We would never pass over you for an upgrade
 

I was traveling from SFO to JFK on a PS flight. I had put in for an upgrade with a RPU but it had not cleared. I was something like 6 on the list and from the monitor it said all but one seat had checked in. I asked and they suggested I wait in the gate area as I had a chance. After letting a bunch of people on, I asked again highlighting that I was pretty far down the list. I told the agent I did not want to wait and end up with no overhead space if it did not clear. She said, go ahead get on and if you clear we will come on and move you. We never pass over anyone for an upgrade. Is this true, I seem to remember threads suggesting to not get on.

I did board and kept checking the flight status where it got closer to me clearing but looked like they only could clear 3 of the people ahead of me. Any thoughts or recommendations for future situations?

Board when you are asked to.

Monitor the upgrade lists. They don't 'skip' people, but they may not come aboard to tell you you were, or even worse, will tell a friend/deadheader to take "your" seat.

But the upgraded lists never lie.

somewhat GA dependent, many will come on board, others will not. No single answer

well, not sure that would be my choice of words, guess it depends on how you understand the list. Numerous reports of out-of-order upgrades (due to the two upgrade systems?) and other issues that lead to "odd outcomes."

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I never board until upgrade list is cleared and agent announces F has checked in full. If I'm #1 or #2 I ask have they boarded full, if yes then Iboard.

If no bag space then I check the bag . But never had a sit where they couldn't find space as I usually just travel w a small bag

True, but documented evidence of shenanigans on this forum would suggest that some (not all) GAs would rather load a friend/colleague into the F seat and post the upgrade after.

Either way, the OP wouldn't know, sitting in his seat or waiting outside.

That's the point here. Board, watch the upgrade list.

GAs haven't posted it "after" - that is how we catch those shenanigans - mobile devices see all.

The upgraded lists represent those who were upgraded. They do not lie. Whether those who are on that list sit in F is a separate discussion, as it the two separate systems.

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.

I've had a GA more than once since the 3/3 integration come on and pull me out of Y into F on a domestic route after being fairly low on the upgrade list. I assume it was from a number of mis-connects.

Actually ended up dating a girl for a while that I met in the seat next to me after one of those "being pulled up from the exit row" experiences. Thank goodness for that GA.

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.

If there was one plane type I would not worry about overhead space availability it would be the PMUA 757 PS metal.


SunLover

This. x1000. To call the UG process after check-in "inconsistent" is kind indeed.

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.

The one thing I miss from old pmUA was the txt message confirming upgrade. "Upgrade Confirmed" was my favorite txt anytime of the day. Why doesn't COdbaUA do that?

Also known as the "happy message." Fortunately, AA still sends them out. :)