Waitlist - how is "time" determined?
 

I'm on the upgrade waitlist for a flight tomorrow. It's my understanding that to actually get an upgrade, tomorrow I have to be put on a second, airport, waitlist. Among the ways that list is ranked is time.

What I'm not sure of is how time is determined in the case of a connecting flight. Is it only determined when you check in at the gate (or the CRC) for that flight, or do you get on it from the time that you check in for your originating flight? Or when that flight takes off, or what?

Maybe the odds of it making a difference are extremely small, but I'm curious. (And yes, I did a search, but didn't find this particular technicality addressed. I may have missed something.)

When you are arrive at the airport, you are activatedon the actual flight's waitlist for passengers who have checked in, but the actual date / time you were originally placed on the upgrade list is used to determine your position.


This is covered in a past thread -> Upgrade Pecking order?

From Russ21Atl 's posting in that thread ...

Q. Regarding time of check-in.
In a multi-segment itinerary, where connection segments are waitlisted,is the time of check-in considered to be check-in time for the first segment? Or the time you get off the connecting flight and report to the agents in the connecting airport? One would think that since you are issued boarding passes for the connecting flight(s) at the time you check in for the start of the itinerary, this would be the "time of check-in". Sure would put passengers originating in a hub at a slight disadvantage, as all the connecting passengers are likely to be ahead in the time of check-in "race".

If both your flights are waitlisted on lets say Mon and your flight is on Friday, when you check in for the first flt, you are put onto the airport stdby list per your Medallion status and the exact time you were put on the waitlist. So if you are Gold for example, and another Gold checks in after you, but they weren't put on the waitlist until Tuesday of that week, you would be on the list ahead of him (as long as you're both non-full fare). Your connecting flight I would presume was put on waitlist at the same time your 1st flt was, so the same rules apply. Some agts don't know how to "activate" the connecting flt's waitlist segment, but thats OK, b/c remember....it pulls from the original waitlist time, not the check-in time.

[This message has been edited by Dataton (edited 02-14-2001).]

It has been my experience that when you check in at the airport for your first segment, you are automatically waitlisted for all connecting segments.

When you arrive at your connecting airport, head directly to the gate to see if your upgrade has cleared. If not, you should be waitlisted based on your check-in time for your first segment. Ask anyway.

As to assistance from the Crown Room, some personnel are really helpful, others will tell you to check with the gate.

Hope this helps.

I get it now - it actually makes sense as a method of giving everyone the same shot regardless of when their originating flight leaves.

Thanks a lot!

An update from the CRC on Concourse A in CVG.

We have been told this twice today: You have to get activated at the airport your desired upgrade flight is leaving from. Checking-in at LEX was not sufficient,and I would have been ignored if I hadn't asked here too.

As I mentioned in my trip report, the staff at CRC on concourse A is extremely friendly and helpful. Staff at B is ok, but they don't go out of their way like these folks do.

B: "You're on the list." (I ask if it looks hopeful.) "Well... you may make it."

A: "Oh, it looks real good."

Of course if they cancel a Boston flight and reroute half of F to Providence, I wouldn't make it, but hey. Them's the breaks.