We would never pass over you for an upgrade
Mar 20, 2013, 12:46 pm
#16
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Singapore
Programs: SQ KF (ex-UA)
Posts: 588
Mar 20, 2013, 12:49 pm
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Jersey Shore/YYZ
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 12,521
On a regional out of IAD, was first on the UG list with F not checked in full. They started boarding, clearly not intending to ever deal with the upgrades. I went up to the podium and asked if I could have my upgrade, pretty please with a cherry on top. He had to board the whole plane first, but then dealt with it. Didn't issue me a new boarding pass, just wrote my new assignment on my old one.
Looked online after, and the online record reflected my new F seat assignment, but I never "upgraded" in the sense that I remained in G rather than R, and I never showed up on the cleared list.
Just an example of what I'm sure are a million instances in which the upgrade list doesn't quite get it right.
Looked online after, and the online record reflected my new F seat assignment, but I never "upgraded" in the sense that I remained in G rather than R, and I never showed up on the cleared list.
Just an example of what I'm sure are a million instances in which the upgrade list doesn't quite get it right.
Beerwoman had a situation on a ps flight where I requested an UG with an RPU at booking for her. It waitlisted. It continued to show waitlisted as time passed. I got an automated phone call from United at T-24 saying the upgrade was not cleared but she would automatically be transferred to the upgrade standby list (or whatever it is called). When she OLCI the boarding documents showed she was waitlisted for the UG. I checked the mobile app and she was not on the waitlist. I called United and the agent said she was on the list and would show up at the airport. At the airport she asked the GA and was told she couldn't upgrade the flight any way other than cash.
While I wouldn't single out a "list" as being the biggest liar in the series of events described there was a whole lot of "lying" going on by both humans and computers working for United.
FWIW in January I was #2 on the UG list on a flight out of LGA and just boarded with my group. GA came on and got me to move me up shortly after I boarded.
While I wouldn't single out a "list" as being the biggest liar in the series of events described there was a whole lot of "lying" going on by both humans and computers working for United.
FWIW in January I was #2 on the UG list on a flight out of LGA and just boarded with my group. GA came on and got me to move me up shortly after I boarded.
In other words, the left hand side, not the right hand side. (I do note the example above re: the phantom upgrade).
Last edited by iluv2fly; Mar 20, 2013 at 1:04 pm Reason: merge
Mar 20, 2013, 12:55 pm
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Between AUS, EWR, and YTO In a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike.. but I wanna go home with the armadillo
Programs: CO, NW, & UA forum moderator emeritus
Posts: 35,432
Mar 20, 2013, 1:06 pm
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,172
Mar 20, 2013, 1:28 pm
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Jersey Shore/YYZ
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 12,521
Mar 20, 2013, 1:30 pm
#22
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 4,645
I'm legacy sUA and I have gotten one such email, but then again, I've only been upgraded by an automated process on sCO equipment once in the last ~14 months, so I guess you could say that's a 100% delivery success rate on a pathetic experience overall.
Mar 20, 2013, 1:34 pm
#23
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: LAX,SNA,CLD,SAN
Programs: UA PP/Marriott Platinum Elite/Hyatt Diamond/Avis Preferred/Hertz Presidential
Posts: 602
Mar 20, 2013, 2:06 pm
#24
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: UA PP, AA, DL, BA, CX, SPG, HHonors
Posts: 2,002
The biggest issue with the sCO UG processing methodology is that they are far less likely than sUA was to process a UG request in advance because they are more focused on keeping those seats open then selling them at a discount to anyone who will take them. Then there is what appears to be a very manual and inconsistent process for clearing pax on the waitlist in the 20 minutes or so before departure. In my recent experience with this process, my companion was not given an upgrade when she was supposed to have been given one. I only discovered this because I confronted the gate agent when I saw that my companion was still languishing as #1 on the wait list while 1 seat remained open, just a few minutes before door closing. The gate agent told me that she told the other gate agent to upgrade my companion, but that "he forgot" to do it. In 800,000 miles over 10 years with sUA, I never once experienced such unprofessional nonsense. So, I don't know the answer to your question about "passing over" people but I do know that this sCO methodology produces outcomes that are far less desirable than what I experienced under sUA.
Mar 20, 2013, 2:18 pm
#25
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: UA Gold-MM, AA Gold-MM, F9-Silver, Hyatt Something, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,393
Mar 20, 2013, 2:20 pm
#26
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: DL Platinum, AA Lifetime Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, Radisson Premium
Posts: 6,638
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 6_1_3 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/536.26 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0 Mobile/10B329 Safari/8536.25)
My upgrade emails (on the rare occasion this lowly 1K actually gets them) are hit or miss. Sometimes I'll get a notification and sometimes I won't
My upgrade emails (on the rare occasion this lowly 1K actually gets them) are hit or miss. Sometimes I'll get a notification and sometimes I won't
Mar 20, 2013, 2:26 pm
#27
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: UA GS, UA 2MM, HH LT Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,803
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 6_1_3 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/536.26 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0 Mobile/10B329 Safari/8536.25)
My upgrade emails (on the rare occasion this lowly 1K actually gets them) are hit or miss. Sometimes I'll get a notification and sometimes I won't
My upgrade emails (on the rare occasion this lowly 1K actually gets them) are hit or miss. Sometimes I'll get a notification and sometimes I won't
Mar 20, 2013, 2:39 pm
#28
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Seattle WA
Programs: AS 100K, Marriott LT Platinum
Posts: 1,828
Mar 20, 2013, 3:10 pm
#30
Join Date: Jul 2005
Programs: UA 1K MM
Posts: 1,289