Upgrading Problems??
Jun 14, 2005 | 11:28 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 177
Upgrading Problems??
The entire upgrade process is all messed up if you ask me... here is my experience/story/complaint.
FACTS:
EWR - MSP
Continental One Pass Gold
NW Flight
Purchased coach ticket, code K
Didn't get upgraded by EAU
Didn't get upgraded at check-in
Before boarding myself and a couple of elite members ask the agent if upgrades were possible (mine was not cleared at EAU, and apparently none of the elites were). I got a harshtone response from the agent something along the lines of "Sir, the flight is completely full, there is no choice of upgrades, I may even have to ask for people to volunteer". The flight was indeed oversold big time, BUT...
when they called for first class boarding NO ONE boarded. apparently they didn't sell any FC tickets. So then they boarded the rest of the plane. After everyone boarded there were about 10 elite members waiting at the agents counter to see if they can get upgraded and about 10 other coach passengers with unassigned seats.
The agent started calling names of elite members for their upgrades... but apparenlty 2/3 of them have already boarded the plane thinking since the flight was oversold, and since they weren't upgraded by the EAU, and the agent did say no chance for upgrades. Luckily for me I waited, and then my name finally came up on the FC upgrade standby list after they called about 8 different names and no one responded.
At the end, there were about 10 elite members that got upgraded to first only because they stayed behind and waited. And about 10 coach passengers with unassigned seats sitting in first. I know for a fact that there were more than 10 elite members that should have gotten upgraded to FC but didn't. Instead the coach passengers with unassigned seats got seated in FC. this is truely messed up in my books....
what do you guys think?
so my question is...
1. why didn't the computer automatically upgrade us at check-in?? there were NO ONE in first class when they called to board. And why is it that when I called NWA to check my upgrade status, they told me FC was fully booked solid?
2. why did the gate agent say no chance in hell of upgrade because this flight is sold out? when apparently FC was completely empty?
3. why didn't the gate agent or FA go on board and give elite members new seating assignments instead of seating the unassigned coach passengers to first?
4. seems like coach passengers with unassigned seats had a better chance scoring upgrades than elite members!!
FACTS:
EWR - MSP
Continental One Pass Gold
NW Flight
Purchased coach ticket, code K
Didn't get upgraded by EAU
Didn't get upgraded at check-in
Before boarding myself and a couple of elite members ask the agent if upgrades were possible (mine was not cleared at EAU, and apparently none of the elites were). I got a harshtone response from the agent something along the lines of "Sir, the flight is completely full, there is no choice of upgrades, I may even have to ask for people to volunteer". The flight was indeed oversold big time, BUT...
when they called for first class boarding NO ONE boarded. apparently they didn't sell any FC tickets. So then they boarded the rest of the plane. After everyone boarded there were about 10 elite members waiting at the agents counter to see if they can get upgraded and about 10 other coach passengers with unassigned seats.
The agent started calling names of elite members for their upgrades... but apparenlty 2/3 of them have already boarded the plane thinking since the flight was oversold, and since they weren't upgraded by the EAU, and the agent did say no chance for upgrades. Luckily for me I waited, and then my name finally came up on the FC upgrade standby list after they called about 8 different names and no one responded.
At the end, there were about 10 elite members that got upgraded to first only because they stayed behind and waited. And about 10 coach passengers with unassigned seats sitting in first. I know for a fact that there were more than 10 elite members that should have gotten upgraded to FC but didn't. Instead the coach passengers with unassigned seats got seated in FC. this is truely messed up in my books....
what do you guys think?
so my question is...
1. why didn't the computer automatically upgrade us at check-in?? there were NO ONE in first class when they called to board. And why is it that when I called NWA to check my upgrade status, they told me FC was fully booked solid?
2. why did the gate agent say no chance in hell of upgrade because this flight is sold out? when apparently FC was completely empty?
3. why didn't the gate agent or FA go on board and give elite members new seating assignments instead of seating the unassigned coach passengers to first?
4. seems like coach passengers with unassigned seats had a better chance scoring upgrades than elite members!!
Last edited by 00flyer00; Jun 14, 2005 at 11:33 am
Jun 14, 2005 | 12:02 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: fort worth, tx AA Gold,Best Western-Diamond, HH- Gold, Marriott-Silver
Posts: 2,737
1.) Just because no one boarded when pre-boarding was called did not mean that there was no one checked in for FC. You do not have to board during pre-boarding, it is a courtesy. If the phone agents and the counter agents told you F was full than it was full. People often change their plans. When you can check in 24hours ahead of time things change in 24hours. You have to be checked in 30 minutes before flight time. If some of the people that had been upgraded/bought F tickets were not checked in at 30 minutes prior than the agent could not release the seats till Check in closed.
