When do GA's start processing the upgrade list
 

I'm 4 of 11 on the upgrade list for a flight, with 8 seats available which I know means pretty much nothing at this point but I'm curious as to when GA will start processing this list do they start at T-3 or is it at T-30 mins. I've never actually been upgraded at the gate prior to boarding even though I usually hold out if I'm 1 or 2 on the list.

I thought it was T-15 minutes because that is the "rule" around when you have to be at the gate or lose your seat. I could be wrong but that was my understanding.

30 minutes before departure is when the GA should clear upgrades.

this is "SHOULD" ... However, many times, esp. in Atlanta, it is done during boarding or even after boarding has completed.

Theoretically.....if they need to board at T-30, wouldn't they need to clear the upgrade list at T-40 or so?

This would also allow them to process the standby list (for Y seats vacated by upgrades).

It would seem that this would become increasingly necessary given the recent increase in the number of battlefield upgrades necessitated by FCM.

Can someone who flies one of the JFK/CA routes where they all clear at the gate comment on when that process usually happens?

If the GA has not cleared upgrades before boarding starts and you have a shot, wait and then try to catch them between zone 1 and 2 boarding. Just ask if they have cleared upgrades and that you are 1 or 2 or whatever on the list.

Boarding starts at D-35...if someone starts clearing upgrades at D-30 part of zone 1 has already boarded. Personally I clear around D-35-40 depending on how many seats are left.

mostly 30-45 minutes before departure in my experience.

Are you finding more and more seats being held back?

If so, have you been given any new instructions from the company as to when upgrades should begin clearing?

At a small station like mine, we'll clear upgrades if we see that all the medallion members have checked-in (or if its a Thursday and we've got a 35-person long list and only FOs and GMs are left) or at about D-35 to D-40 as well.

Same with HKs and non-revs. If the aircraft is only half-full, we'll clear them as soon as someone gets to the gate. But if it's looking tight, we clear the HKs once everyone's checked-in, and then non-revs only when we know for sure the appropriate load.

Interesting.....does this mean that if the person who is #1 on the u/g list hasn't checked in when the GA clears upgrades that person is out of luck, even if they check in at a kiosk 2 minutes later and then show up at the gate 25 minutes before departure?

I take the JFK/CA flights quite a bit, and as a general rule, the upgrades come through about 40 to 30 mins prior to boarding.

Depends on the Gate Agent
 

Sometimes they clear the upgrades 45 minutes before departure; sometimes as little as 10 minutes before departure. Since ticket sales for a flight are cut off at least 30 minutes in advance, one would think that 30 minutes would be the norm. In my experience, they clear upgrades before they start boarding the F cabin 8 out of 10 times.

As far as I know it is impossible to be #1 on the UG List unless the SM member is checked in.

That is correct and the reason the list is kind of useless until the gate.

Best rationale I have heard yet for OLCI.

Also yet another reason for IT to list u/g position by who is confirmed on a flight as opposed to who has checked in.

What happens if the GA clears the UG list and you aren't at the gate? If my upgrade doesn't clear in advance I like to hang out in the SC as long as possible and will wait until the message board is showing the status as boarding, or it's showing as at gate, will head over about t-25. If I am in the SC and clear the list will I lose the upgrade if the GA calls my name and I don't claim the new pass?

HK? Hell's Kitchen?

at T-15 minutes they will give it away. Some GAs wait slightly longer but eventually you will lose it.

But as long as I am there at t-15 I should be ok right even if they clear the upgrade at list at t-30? I am always at the gate before t-15 unless the flight is posted delayed. My concern was they would give the seat away if you didn't show up when they cleared your name.

If the upgrade clears at the gate and I log in on my cellphone or ipad to delta.com will the upgrade show up as clearing there as well?

Yup. That, in fact, is why others should NOT board. If you do not show up at T15 the GA can then kill your UG and give it to the next person on the list.

Useless to us but greatly beneficial to DL - by creating this visibility for the customer, DL can save big from “call avoidance” to their Call Centers from passengers wanting to know what # they are on the upgrade list, thus reducing their internal costs. Basically, just think of it as another self-service tool at your disposal even though reliability is weak on the customer’s end.

Yes and there is a little value to us. You can use it to confirm you will likely NOT get the UG. If there is 1 seat left and you are #8 of 17 then you can just accept the fact that you are in the back. Just knowing the number of open seats is key too. If there are 8 open seats then its worth watching. If there is one and you are an FO on a T fare then you may as well forget it.

If you get to the gate before your reservation is canceled, they will scan your BP, a beep will sound and a cash register receipt sized paper ticket will emerge from the machine; this has your new seat assignment on it.

AMEN!!!!!

Best rationale? So you see all the people who are confirmed on a flight, some (many?) of whom may never check in and therefore have no chance of being UG'd, and you want to see that misleading information? For me, I like it the way it is.

HK = Holds Confirmed.

If I had to choose, I'd prefer to see it by confirmed pax who have requested upgrades. I think the volatility of that list is significantly less than the one we have now.

That being said, I'd prefer to have both as posted here:
Number 1 of 2

Threads like these sort of bug me. We all know DL's should and what they actually do differ wildly. No consistency, so it's all over the board. Then we set expectations and then get rant threads. Sigh :rolleyes:

Yet at the same time I hope threads like these do provide somewhat useful data points for flyers to have "on average" expectations and thus help hold DL accountable to better consistency.

This is way too sweeping.

As others have noted, GAs start clearing upgrades just before the start of boarding. (Other posts may speak to a final clearing of upgrades - perhaps from misconnects - but that's not the OP's question.) IMHO, it's often this inability to observe with accuracy and keep posts on topic that leads to accusations of inconsistency.