The reason is the horrid baggage system here in DEN. It takes forever for baggage to move around and I believe the TSA screening machines only make this issue worse. I'm suprised they couldn't bend the rules for you. I've had Delta bend the rules a couple of times for me. United told me to go suck rocks, so I haven't stepped on their planes in over 2 years.

If you're not checking bags and there are seats on the plane, yes.

It's pretty likely this day in age though that his seat was already given to another PAX and was gone gone.

LAX's 45-minute deadline is also due to the poor baggage scanning/handling/security setup.

Watch out for Oversold flights...

If check in agent refuse you to print BP,
Stop whining, just get the next flight's BP and head to original flight's gate,

Ask GA for Standby, and if there's seat, you are good to go.
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If the flight is not over sold, they will usually let you go with it,
but not when flight is packed.

As GA usually doesn't open up no-show seats until last minute window,
if you head to original gate as quick as you can, you may get a seat assignment back with your Elite priority benefit .

At TPA yes you have to take the tram to the concourse, but that's not what takes so long. Security on A can sometimes take 20 minutes...i've even waited 30 minutes two or three times.

Hey all.
Thanks for the comments.
I know, I know, OLCI is USUALLY the method I use...but just this once...

The seats for the first flight were already allocated in the "system" to other PAX and the stand-by list was long by the time I hit the gate. Did manage to get on the next flight and the GA did manage to get my upgrade back. He was very helpful. Decided to not make a huge issue of it because it was my own inaction that caused the entire mess.

Thanks for the news on the club in A. Just had a good b-fast at the Timberline and used the (free) wireless to work out of the terminal.

"So I had that going for me, which is nice."

I have to admit to getting burned by the Denver 45 minute rule about three times in the last six years - I always forget OLCI and always underestimate how long it takes to drive to DEN from Breckenridge (and of course the ever-predictable accident in I-70 is a constant danger). But I think I finally learned my lesson, because last month I got truly burned with a forced overnight when all the later flights turned up full. At least I was able to get my SO back to Chicago on the last DEN-DTW flight! My bad, nothing to complain about. But the angels in Chisolm took pity on me (I hope Scoop is reading this!!!) and booked me into F on the first flight back home the next morning. I will stick with the new merged airline if they commit to keeping Chisolm!!!

I've had a DL check-in agent at MCO tell me that she would be locked out at one second past T-45. Now that isn't to say that her supervisor couldn't do what she couldn't, but I have no reason to doubt her. I was at about T-46 at the time. Since then, I've done the OLCI if it is even going to be close and made sure I have this ability on my phone if needed.

It's all airlines at DEN, not just NW or UA or whatever airline. Just as a contrary datapoint to the 'never fly UA' person upthread, 3 years ago I had a UA supervisor check me in after the 45 cutoff (due to traffic delay) and personally escort my bag to TSA checked-bag screening and me to the front of the screening line. On any given day, a NW or DL or CO or UA agent might do that for you, or not. I learned not to push the deadline.

NW-specific: NW has seriously improved their baggage handling at DEN. I used to trash them regularly for how long it took to get the first bags to appear on the carousel. Used to be 45 minutes for delivery all the time. My last 3 NW flights with checked bags into DEN, bags were coming out by the time I got the tram from Concourse C after a quick bathroom stop. That's impressive given the large distance and manual baggage handling at an airport not designed for manual baggage handling.

To bstreeter, I've missed flights entirely from accidents on I-70. If you're flying out of DEN after most of a day in Breck or elsewhere around Summit County, it's a total crapshoot whether or not you'll get down the hill in time. I've taken to staying at an airport hotel that I negotiated a discount with free park-n-fly the night before on most trips.

Agree with GBadger and uavking about using the CO Pres Club - I use it all the time, and it's either a quick train ride 1 stop after main TSA or an easy walk from the "secret" airbridge TSA. Only a few minutes to the C gates (2 stops on train). Unfortunately they can't assist with NW issues because it's not a jointly operated club, but your WC membership (or STE+ status on an international trip) gets you in - for now.

Hope that DL/NW works something out on a bilateral deal with CO for this club even after CO leaves ST, because DL closed their small concourse C club early this year, and NW never had a club here.

Yep, it's been a few years (more than 3), but I did get burned once at LAS. Didn't do OLCI, and check-in was locked out at approx. 55 minutes to departure. Was booked, LAS-MSP-DAY (I think) --- since everything was way overbooked on that Monday morning..... I just walked over to DL and purchased a one-way FC seat from LAS-CVG... IIRC, the FC seat (only 1 left) was only a bit more than a full Y -- though, it might have just been the last seat available.

I got a bit of devilish joy thinking about the DL Platinum Medallion who was #1 on the list for the upgrade..... unfortunately, trumped by my purchase of a FC seat. Was wondering if there would be a post on FlyerTalk "I was #1 on the upgrade list with only 1 available FC seat, and it was less than an hour to departure --- I think DL upgraded someone else by accident and botched the upgrade list...."
Oh wait... I think I read that HERE IN THE NW forum.