2.) See # 1. Same question, same answer.
3 & 4) You are making an assumption that the unassigned passengers in coach were not elite. It is possible that they were elite, and or that they bought a Fare that allowed for an automatic upgrade to F. However, at the time they bought it all the seats were occupied and the automatic upgrade was not able to be processed.
As far as an agent or FA going to the back to get a passenger. I have seen it happen before. However, there are times it is more expedient to get the plane out to just assign someone without a seat to an empty seat than to shuffle people around.
Actually as a CO Gold I think you should be elated that you even got an Upgrade flying out of EWR to a NW hub on NW metal. Gold members tend to have a hard time, especially on Hub-Hub flights due to the high number of Plats with both airlines going or coming from those locations.
Mistakes may have been made, however, if that is the case, you benefited! I am sure the agent was aware of all the facts and tried to do their best to get all the passengers to their destination on time and UG those eligible. If you were a Plat and sitting in the back, than you might actually have a complaint.
2.) See # 1. Same question, same answer.
3 & 4) You are making an assumption that the unassigned passengers in coach were not elite. It is possible that they were elite, and or that they bought a Fare that allowed for an automatic upgrade to F. However, at the time they bought it all the seats were occupied and the automatic upgrade was not able to be processed.
As far as an agent or FA going to the back to get a passenger. I have seen it happen before. However, there are times it is more expedient to get the plane out to just assign someone without a seat to an empty seat than to shuffle people around.
Actually as a CO Gold I think you should be elated that you even got an Upgrade flying out of EWR to a NW hub on NW metal. Gold members tend to have a hard time, especially on Hub-Hub flights due to the high number of Plats with both airlines going or coming from those locations.
Mistakes may have been made, however, if that is the case, you benefited! I am sure the agent was aware of all the facts and tried to do their best to get all the passengers to their destination on time and UG those eligible. If you were a Plat and sitting in the back, than you might actually have a complaint.
Jun 14, 2005 | 12:07 pm
#3
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: RST
Programs: Delta Diamond; Hilton Diamond; Accor Gold
Posts: 4,844
What is the problem??? You did get upgraded so not a bad deal. As far as the rest of the story we only have your side of the story.
As far as you were concerned, no problems. lets leave it at that. If more want to discuss this they should continue discussion in the other "upgrade problems" thread. no need to start from scratch again.
As far as you were concerned, no problems. lets leave it at that. If more want to discuss this they should continue discussion in the other "upgrade problems" thread. no need to start from scratch again.
Jun 14, 2005 | 2:21 pm
#4
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Washington, D.C.
Posts: 282
This all comes doen to the GA being the final authority when it comes to getting the plane out. Last night on Flight 355 MSP-SFO I did not get upgraded flying on a M fare. I know I was #19 on the upgrade list when I checked in at DCA. There were numerous problems last night with weather and they subsituted one 757 for another. The one we got had 24 first class seats instead on 22. Of course, as you probably figured the plane went out with 2 empty first class seats. How do I know, I was sitting in 16C. I actually saw someone ask the lead flight attendendant to move up to one of the seats, which he did. I didn't bother because the seat next to me was empty and I was already was content where I was sitting.
Jun 14, 2005 | 4:43 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: fort worth, tx AA Gold,Best Western-Diamond, HH- Gold, Marriott-Silver
Posts: 2,737
Originally Posted by mccullo3
This all comes doen to the GA being the final authority when it comes to getting the plane out. Last night on Flight 355 MSP-SFO I did not get upgraded flying on a M fare. I know I was #19 on the upgrade list when I checked in at DCA. There were numerous problems last night with weather and they subsituted one 757 for another. The one we got had 24 first class seats instead on 22. Of course, as you probably figured the plane went out with 2 empty first class seats. How do I know, I was sitting in 16C. I actually saw someone ask the lead flight attendendant to move up to one of the seats, which he did. I didn't bother because the seat next to me was empty and I was already was content where I was sitting.
Jun 14, 2005 | 7:07 pm
#6
Join Date: May 2005
Location: DTW
Programs: NW PE, Marriott GE, HHonors Gold, *wood Gold, Priority Club, Hertz 5*, Avis Wizard
Posts: 186
Just goes to show you that waiting at the gate can sometime be the best option.
Jun 14, 2005 | 8:59 pm
#7
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Washington, D.C.
Posts: 282
Originally Posted by nnightmar
Just goes to show you that waiting at the gate can sometime be the best option.
