motytrah

The GAs should be encouraged to make customers whole. That means if you scored a battlefield upgrade and all of a sudden a paid F customer shows up you collect your things and take the walk of shame to the back to steerage. It sucks but that's the right thing to do.

As far as pulling people up once the door closes I don't understand how there are any empty seats in the first place. With how DL gives away status like candy and FCM there should almost never be an empty F seat domestically.

bubbashow

That flight attendant doesn't know the upgrade order. A Silver on a full Y is entitled to the seat more than a Platinum on an X fare. Gate agent didn't fill it, so FA provided professional courtesy.

Ben and Jerry

Think this is caused by waiting until the last second to process UG's, and then when something unexcpected happens they don't have time left to do it. They care more about getting the flight out on time than getting F seats filled.

TTT

Miss-connects and no-shows create empty seats in F.

Anudoric

The only way to be consistent is by consistently processing upgrades before boarding only. If a GA had to go to the last row to upgrade a passenger and it's close to departure, there will be a delay.

I think it's bad customer service to delay 150 passengers in order to process an upgrade at the last minute. Overall it nets positive customer service to only upgrade at the gate to ensure on-time departures. And all GAs should notify all passengers who are 1-3 on the upgrade list that they should wait to board.

I've seen #25 GM get upgraded because he waited until the end of boarding to take a phone call.

Too many GAs want to be nice and process upgrades onboard, but they can't be consistent because when they see their upgrade in row 40 they find any medallion in row 4 and upgrade that one randomly. Consistency in policy over anything else is important (to me).

If Delta tells me that it's their policy to do X and expect Y, then I should always get to expect Y whether that might be a good or bad thing.

yohanson

I've been pulled from the back at least a half dozen times. This was the policy of NWA as well as other airlines. Pulling people from the back doesn't take any extra time and it's the most fair way of doing it as opposed to the slackers waiting around in the gate for a no show.

davetravels

NW had a VERY strict policy as to the integrity of the UG list, and the GAs knew they would get in serious trouble if the did anything to circumvent the process. They were instructed to pull from Y up to F, and it did NOT delay flights. Same on CO, as I remember. It absolutely CAN be done without delays.

In my opinion, the only reason NOT to pull from Y, is to create this gray area of ambiguity that exists now, so that the GAs have a loophole to "take care of their own". You board - you lose. Perfect. Everybody boarded and lost, so now I can UG my fellow employees.

FlyAO2

I understand that NWA was the greatest airline of all time and all the other accolades that go with NWA, but I disagree. Pulling people from the back is a pain because that obviously wants his bag with him and needs to find space up front.

Meanwhile, others are still boarding and moving around -- it is just too complicated. I have no issue with the Board and Lose your seat policy

davetravels

That's RIGHT. NW was the absolute bestest at EVERYTHING and no matter what they did wrong - it was still right! I don't think so.

But, the UG policy was perfect. You always knew that you would be upgraded in the correct pecking order, since the GAs knew they would get in trouble otherwise. If someone in the last row got an UG, they usually had to wait til everyone was onboard and the aisle was clear. Often times, I remember the GA boarding, and right before closing the door, telling the lead FA to UG seat 99C, for example. Door closed. Walk back to 99C. If there wasn't time to remove and stow the bag up front, they would do it once in the air.

The main thing about maintaining the correct pecking order of the UG list, is that, upper level Elites / Medallions actually feel their status has some value, and not feel like a piece of cr@p when they see they're being passed over, and employees and people who are intentionally waiting behind at the podium to scam the system are sitting up front.

Bonehead

Yes, same at CO, and the same now at UA. It's not a big issue. DL is screwing you guys in my view.

readywhenyouare

If Delta would follow their own policies this kind of stuff wouldn't happen. Delta says that you must be present 15 minutes prior to departure or else you forfeit your seat. If I'm #1 and see that an F customer is unclaimed at T-15 then I ask the gate agent for the seat. If they give me any trouble I'll find a redcoat.

davetravels

Do you really think a paid F pax should be yanked off the flight, or bounced back to Y at T-15 if the GA knows their connecting flight was a little late and they might be running to make it?

readywhenyouare

A couple of years ago I was flying out of MLB on the first flight of the morning. Due to fires along I-95 I got stopped in traffic due to smoke and an accident. After about 45 minutes the police finally let us move on. I got to MLB and rushed to security. By the time I got the gate the agent had just closed the door. I had to buy a new ticket and haul ... over to MCO. Delta enforced their policy in the strictest sense on me so now I expect them to do it to everyone else as well.

davetravels

I'm going to quote your post from the Silver Medallion thread . . . . .

Hope you don't mind!

readywhenyouare

Not at all!