When your status only allows you a crack at a FC upgrade "at the gate", how do you avoid getting beat out by those who checked in ahead of you on a connecting flight?

I flew recently LAX-HOU-PBI. The airline said I could try for an upgrade "up to two hours" before my first flight. This was a companion airline, so although I had Gold (lvl 2) status on my native airline, I could only upgrade at the gate. Got to the counter exactly two hours before, and already all 22 FC seats were taken on the first leg. The reason: people who had originated somewhere else and were connecting at LAX had started their journeys much earlier, before I was allowed onto the upgrade field. In other words, I never had a shot at an upgrade on the first leg.

Is there a way around this problem?

I didn't mention the airline because I don't think this is specific to any one of them.

I disagree. All airlines have pretty specific and often differing policies of how the DM list and operational upgrades work at gate. If you really want a specific answer why not post in the SPECIFIC forum that covers your airline as your question is not really about "Miles Buzz."

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[This message has been edited by ozstamps (edited 10-07-2002).]

I can't believe your Chuck E. Cheese discount card doesn't help!

Bidkat, when using miles or certs attempting to upgrade at the airport off of the Departure Management List, time placed on the list is very important (at least it is at United).

I've never found a "legal" work-around at United (who has a 4 hour check-in rule on your first flight of the day) to defeat the advantage that connecting passengers have being placed on the DM list at their originating airports, much, much earlier.

I can only rationalize my disadvantage sometimes, in knowing that this rule also works to my advantage, sometimes.

You may know or find an angel or supervisor at a particular airport that might have the authority or willingness you check you in and DM you early. But as a matter of rule at many airlines, you are just out of luck until legal check-in time.

Good Luck!

On CO/NW this is one of the flaws in the system, fortunately for me, I am able to use this to my advantage most of the time since I don't fly out of a hub city at either end of my itin.

I'm not sure there is a way to beat the current system. Now if you are flying as a companion upgrade on CO/NW, I don't believe there is a way to beat the system. If you are a CO/NW gold, then you should hope that your EUA runs the night before or at the 3 hour window, if not THEN check in as a companion (hopefully with a Plat) b/c then you will be listed as a plat and go ahead of the golds and silvers. If you really want the u/g then use miles or pay.. those would be your only other choices that I know of

On Delta and NW use online check-in! worked everytime for me before I made plat this year.

gottigotti is correct on one point if you are flying NWA use online check-in upgrades are done in the order of check-in plat/gold/silver first come first serve in each category

You check in @ 7:10am day before 7:05am flight aslong as it is within 24 hours prior you get on the list

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Sorry mama i gots to get all the miles i can

Brian

What happens if (on NW) you check in online before EUA runs? Would you get your upgrade at the gate when you try to board or would you miss out on EUA because you're already checked in?

I am absolutely no expert at this but given an option, what about choosing the earliest possible (or reasonable) flight so that you should be on that aircraft's first leg?

I had been in this sitaution once and it did not work that well for me. Normally EUA happens before you do your nwa.com check-in. But for a recent trip, at the time I checked in online 23 hrs before the trip, I got the upgrade for the first segment. For some reason, the EUA for the second segment happened after I checked-in and I was actually up-graded, (which I didn't know, until after the trip, and i checked my email). Upon enquiring at the gate for an upgrade, I was told by the gate agent that the FC is full. And when I was boarding for my previously selected exit-row seat, I was told I am not assigned to that seat, and that seat was also gone for someone else. They managed to find one seat for me on that fully booked flight, and I think they alloted my upgraded seat to someone else or a crew member. So, checking in too early could be a draw back in rare occasions like this. I cannot generalise this, as I also beleive it had something to do with the 'not-so-friendly and unco-operative' gate agents at Memphis for that particular flight. Otherwise they could have found this out, when I enquired about the upgrade at the gate.

It's not aircraft specific.

I take the first flight out to the west coast every week from PIT, which is a hub. However, connecting passengers that end up on my flight checked in for their feeder flight hours before. Unless I want to get to PIT and check in for my 10am flight before another elite checks in for his 7:50 feeder from MHT, he will always be ahead of me on the list for our joint PIT-west coast leg. (I know this because I have sat next to him twice and see him up front much more often than me).

I'd think if you could schedule a 6am flight there'd be very little chance of running into feeder passengers. Of course, with time zone differences, chances are probably better flying from the east coast than from the west, but it's still worth a try.

I know of a couple of ways around this on a few different airlines, but neither are earth shattering.

AA--I use telephone check in and then call an angel at the ORD Admirals Club and hope that she can get me on the waitlist. This has not worked since the angel in question was bumped, nor since I don't really have legit access to the Admirals club anymore .

US--since I fly from PIT, I'm at a disadvantage from the get go. However, I work right by the airport, so if I'm really in a pinch for the UG, I'll drive to the airport at lunch (let's say for a 5pm flight) and check in/waitlist myself, in the hopes of beating out folks checking in in "spoke" cities.

I don't really see a foolproof workaround, short of showing up as early as your airline will allow.

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Saving the world, one clue at a time.