Jun 14, 2005 | 9:29 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 177
Originally Posted by wldtrvlr
1.) Just because no one boarded when pre-boarding was called did not mean that there was no one checked in for FC. You do not have to board during pre-boarding, it is a courtesy. If the phone agents and the counter agents told you F was full than it was full. People often change their plans. When you can check in 24hours ahead of time things change in 24hours. You have to be checked in 30 minutes before flight time. If some of the people that had been upgraded/bought F tickets were not checked in at 30 minutes prior than the agent could not release the seats till Check in closed.
Yes, I understand that FC does not have to board when the flight is being preboarding. How can first class seats be "full" when they went ahead and upgraded about 10+ elites and upgraded another 8+ coach passengers due to not having assigned seats? It was definitely not "full". Trust me FC completely empty, I was there, and you weren't. I was the second person upgraded and when I board first cabin there were only 1 other person there.
2.) See # 1. Same question, same answer.
3 & 4) You are making an assumption that the unassigned passengers in coach were not elite. It is possible that they were elite, and or that they bought a Fare that allowed for an automatic upgrade to F. However, at the time they bought it all the seats were occupied and the automatic upgrade was not able to be processed.
Sure, some of the unassigned passenges could have been elite. BUT I know for a fact that about 6 were not. Throughout the flight, a few of them kept commenting to each other that they were so lucky that the flight was booked and got upgraded for free and shouldn't have. And before giving these FC seats away to them, the gate agents mumbled to each other something along the lines of "he already boarded" about 5-6 times.
As far as an agent or FA going to the back to get a passenger. I have seen it happen before. However, there are times it is more expedient to get the plane out to just assign someone without a seat to an empty seat than to shuffle people around.
Actually as a CO Gold I think you should be elated that you even got an Upgrade flying out of EWR to a NW hub on NW metal. Gold members tend to have a hard time, especially on Hub-Hub flights due to the high number of Plats with both airlines going or coming from those locations.
Yes, I was elated and glad I got the upgrade. But I found this troublesome because the passenger next to me was a NWA Gold and his wife was travelling in coach. He told me he tried desparately to get the travel companion upgrade but was not able to due to the "full" flight. But was alittle bit peeved that this was not the case.
Mistakes may have been made, however, if that is the case, you benefited! I am sure the agent was aware of all the facts and tried to do their best to get all the passengers to their destination on time and UG those eligible. If you were a Plat and sitting in the back, than you might actually have a complaint.
Yes, I understand that FC does not have to board when the flight is being preboarding. How can first class seats be "full" when they went ahead and upgraded about 10+ elites and upgraded another 8+ coach passengers due to not having assigned seats? It was definitely not "full". Trust me FC completely empty, I was there, and you weren't. I was the second person upgraded and when I board first cabin there were only 1 other person there.
2.) See # 1. Same question, same answer.
3 & 4) You are making an assumption that the unassigned passengers in coach were not elite. It is possible that they were elite, and or that they bought a Fare that allowed for an automatic upgrade to F. However, at the time they bought it all the seats were occupied and the automatic upgrade was not able to be processed.
Sure, some of the unassigned passenges could have been elite. BUT I know for a fact that about 6 were not. Throughout the flight, a few of them kept commenting to each other that they were so lucky that the flight was booked and got upgraded for free and shouldn't have. And before giving these FC seats away to them, the gate agents mumbled to each other something along the lines of "he already boarded" about 5-6 times.
As far as an agent or FA going to the back to get a passenger. I have seen it happen before. However, there are times it is more expedient to get the plane out to just assign someone without a seat to an empty seat than to shuffle people around.
Actually as a CO Gold I think you should be elated that you even got an Upgrade flying out of EWR to a NW hub on NW metal. Gold members tend to have a hard time, especially on Hub-Hub flights due to the high number of Plats with both airlines going or coming from those locations.
Yes, I was elated and glad I got the upgrade. But I found this troublesome because the passenger next to me was a NWA Gold and his wife was travelling in coach. He told me he tried desparately to get the travel companion upgrade but was not able to due to the "full" flight. But was alittle bit peeved that this was not the case.
Mistakes may have been made, however, if that is the case, you benefited! I am sure the agent was aware of all the facts and tried to do their best to get all the passengers to their destination on time and UG those eligible. If you were a Plat and sitting in the back, than you might actually have a complaint.
Last edited by 00flyer00; Jun 14, 2005 at 9:36 pm
Jun 15, 2005 | 10:23 am
#9
Join Date: May 2005
Location: DTW
Programs: NW PE, Marriott GE, HHonors Gold, *wood Gold, Priority Club, Hertz 5*, Avis Wizard
Posts: 186
Originally Posted by mccullo3
It wasn't a meal flight and yes I agree that waiting is usually the best way to get the upgrade. My problem is I usually always get the exit row with no carryon storage in front. So the risk.... board and put yourself close to you or wait and gamble....
As they say "you plays the game, you takes the chances"