Time Away

That promise was never made and they were in line for their upgrade before they boarded. Afterwards, I was in line per unwritten, unpublished rules that aren't followed.

DLNYC

An unwritten, unpublished rule does not exist. It is merely a suggestion. Personally, I'd prefer the GA to pick the person who was number 1 on the list originally, whether they had boarded or not.

DLdweeb

Of course she didn't. It would have removed one of the GA's weapons to pull some shena......

yohanson

I actually sent Delta a note about this when I witnessed it taking place (pulling an already boarded pax from Y and putting them in F) and thanked them for it as well as suggested that it become SOP. It's the fairest way to do it and the most efficient IMO.

houserulz77

Here is my point:

GAs confirmed to fellow FTers at the DO that if you board, you lose your spot on the upgrade list. I don't like the policy, but that is what it is. I assume it has to do with not wanting to delay a flights departure doing seat changes at the last minute, especially if the Y seats are then needed by pax on stand-by. I'm sure it also has to do with pax who have boarded not being able to see an u/g list and thus the potential for non u/g pax to think they may have been skipped.

Now, as has been reported by many, if seats in F remain, some GAs will board the aircraft and make sure the pax who would have been next (prior to beginning boarding) get the open seats in F.

So the best thing to do is to ask the GA. If they say to wait, you wait.
If they say to go ahead and board, you verify that they will come and get you if a seat ends up coming available.

To me, the only reason for a pax to get upset with a GA related to this policy is if the GA tells them to board, then gives a seat in F to a passenger who was lower on the upgrade list than the passenger they told to go ahead and board. That would be Shena.

Most importantly to me:

I'm sure those FAs who do tell people to go ahead and board, and then pull pax up to F if possible, don't see themselves as violating a policy. I'm sure they instead see themselves as helping Medallions avoid the inconveniences often associated with waiting until the last minute to board.

3Cforme

The OP acknowledged this before, in yet another thread on this topic he started.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...s-me-most.html

davetravels

First of all, the policy is RIDICULOUS, as many other airlines (NW,CO, etc) have always been able to pull UG's from Y without delaying flights - - and that's the fairest way to manage it. I'm sure most here will agree.

I'm posting a thought from another thread that I posted earlier tonight . . .

That said, as much ANGST as there has been posted here about this subject, why doesn't the Company realize that the FEELING that this whole broken policy leaves in the gut of a Medallion (supposedly HVC), having to hang out at the gate while all others have boarded, feeling like a huckster, or maybe like a hungry dog looking up at you at the dinner table wondering if you're going to give them a table scrap!!!

Delta - - - read the above post!! His blood is boiling just thinking about it!! Imagine how your best customers feel actually standing there living this EVERY DAY!!! Seriously!! PLEASE reconsider your official policy, and make it Medallion friendly!! Your best customers and NOT happy - - and it's an easy fix!!!

As you can tell, this whole thing really fires me up - - particularly because I know how efficiently NW used to do this - - I'm sure others will agree.

jascp

You asked her what you should do and she gave you an answer you knew to be evasive. You were testing her and she flunked but she managed to flunk you out as well. Did you actually get an order to "get on the plane"? I know of no authority that allows a GA to force you to board a plane. Sure they can shut the door and not let you on once they close the boarding process, but make you board? No.

Delta has a stated policy that is sometimes not followed but if you play by the policy you will seldom lose the UG war. I know because I collect frequent UGs by waiting until all the seats are filled before I board. I do tell the GA that I will be waiting until the seats are occupied. I believe some of them were actually relieved that they would not have to do the pull from coach hokey pokey.

Now for the infuriating part, I have seen one GA tell people they will pull only to have another give me the seat because the system promoted me to #1 and I was still at the gate. The lesson is you only get pulled if there are open seats. I filled the last seat ergo no pulling.

jascp

Delta, I am one of your best and the policy is fine the way it is. You may wish to tell the GAs to quit trying to be helpful to all those who wish the policy was something else.

lsugolfer

I'll start another thread for each time it happens. If DL execs actually read the board, they need to know how inconsistent their front line is with company rules and regulations.

avidflyer

Or perhaps....let me think....maybe......A GAMER?!

nukchebi0

I got burned by this when I flew back to college in August. I was 5/6 with no open seats for ATL-BDL, waited until the other medallions boarded (so that I was 1/1), then asked the GA if FC boarded full. She told me that it checked in full, and when I asked her if she was sure it boarded full, she simply said "it's all filled up". I didn't really know how to proceed, so I decided to board figuring it was filled as a result of Hurricane Irene related backlog. As I stepped on to the airplane, however, I saw the GA come down the jetway to pull the guy originally at top of the upgrade list from economy. He definitely deserved the upgrade more than I did, but it was a little infuriating to see because the upgrade should have been mine and would have had the GA been more accurate with her words. Since it was only a 2 hour flight and I had Chick-Fil-A, it wasn't a major deal, but as a newly minted FO it would have nice to ride up front for once.

houserulz77

If Delta execs read this board they will see your post, then look at the countless other posts you have made that involve ways to back-door upgrades, ways to get tons of vouchers, ways to maximize compensation for minor events, etc.
Then they will have a good chuckle and move on.

jascp

You got a hosing no doubt but learned a lesson. I leave no room for ambiguity when I ask "Is their a butt in each seat?" or "Is every FC seat occupied?" and when I get the "checked in full" answer I ask "how many of those have scanned their boarding passes".

davetravels

Hahahaha!!

I was hoping you'd chime in, because, I know, that YOU KNOW, probably better than anybody here how well NW managed "pulling people up from Y", and that it didn't jeopardize on-time performance!!