1. C/E
2. C
3. B
4. B

Reaaalllly? Some would interpret your initiative to log on to this board as being a scammer. If an agent offered to break the rules on your behalf to upgrade you, without being prompted, are you going to refuse?

Personally, I am rules driven, but if a good deal falls in my lap, I don't look the gift horse in the mouth.

I will ask a question that might be geared toward bending or even breaking the rules. If the answer comes back as "negative", I cease and desist. I am not sure there is any harm in asking.

I have no problem with the FF food chain. On AA, if I get aced out by an EXP (I am PLT), that is fine; they have earned it. Conversely, I may have to put a footprint on the back of the neck of some hapless GLD. It is survival of the fittest. You know that going in; if you don't, you will know soon enough.

If life has taught me anything, there is a lot of equilibrium out there. Some you win, some you lose. Sometimes you get what you deserve, sometimes you do not. I feel that I have gotten my share of good deals, most within the confines of the rules.

I can't characterize all scams, or scammers, as bad. Some of their actions have likely gotten us all where we are today. I have gotten the "what a scammer!" look when I file into the first-class line at the airport in my blue jeans and running shoes, but I earned the right to be there.

Sometimes you are the windshield, sometimes you are the bug!

FlyAAway,

I did not say I would not accept a "gift" if offerred by the airlines. (THAT WOULD BE CRAZY!!! RIGHT?)

But I can honestly say I have never asked for an upgrade that I was not willing to pay for. In fact, I actually called to let them know they forgot to take certificates out of my account for such an upgrade.

When I say scammer, I am referring to people who call in pretending to have one type of certificate that gets them priority when they never plan to actually have/or use at check-in.

I also have a tendency to sit near the check-in desks at the gates. It is amazing what you hear people trying. I once overheard a man telling a sob story about a death of his child to the agent... and got a free upgrade. Guess who I was sitting beside? I started talking about Flyertalk.com and the wonderful advice I find here. He then actually told me the "story" he told the agent... and said, and I quote "That dead kid story get me upgraded to first about 80% of the time." I was appalled... and actually refused to talk to him for the remainder of the flight.

Just my two cents... feel free to give me three cents in change... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

William

I am curious as to how people look at the word "companion"?

If an elite is able to upgrade their spouse, what about unmarried or gay people?

I believe it should just be ability to upgrade one person WHO IS ON THE SAME PNR.

Any other thoughts?

William

Yes.

1. C

2. C (Choice A is tough, if there's >1 100K flyer with a companion)

3. C (Yep, let the boss earn his pay.)

4. B (Agree with BillMorrow--don't like the grifter move/people who insults your intelligence)

1) C - You can't be upgraded if you have a non upgradable fare, if you wanted an upgrade you should have paid a bit more for the ticket. If you have a zillion miles you know that. If the no status flyer had an upgradable fare, and they asked before C did then I'd probably take him first.

2) A - I would consider a companion as somebody flying on the same record or whatever as you. If I bought two tickets, one for myself with a status of diamond zillion miles and one for anybody else (related or not), and both were upgradable fares, I would expect we would both be treated the same, both get on early, both the special check in etc.

3) C - the note is in his record, and every time he calls he's keeping you from dealing with somebody who really needs your assistance. Rules are rules, let the supervisor tell him that.

4) Gonna make my own choice here, I'd stick him in after all the 72 hour people since he probably made up the special 4 week certificate. If there is room after everybody who played fair, then he goes, if not middle seat in the last row.

C,A,C,B

I agree with spiff. Except in the case of the companion being a spouse then I go with C for question number 2. In the case of question 3. If you tell the person no they will want to speak to the sup. anyway.



[This message has been edited by toadman (edited 02-26-2001).]

C, A, C, B. The important thing is that you do SOMETHING. Too often, airline personnel seen to do nothing because it's easier than having to make these types of decisions.

C, A, C, B

As for upgrading companions, it shouldn't matter if they are on the same PNR. You should be able to upgrade whoever you want on your flight as long as you (or the companion) have upgrades certificates or the miles needed for an upgrade.

I think the real contentious one is #2. Different airlines have different policies. As a matter of fact, the same airline sometimes has two policies. See United, for example. You companion has your status until a few hours before departure, then on the upgrade list at the gate, each passenger has their own status.

I've thought about this quite a bit, and I think UA's policy is the best. Why you ask? Because it's a difficult problem to resolve, so we keep a leg in each policy (no companion status/companion status) with enough flexibility to resolve difficult situations at the gate.

The DM list is quite massageable by the gate agent. So even if your companion is separated from you, there is always some room for flexibility.

I think a companion should be a significant other (married or officially partnered, who, after all, put up with all the travelling) or a direct family member like your 90 year-old mum. Your boss stays in coach. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Or perhaps, the companion policy should apply only to 100K- since those benefits are indeed eroding these days.
Hence CACB

[This message has been edited by Droneklax (edited 02-26-2001).]

First of all the gate agent needs flexibility in the rules in order to be proficient at their job. That being said, if that same gate agent doesn’t have the experience to know when to use it we never get out of the dilemma.

I would g with CCCB. This is why…

1) That 50k flier did earn the right for the seat and shouldn’t get the boot simply because someone else chooses to rant. I frequently see people ranting about this or that at the gates and all I can think is “what a fool that person is.” I would give then nothing, but being as polite as possible. If that were actually to happen to me I would tell Mr./Mrs. 100k that in order to give them the upgrade I would have to remove someone else who has earned the right to sit up front. I have seen agents who might even suggest that Mr./Mrs. 100k go around asking the F passengers if they would be willing to trade seats. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

2) Again, quite simply, as much as you try, you can’t please everyone all the time. Let them know that if the situation changes you will do your best to accommodate them.

3) I would say “sir you have called 5 times before on this same subject. Since it is clear that with your patronage of our airline we value you as a customer, I truly wish you did not need to make the change that has put you in the position to ask us to reject our policies.” Then I would wait for them to jabber and just give them a sympathetic ear. Quite frankly, it’s only 100 bucks, that’s not much cash but the situation becomes a win or lose game. The goal would be to let Mr. 100k know that he already won the game by us accommodating his change request.

4) Produce the certificate or go away.

I'll agree with the majority on the first three, but I'm going to be the outsider on #4 and say "C".

[list=1][*]The first question is ambiguous; if I interpret this correctly, I'm going with E, on the basis that it's wrong to give comps when someone else is willing to give up money, miles, or certificates.[*]A. A companion on the same record should receive the same treatment as the sponsoring elite passenger.[*]C. Make it somebody else's problem.[*]B. The airline held up its end of the bargain, the passenger did not. If there's only one seat available, this results in A, unless no one waiting for an upgrade outranks him, in which case C.[/list=a]

Clever, EPS, for picking that up... you actually intepreted the question as I intended it -- that only the non-stauts passenger was volunteering up front to surrender miles.

My use of gender-specific pronouns was also on purpose...