SOBE ER DOC

So I'm flying this morning from ORD-ATL this morning and saw what I can only describe as a questionable customer service action that seemed penny-wise and pound foolish.

T-0 for boarding start time. GA #1 is at computer clearing UGs and standbys. There are four seats in F available for UG (I bought into F so I'm not affected by the events about to unfold). Two pax walk up to GA #2 asking the cost to buy up to F. GA #2 pecks on her computer and gives them a price. They agree. GA #2 goes t process and realizes that there are no longer available seats in F. GA #2 turns to GA #1 to ask if she is clearing UGs. She says yes. A quick discussion ensues. I look on the monitor and see that three of the four available seats in F have been processed for UG.

GA #1 proceeds to quickly un-UGs the third pax that she had cleared. She reprints that unlucky person's boarding pass having been moved back to their original seat. Their name disappears from the cleared list and is put back on the UG list. A few min later said pax walks up to the counter to clarify that he had received a a notification on his phone that his seat was moved to F and then another moving him back to his original seat. GA #1 apologizes and said there was "an error" and that he would need to take his original seat.

So, I get that the UG is complimentary and if the guy who lost his UG really wanted to be in F he should have bought a ticket in F. I also get that DL s a bit and this was an opportunity to generate more revenue in an industry where margins are on the decline again. But, I have to say, I really felt for the guy who lost his UG and felt is was kind of lousy that the GAs did this. It's one thing if the UG hadn't been processed, but it was.

I'll leave it to the peanut gallery to discuss.

Frogbone

Next you will see that UG's that cleared at -5 Days will be yanked and sold if someone wants to buy an F seat between then and departure. There's no difference.

Often1

Simply a function of something that has always gone on, but is now more transparent due to the app. Without the app, the two GA's would have worked this out, the paid UG would have received the seat and the guy about to get a new BP would not.

I don't see a relatively instant transaction before boarding as of any real significance.

Better practice might have been for the GA processing the paid UG's to mention this to the colleague standing right there so that the freebie was not processed at all or for the GA processing UG's to tell the other agent just as a warning, but I don't see this as any big deal.

mudpuppy

This has happened to me. Upgraded a couple days before departure, got to the point where I was in line to board and got called over to have my upgrade revoked because "another passenger is in full F." Said passenger standing there at the desk. The GA was very apologetic since the only seats left were middle seats in the back versus the C+ seat I had originally reserved. I got some miles for my trouble.

ethernal

This to me is the issue.. whenever these sorts of "issues" happen the original seat is often lost and then you're stuck in a usually pretty terrible seat. If a person gets an upgrade revoked (it happens - on the flip side may be a high value paid F customer dealing with really bad IRROPS, due to required equipment swaps, or a broken seat), it should never be to a seat worse than what they were in pre-upgrade (I realize this is subjective, but you get what I mean).

pvn

All of these problems could be avoided if seats were not assigned until the gate. You put in your preferences and the computer assigns seats. It should be really easy, there's a clear pecking order.

pvn

At the very least, upgrades shouldn't process until the gate. I don't see any reason why people need to have an upgrade confirmed 120 hours ahead of their flight, it's absolutely nuts.

3Cforme

If all upgrades cleared at the gate some people would lose class of service baggage allowance and meal pre-order benefits.

daloosh

Yeah, this is the issue for me, too, having been on the receiving end of this numerous times, losing my C+/exit/aisle seat to be relegated to the middle in the back. Not a big deal for short flights, but TCON? Of course, I've said, if you pull this seat to give to him, then you should pull whoever got my C+ seat and give it back to me. Sadly, it usually doesn't work out that way.

Sometimes another F seat opens up, sometimes you change a flight, sometimes C+ is available, and sometimes you sit in the middle in the back and stew.

ethernal

I think most people getting upgrades are already going to have decent baggage allowance so I don't think that's super meaningful (besides, the number of times someone is going to carry around like 3+ bags domestically must be pretty rare). The meal pre-order benefits is definitely an issue, but a passenger is no worse off than they were before if they cannot eat the meal on the plane (no meal in coach vs no meal in F).

PHXflier

People who get upgraded typically have sufficient baggage allowance because of their elite status. And there is not much meal pre-order benefit on upgradeable flights, right? I agree with another poster that it would make a lot of sense to upgrade mostly at the gate. This will also help those people who have to book at the last minute, and whose tickets in economy are much more expensive than those who could buy an F ticket long in advance. Those of us purchasing last-minute B and Y fares often end up in the middle seat in the back.

daloosh

Anyone recall if this has happened? That is an upgraded F pax is bumped, and then has to retroactively pay for their three checked 70lb bags? Just wondering. I s'pose it would also suck to have ordered a meal and not brought anything on board and then realize you have no F and no food.

btonkid12345

Paging TheHorta...wouldn't you have lowed a gate downgrade to accom you to PDX?

Just shows Delta's ridiculous inconsistency.

Full f or not doesn't matter - you shouldn't have given that up until they gave you enough miles at the gate to buy the highest mileage fare F ticket on that route - probably 100K miles.

This is what steams me about Delta. They have no problem charging obscene prices, then balk to use those same obscene valuations when THEY have to pay, instead of the customer

Makes tons of sense for Delta. They want to make it seem like there are only a few F seats available so those last minute purchasers buy up instead of buying Main and standing by for the upgrade

This works quite well for them when folks feel they probably won't get the UG at the gate and use miles or cash to lock it in

MSPeconomist

daloosh

Now that was well deserved! But I rarely buy paid F anymore, so I'm chump change, paying the upgrade in miles or cash, or using a RUC.