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I recently flew CHO-ATL. 24 hours out, there were two F empties. As it turned out, I was the only name on the upgrade list and got one of them. Hard to believe, but there wasn't even one FO on the flight, and the other F seat went out empty.
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In hubs it's typically you board, you lose. Outstations do a better job of coming on board and moving people up, but not always.
I typically wait until T-15 to board and ask the gate agent if first class has boarded full, if not ask nicely when they plan on dropping the seat. I've scored a few upgrades that way. :p #TeamBoardLast |
Was on an MCO-ATL flight last July on a brand new A321. It was the 8:30pm flight (last flight of the night) on a Wednesday. I was UGd at the window and the flight went out with 11 empty FC seats out of 20. Row 1 was completely empty. There were only 30 pax on the entire flight. The FA told me that he was on a 753 once and there were only 5 pax on the flight. He let them all fly in F.
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So not getting on the plane until end of boarding and jumping a list of 20+ still works? Its been a while since i was on DL as a bottom of the list AS elite, maybe DL silver would be worth it ;)
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Back just after the merger as a PM, I was number one on the list and a seat in F went out empty. The FA was apologetic but there was nothing she could do about it.
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Originally Posted by Ryno1234
(Post 27879077)
To the best of my recollection: I have never seen an empty seat in first class, especially on a flight of some length.
Thoughts? I've also seen empty seats once or twice with no-one left on the list, but usually Saturdays. |
I have seen empty FC seats on Saturday morning flights from LAS-JFK flights. Perhaps too early for the Las Vegas party crowd.
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I haven't seen this in YEARS. I fly out of MSP so I never expect to see an empty seat in First. Way back in the day, when I was flying NWA, it happened on multiple occasions. I remember a flight when I was the only person in First. The FA was great. She would come out, check on me and say that I could ask for any amenity I wanted whenever I wanted it. Those were also the days when I could freely upgrade companions because there was space. I was flying over a holiday and upgraded a random person I met at the gate. It made her day.
These days it's too bad when a seat goes empty in First. If it's MSP, certainly there's someone on the upgrade list who is missing out. |
Last week OMA-MSP went out with an empty seat in F and several people on the list. I was already upgraded. The FA asked the gate agent if she was going to upgrade someone and she didn't really give him an answer. Door was closed 10 minutes early and we left.
The only other time I can remember seeing this was on a late Sunday flight BOS-IND. There was an empty seat in F. No one else on the upgrade list. The two non-revs on the flight didn't want to split up. |
With a 25 person upgrade list, that is a bad gate agent, but empty seats do happen in F from time to time on medallion heavy routes. I have been JFK-SEA and the cabin has been half-full midweek and that was after clearing non-revs too.
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The F seat next to me went out empty yesterday (RIC-ATL) with a bunch of people on the UG list. Flight was then held on the tarmac for a while (45 minutes or so) in RIC because of a ground stop in ATL due to bad weather. Bummer for someone that could easily have been moved up.
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If everyone had already boarded before they realized this person was a no show in F, then technically it's up to the FA on board to move someone up, but certainly not a guarantee. There were still 15 upgrades on the list, so in the least, one of them should've been allowed to move up, especially on that lengthy of a flight.
If you're the last on the upgrade list and sit around the gate house until everyone is on board and there happens to be a no show in F, you'll get the seat. Otherwise, it's a toss up if the FA does anything about it. |
Happened to me once yesterday, almost twice. I was #1 on the list with 1 seat left. Waited, waited, then boarded to Comfort+. Still an empty seat up front. Didn't want to make a fuss, maybe an IRROPS or something. Then literally 30 seconds before the door closes, gate agent comes onboard and moves me up. Not sure what the deal was.
Then after missing a connection due to weather in MSP, I was SLC-SEA. 2 empty seats in first class and a ton in econ comfort. Very strange... this was on a 737-900 |
Originally Posted by Ryno1234
(Post 27879077)
I fly weekly for my job and am lucky enough to be upgraded a good portion of my trips. Today from LAX to MSP, there was an empty seat next to me in First for the entire flight. 757, flight left LAX around 1:15 PM in the afternoon.
I got upgraded at the gate around 30 min prior to boarding. I was #1 on the list of about 25. The FA was just as surprised as i was. She said that she had seen the list too and that she also had several non revs on board. No one ever sat in the seat. It was seat 6C. Empty seats in first are kind of pointless. You can only stretch out so much! I felt bad for whoever was on the upgrade list behind me. To the best of my recollection: I have never seen an empty seat in first class, especially on a flight of some length. Thoughts? |
MSP-CUN 2 weeks ago on a 757 F did fill up, but the woman with the 7-year-old girl in the seats in front of me were really excited because they'd never flown in 1st class before. The plane was booked solid, so kettles in Y got moved up.
CUN-DTW on the return the plane was not full, so I had an empty F seat next to me. Two other seats in F were empty. If you want an easy upgrade, and a really nice holiday, consider Playa del Carmen. Like Jaime C., my one only-person-in-First happened on NWA, MSN-DTW. The flight attendant came up to me with her tray of snacks, and dumped the entire thing in my lap. She must have been able to tell I was a good sport. :D |
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