3Cforme

Some weird and inopportune human-initiated transaction that just uses names, not full ID. Checking in by name rather than scanning BPs? It's been a long time since I've seen them do that routinely, but is a scan fails backup procedure is checking a name off the list. I have observed two passengers with the same name and the GA getting the wrong one boarded first. It doesn't seem likely to be malevolent - there's too much transaction tracking to risk employment by bumping someone.

SDQBound

I was boarding a UX flight at CDG and when my BP was scanned (among the first ones), the scanner said "Already boarded". The gate agent seemed confused for a second, but then she said "it's ok, go ahead". Maybe Shena was on my flight?

LUMRS

Flying out of DCA on NW about a decade ago, I accidentally boarded the wrong flight. MSP and DTW flights were right next to each other -- remember old Terminal A? The GA scanned my BP, and allowed me to board. Luckily, I looked up from my seat and saw Senator Carl Levin board the plane. Knowing he had to be traveling to DTW instead of MSP, I confirmed with the FA, jumped off the plane, and just made the MSP flight during final boarding. I later confirmed with a GA in MSP that (at least at some airports at that time) the scanners only confirmed you were leaving station X. Somehow the backend system sorted everything else out.

LUMRS

Two weeks ago, I was on DL2638 (ATL - DCA), and there were two passengers in C+ debating about who was in their correct seat. Eventually the FA and the GA confirmed the one guy was on the wrong flight. I still fail to comprehend how the beep-boop machines at the gate are not true boarding pass scanners. They can detect and print out upgrade/new seat assignments, but allow pax to board the wrong flight!

MSPeconomist

I'm wondering whether the displaced passenger might have called DL for something, probably in the 24 hours before the flight if it looked like a SDC/SDS, and the phone agent failed to close the record before proceeding to handle the next call. If the next caller's request was somehow similar to the dispaced person's PNR, perhaps the phone agent somehow did the requested SDC/SDS for the wrong person. IIRC this sometimes happens with award tickets being booked from the wrong account, so maybe the same phenomenon can happen with SDC/SDS, but it would be much more rare as the next caller's request would need to be similar to the previous caller's itinerary. Of course, I'm just speculating.

underattack

I have had similar issues with SDC. Back when you could make these changes pretty easy as you checked in at the Kiosk, the system would offer me a SDC, but then say that there are no seats available after I selected it. Turned out that the change had gone through but the system didn't communicate that correctly. When I booked my flight, the same thing that your friend experienced happened to me. In my case, I was lucky that they still let me fly.

I think I saw that at least once more but having it happen once, I always checked with an agent after getting the failure message.

LUMRS

Completely wrong flight, completely wrong destination, completely wrong gate, but still made it past the BP scanner. I don't feel bad for the pax, because he was indignant about being in the correct seat. He boarded early with PREM, and took up the entire bin above my row (10) -- he was in row 11 with empty bin space above him -- making it awkward for the six pax in the bulkhead row to store their bags in the limited overhead space. As he charged off the plane he was yelling at the FAs and the GA to phone his gate and tell them to hold his plane for him.

MSPeconomist

I was commenting on the OP's case, not your situation.

StuckOnSegments

GA probably picked the wrong record when trying to SdC someone else. I had something similar happen one time. BP buzzed and said I had already boarded. GA said to board anyway. I get on, and theres someone in my seat. Rude lady...barks that she won’t move. I go to back of plane to tell FA. After standing in the galley for the entire boarding process, they eventually give me the seat and put the lady in the aisle seat..she was in the window.

I get to sit next(there was a person in the middle seat) to this furious woman who kept demanding to know if I was a non-rev, or what status I was.

Turns out the GA had changed her seat at her request but had selected my record, not hers and printed her a new BP(mine).

Pretty terrible flight.

z06mir

Grand Rapids and Rapid City get confused to the point in SLC someone boarded the Rapid City flight, flew to Rapid City and then was irate they weren't in Grand Rapids, MI. How many times do they tell you?! I get SLC is a free-for-all after the scanner but sheeeeeeeesh.

sydneyracquelle

Something similar happened to me as the only one to be cleared as SDS on a very full flight. I boarded early as a DM and got settled in but as the last passengers boarded I was told that my SDS clearing was a mistake and the plane now had one too many passengers on board and I was told to disembark. How can they board more passengers than available seats?