ediddy

Yesterday I am checking in using an agent (kiosk didn't find my reservation) at 6:05am for a 7:00am LAS-ATL flight. I get the BP, all's well until I ask to be put on the upgrade list. Agent tells me the list is closed. HUH? 55 mins before departure?

She told me that there was only 1 seat potentiallu available and there were already 5 platinums on the list. I am also Platm, but my YTD MQM as of yesterday was 0, so I figure cances are one of the other 5 would have me beat. But still, since when do lists start closing that far in advance?

crazygrow

Going under the assumption that she was being honest with you, I think they should close the list unless you are for sure going to trump everybody. What is the use of putting additional people on the list when they know they aren't going to clear? Waste of Delta's time and our time.

card26

I wonder if they closed the list simply due to the sheer number of people on the upgrade list. I know I've checked in with less than 55 minutes before departure and have been upgraded even thought I am just an FO.

nd_eric_77

I have also seen them close the u/g list early. too bad you were not using a kiosk, as the decision to "close" an u/g list is often just the GA trying not to add another person to the list rather than the system closing out the list. I had a similar situation where my ATL-HOU flight was cancelled, and I tried to stand-by for an ATL-IAH flight which would get me home 4 hrs earlier than the next ATL-HOU one. The stand-by list was up to 40 pax, and the first agent I talked to told me it was closed. I then used the "delta direct" line to call and request to stand-by. The stand-by list thereafter had 41 pax on it... with nd_eric_77 as #2! ^
I even managed to get an op-up into F.

The moral of the story, if one agent says no, try to find another way to get onto the list.

N808DE

Since when do your YTD MQM's matter in clearing the u/g list?

ediddy

How would anyone know for sure? She said there was one potential seat. For all I know 3 other FC pax were getting drunk at the bar and might have missed the flight and I would have been #4 on the list. Unlikely I know, but where's the harm in adding my name? I don't mind losing the game, I mind not even being allowed on the field to play.

However it was 6:00 and I was barely able to keep my eyes open let alone debate upgrade policies with check-in agents.

Bulldog King

Despite what you were told, the list wasn't actually closed.

I encountered this same problem on Monday morning.....

All 16 F seats on the 738 were "sold", but only 12 were checked in for the ATL-LGA flight when I asked to be added to the list since I wasn't on it due to having initially checked-in with AA in SJC.

Initially, the GA said the "computer closed the list" since there were already over 20 people on it.

However, I pressed her about the fact that it should not have been closed at that point (over 50 min prior to departure) and so, she proceeded to "try" adding me to it......and sure enough, I was easily added near the top.

To make things even more "interesting", I watched as over the next 10-15 minutes, another 8-10 people were added to the list (I was knocked down a couple of places).....bringing the total to well over 30 before it was finally closed at the normal time.

FWIW.....AFAIK, only 1 person was upgraded/given a F seat on that flight....as they called that passenger to come forward for a new seat assignment after already taking a coach seat.

What it comes down to is that the upgrade list never actually closes "early"....even if all F seats have been "reserved"...simply due to various possibilities including, but not limited to: misconnects resulting in additional available seats, F passengers using Same-Day Standby to switch to a flight that is indicated as being full in FC, "high-ranking" Medallions being added to the top, etc..

A.J.

BamaVol

I have had the kiosk tell me the list is closed with an hour to go before the flight. Probably not the first time I've been lied to by a computer.