1 on the list all along. I pulled out my phone and said I have screenshots of the list.
He immediately stopped what he was doing, went to his computer and wouldn't you know it, he prints a C+ boarding pass for me.
I asked what had happened and he said something went wrong and the wrong name was picked for the last seat.
The other pax's name never went back on the standby list.
I am convinced a dodged a Shena here. Would have sucked to have to wait 6 hours for the next flight.
GA starts to clear seat assignments and next thing you know I am still #1 for 1 C+ seat.
About 10 minutes prior to departure pax who was #3 on the list gets paged and his name disappears from the list.Seat count is now 0.
I am still #1 and the other pax was still #2 .
I am standing by the desk and the GA looks at me "Can I help you?" I politely asked if the standby list has been completely processed and he nods.
I told him that I was #1 on the list and #3 leapfrogged me for the last seat. He mumbles about no more upgrades are available and goes about his business. I replied that I wasn't looking for an upgrade, I was looking for a seat as a standby pax and that I had been #1 on the list all along. I pulled out my phone and said I have screenshots of the list.
He immediately stopped what he was doing, went to his computer and wouldn't you know it, he prints a C+ boarding pass for me.
I asked what had happened and he said something went wrong and the wrong name was picked for the last seat.
The other pax's name never went back on the standby list.
I am convinced a dodged a Shena here. Would have sucked to have to wait 6 hours for the next flight.
May 25, 2018, 9:48 am
#3063
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL GM, Marriott Gold, Hertz Gold,SPG Gold
Posts: 31
SDS'ed on a 6am flight today. At the time of change I was the only one on the standby list. At the time of boarding I was still #1 with two more passengers behind me.
GA starts to clear seat assignments and next thing you know I am still #1 for 1 C+ seat.
About 10 minutes prior to departure pax who was #3 on the list gets paged and his name disappears from the list.Seat count is now 0.
I am still #1 and the other pax was still #2 .
I am standing by the desk and the GA looks at me "Can I help you?" I politely asked if the standby list has been completely processed and he nods.
I told him that I was #1 on the list and #3 leapfrogged me for the last seat. He mumbles about no more upgrades are available and goes about his business. I replied that I wasn't looking for an upgrade, I was looking for a seat as a standby pax and that I had been #1 on the list all along. I pulled out my phone and said I have screenshots of the list.
He immediately stopped what he was doing, went to his computer and wouldn't you know it, he prints a C+ boarding pass for me.
I asked what had happened and he said something went wrong and the wrong name was picked for the last seat.
The other pax's name never went back on the standby list.
I am convinced a dodged a Shena here. Would have sucked to have to wait 6 hours for the next flight.
GA starts to clear seat assignments and next thing you know I am still #1 for 1 C+ seat.
About 10 minutes prior to departure pax who was #3 on the list gets paged and his name disappears from the list.Seat count is now 0.
I am still #1 and the other pax was still #2 .
I am standing by the desk and the GA looks at me "Can I help you?" I politely asked if the standby list has been completely processed and he nods.
I told him that I was #1 on the list and #3 leapfrogged me for the last seat. He mumbles about no more upgrades are available and goes about his business. I replied that I wasn't looking for an upgrade, I was looking for a seat as a standby pax and that I had been #1 on the list all along. I pulled out my phone and said I have screenshots of the list.
He immediately stopped what he was doing, went to his computer and wouldn't you know it, he prints a C+ boarding pass for me.
I asked what had happened and he said something went wrong and the wrong name was picked for the last seat.
The other pax's name never went back on the standby list.
I am convinced a dodged a Shena here. Would have sucked to have to wait 6 hours for the next flight.
May 25, 2018, 10:33 am
#3064
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: MSP
Programs: DL DM, PMNW 1MM, DL 1MM
Posts: 557
Just a couple of questions. What was the date and the flight number? Also, which list were you #1 , Standby or Upgrade?
Last edited by Frogbone; May 25, 2018 at 10:51 am
May 25, 2018, 2:38 pm
#3066
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 27,042
May 25, 2018, 2:43 pm
#3067
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 27,042
SDS'ed on a 6am flight today. At the time of change I was the only one on the standby list. At the time of boarding I was still #1 with two more passengers behind me.
GA starts to clear seat assignments and next thing you know I am still #1 for 1 C+ seat.
About 10 minutes prior to departure pax who was #3 on the list gets paged and his name disappears from the list.Seat count is now 0.
I am still #1 and the other pax was still #2 .
I am standing by the desk and the GA looks at me "Can I help you?" I politely asked if the standby list has been completely processed and he nods.
