Tedgrrrr

Flew from JFK to ROC yesterday morning; we had 2 empty seats in F and a diamond confronted FA before takeoff "I'm diamond, shouldn't I get upgrade" - he said he had no idea and she did not push the issue - but I looked and saw more than 2 people on list

Flew from JFK to SEA today at 8:30 a.m. I think, and there was one empty seat in F and a good ten people on upgrade list. I was upgraded both flights or I would have been screaming bloody murder on JFK to SEA if I were on the list and plane left with empty seat.

Are FAs really not empowered to do anything? And what's wrong with gate agents, how much time does it take them to walk to (likely) C+ and say "here is a boarding pass?????

javabytes

FAs are not empowered to upgrade Medallions on board. There's been considerable debate on this forum about whether they should, and also what the GA should do to avoid this.

ND76

Another problem is when the GA lies to you and tells you that all the seats in F have been occupied, when in actual fact they have not.

Widgets

Moving passengers after the cabin door closes is an FAR violation. All passengers are required to be seated with carryon bags stowed once the door is closed.

SSF556

What about at 10,000 ft...is the FA allowed to come back and say hello Mr/Ms Upgraded...you were #1 on the list but unfortunately we were rushed to get the plane out on time. Please grab your stuff and follow me to seat 2A.

There needs to be a common sense reshuffle at all 3 Big USA Airlines....

My flying style has become very defensive over the last several years and I do not like living my life that way...It starts with TSA and continues to boarding (battle to get overhead space), C+ upgrades vanishing (had this happen when I scanned my boarding pass at the gate for an ATL to PDX flight...Delta just decided to take away my C+ seat. I refused to board and they ended up moving the passenger who "got" my C+ seat), to having to send emails and twitters begging for compensation when Delta has a total meltdown.

You guys know exactly what I am saying...Flying is now become a visits to the DMV...unfortunately I fly every 2 weeks. I can generally avoid the DMV for the most part.

MSPeconomist

Interesting. Whenever I ask a FA if I can change seats, they response always is to wait until the door is closed.

Also, one sees FAs moving passengers during flights routinely, for example when the seat or AVOD isn't working, to "upgrade" nonrevs our friends, etc. I don't think they first open the door at 30,000 feet before doing this.

MSPeconomist

Was there an explanation for DL's attempt to "downgrade" you from C+? For example, could there have been a change to an aircraft with fewer C+ seats? I assume you didn't check in late or something like that, but could the GA have expected you to miss a connection?

SSF556

No explanation at all, no plane change, redcoat could not explain it. I had thankfully taken a picture of my boarding pass before I boarded, which I do for every flight now. I politely declined to board and asked the GA to fix the issue. Redcoat showed up and they moved the person who go my C+ seat back to economy. I then boarded.

My post
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...seat-gate.html

AANYC1981

GA's are now to start clearing UPGs at T-40, so this shouldn't be happening, unless people are adding themselves to the list very close in.

Tedgrrrr

the ROC flight was on the day water main broke near JFK and the midtown tunnel was all jacked - so it is possible that regular F passengers missed the flight.

SEA to JFK had many on the waitlist can't imagine they all added themselves at the last minute.

JesseRohr

1A was empty this morning on my BHM - ATL leg. Sad really.

CO-PLAT

I've also noticed upgrades clearing at the gate early than before. I was upgraded to the last F seat on LAS-SLC 40 minutes before departure.

apodo77

Ummm...yea that rule is never followed. Seen it a gazillion times before and been told many times to wait til the door is closed to move seats.

Weekend Away

I had a similar experience last week on a flight from ATL-MAD. I had a paid Comfort+ seat, then at check-in I couldn't check myself in, an agent had to do it for me. After an hour at the counter, I got my boarding pass with a seat assignment at the gate. Bumped from confirmed seat to standby. Got a seat at the gate, but it was in the back of the plane. I complained to the gate agent who wouldn't help. Went to the customer service counter, who lied to me about an equipment swap being the reason for the downgrade. I eventually found a red coat and explained my situation to her. She eventually upgraded a Diamond Medallion from Comfort+ to DeltaOne. I don't get why I had to complain about not getting my paid seat in order for a Diamond to get the upgrade. They were going to take off with that seat empty. (I was the last person to board.) I also haven't received a response from Delta as to why I nearly got bumped from the flight, and from Comfort+. It doesn't seem like the employees know the rules well enough to help people.

Widgets

A U.S. airline wouldn't enshrine a practice into policy and encourage employees to do something in writing that clearly violates an FAR. Onboard upgrades are happening, but only before the door closes. Delta would open itself to fines if it were caught encouraging FAs to reseat passengers immediately after the cabin door closes. There's a difference between employees complacently violating FARs and an airline overtly instructing its employees to violate FARs.