Sometimes even a five minute delay can cause someone, especially an elite, to be auto rebooked. The DL ssoftware that does this is apparently called Viper. It happened to me in January when I was on my way to the airport and had checked in on my iphone. DL's wonderful IT moved me from a nonstop in FC on a G A P fare to an all day connection the next day with at least one segment in coach.

However, I've never heard of someone being auto rebooked after they had already boarded.

Rock on, it will come back with something good in the future.

[QUOTE=SkippyFluff;23331977]SkippyFluff, if your handle is a reference to a fluffernutter I like you already.

Thanks
 

Admire your character and consideration! You are the A team!

I commend your attitude but I think you did wrong. You should have taken the seat.

The seat was yours. An email confirming an upgrade could be edited (maybe it wasn't) but also is not the definitive indicator of seat, the BP, and the last issued BP, is.

The two GAs knew it was yours, and I doubt the flight would have been delayed by making him move.

Certainly there's no first-come-first-served policy, otherwise there'd be a lot of fake emails and a rush for the front once the gates opened!

You know, for all the effort that it would have taken the guy to fake the stuff it would have been easier for him just to buy a first class ticket. Especially since it would have been trivially easy for the GA to see if he had scanned in to the other seat. There's a lot of information missing (not at the fault of the OP, who had no access to it) that would need to be known before jumping to all these conclusions.

A fringe benefit of being elite is/was automatic protection due to mis-conn and upgrade priority (the electronic system is still active). The premise is that elites get backup space in alternative flights as a kind of insurance, and upgraded if they are bumped. The system is full of glitches, so when something "impossible" happens, and there is a delay involved (there was here I think), I just blame Viper.

One time I was in IND and someone accidentally changed my IND-LGA flight to "Cancelled" and my ticket got all messed up. The redcoat printed paper tickets after getting frustrated at the computer, and my reservation was repeatedly cancelled by Viper. It was really terrible, because I was seated in F and then the GA came and gave me a new seat (also in F) since the res cancelled after I boarded. When I got to LGA, my connecting flight delayed by 5-10 minutes, viper dumped my res, and I had to fight to get the seat back. Then the plane had to return to the gate, and again it got cancelled. I was lucky to fly at all.

Not if he used his 11C BP to board, then sat in 2A with his old 2A BP.
Very devious if he did do this. And he had to know he'd be in for a fight.

Glad for OP it was a short flight.

Your assuming he had to fake something. As many have pointed out, there are various scenarios where he would have had the boarding pass showing 2A but his seat assignment changed. He would still have that BP on his phone. He may have felt entitled to the seat, despite his knowing that his seat was reassigned or he may have not even realized his seat was changed and honestly thought he was still in 2A.

I just had to report back to this crew that as my BP was scanned for DTW-AMS on Saturday night, a new boarding card printed out for an op-up to 5C. They were a bit over in coach and was the most fitting way to cross the 1MM mark which happened mid-flight.

Congrats! Looks like it came back around to you pretty quickly.

I'm curious about the part I bolded. Since when does the app auto-update for gate upgrades? AFAIK, the only way to see an updated seat assignment that has changed after checking in is to go through the check in process again and generate a new BP.

For me the app is hit and miss about showing a gate upgrade. Sometimes my new seat will show up and other times the app still thinks I'm in coach.

Agreed--in fact on this same trip, I was upgraded ATL-IND and the app never showed the updated seat. But, while on the aircraft trying to sort out who was in what seat, I refreshed the app and it showed 2A--I even took a screen shot of it just in case it was needed.

^ I've seen that.

David

Delta owes you a no questions upgrade on your next flight no matter what fare code you are booked in. Period end of story. You did such a commendable thing.


If it were me I would negotiate with the Flight Attendant if this guy refuses to leave first of all give me the entire first class service meal( I would ask her to give me a choice before Mr. 2A as I did not plan on not eating) and everything, unlimited alcoholic beverages etc, and to send a note to Headquarters so that I can get a confirmed upgrade on my next flight with Delta without any restrictions and possibly some bonus miles.


Good for you for keeping your cool.