I told him that I was #1 on the list and #3 leapfrogged me for the last seat. He mumbles about no more upgrades are available and goes about his business. I replied that I wasn't looking for an upgrade, I was looking for a seat as a standby pax and that I had been #1 on the list all along. I pulled out my phone and said I have screenshots of the list.
He immediately stopped what he was doing, went to his computer and wouldn't you know it, he prints a C+ boarding pass for me.
I asked what had happened and he said something went wrong and the wrong name was picked for the last seat.
The other pax's name never went back on the standby list.
I am convinced a dodged a Shena here. Would have sucked to have to wait 6 hours for the next flight.
GA starts to clear seat assignments and next thing you know I am still #1 for 1 C+ seat.
About 10 minutes prior to departure pax who was #3 on the list gets paged and his name disappears from the list.Seat count is now 0.
I am still #1 and the other pax was still #2 .
I am standing by the desk and the GA looks at me "Can I help you?" I politely asked if the standby list has been completely processed and he nods.
I told him that I was #1 on the list and #3 leapfrogged me for the last seat. He mumbles about no more upgrades are available and goes about his business. I replied that I wasn't looking for an upgrade, I was looking for a seat as a standby pax and that I had been #1 on the list all along. I pulled out my phone and said I have screenshots of the list.
He immediately stopped what he was doing, went to his computer and wouldn't you know it, he prints a C+ boarding pass for me.
I asked what had happened and he said something went wrong and the wrong name was picked for the last seat.
The other pax's name never went back on the standby list.
I am convinced a dodged a Shena here. Would have sucked to have to wait 6 hours for the next flight.
May 25, 2018, 4:14 pm
#3068
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: MSP
Programs: DL DM, PMNW 1MM, DL 1MM
Posts: 557
Standby can mean two things. One, confirmed but needing a seat assignment, the other needing to be confirmed on the flight. Sounds like you were number two, and other passengers were number one. Thus list processed correctly. Agent hadn't run the standby list for passengers not confirmed, only for those needing seat assignments who were already confirmed. Number 1 always takes priority over number 2.
if you are right he would have told me that the other passenger had priority.
also, he first cleared all pax who needed seat assignments. Only 3 people remained who were on the standby list.
May 25, 2018, 4:27 pm
#3069
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,407
Shouldn't the standby list be ordered so that everyone who is confirmed on the flight (but needing a seat assignment, including those on BE fares) would be above anyone sho is standby (including elites attempting to do SDS)? If the "OP" here was #1 on the list and attempting to get onto the flight via SDS, this should mean that everyone else lower on the list was also genuine standby (versus confirmed on the flight with no assigned seat).
May 25, 2018, 5:30 pm
#3070
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 27,042
Shouldn't the standby list be ordered so that everyone who is confirmed on the flight (but needing a seat assignment, including those on BE fares) would be above anyone sho is standby (including elites attempting to do SDS)? If the "OP" here was #1 on the list and attempting to get onto the flight via SDS, this should mean that everyone else lower on the list was also genuine standby (versus confirmed on the flight with no assigned seat).
May 25, 2018, 8:19 pm
#3071
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Atlanta
Programs: Delta Diamond; HHonors Diamond
Posts: 655
Standby can mean two things. One, confirmed but needing a seat assignment, the other needing to be confirmed on the flight. Sounds like you were number two, and other passengers were number one. Thus list processed correctly. Agent hadn't run the standby list for passengers not confirmed, only for those needing seat assignments who were already confirmed. Number 1 always takes priority over number 2.
May 25, 2018, 8:26 pm
#3072
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 27,042
Do you know this for certain or are you speculating as to a possible reason why someone could be number 1 on the list but not really number 1 in priority? I doubt this wouldn't have come up on these boards before now if the standby list shows people out of order. I doubt this because, in fact, people needing seat assignments are not standing by at all. They are confirmed passengers awaiting a seat assignment and are entitled to have the airline ask for volunteers to get them if a seat if there isn't one left.
May 25, 2018, 8:44 pm
#3073
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Atlanta
Programs: Delta Diamond; HHonors Diamond
Posts: 655
It has come up before many times. The list mixes the two together. What you see on the app is not indicative of how the list will be processed due to this. Frequently I'll watch and see for example #4 get a seat before 1-3. It's a matter of being confirmed and waiting for a seat assignment vs not being confirmed amd waiting to get confirmed and them given a seat assignment.
May 26, 2018, 2:17 am
#3074
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 27,042
May 26, 2018, 4:43 am
#3075
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 794
As much as I hate actually flying United they do a far superior job here. You can see lists on flights you aren’t on which helps with decision making and the lists are so much clearer. Would be nice to see Delta clean this up or maybe they like it as there is less transparency.