Why do seat assignments not clear quickly when tickets are cancelled?
Oct 29, 2013, 5:35 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2008
Programs: United
Posts: 256
Why do seat assignments not clear quickly when tickets are cancelled?
I just did a SDC change recently in C, both original and new flight were 747-400. I was giving up a preferred upper-deck window seat on my original flight. While the new flight was showing 51 of 52 sold several days out, and only four middle seats on the lower deck to select from, around T-23 I checked and it was down to 45 or 52 sold and R=7. However, the seat map still only showed the two middle seats available.
I actually decided to change to the earlier flight when I got to the airport early, around T-2.5 hrs for the new flight. C was still 45 of 52 sold, though it was now R=0. Though I used a GPU that required R class, the 1K desk was able to confirm me into C, but I was only able to pick one of the middle seats. I waited another half-hour to check-in, just to see if more seating options would show up, but they didn't
Later about 8 more people confirmed from the standby list (a few addl'l seats due to C-.F upgrades). and of course from the mobile site I could verify a number of those seats were upper-deck, asile, window, etc, that cleared after I checked in.
Question is, since the system knew a number of reservations had been un-booked (went from 51 to 45) a few days ahead, why didn't the seating assignments release? Is there anything the 1K agent could've done to view or assign those seats? Not that I'm really complaining, any C seat is a good seat...just wondering.
Also just curious, I did SDC into a R=0, T<24 flight, and I never ever showed up on the upgrade list. To those monitoring their position on the upgrade list, one seat just disappered at T-3, looks like a UFC or TOD. How do folks who believe in mass TOD conspiracy know that there is not just a lot of churn with SDC with previously confirmed upgrades, esp when they see the last 1 or 2 C seats disappear when they are #1 on the upgrade list?
I actually decided to change to the earlier flight when I got to the airport early, around T-2.5 hrs for the new flight. C was still 45 of 52 sold, though it was now R=0. Though I used a GPU that required R class, the 1K desk was able to confirm me into C, but I was only able to pick one of the middle seats. I waited another half-hour to check-in, just to see if more seating options would show up, but they didn't
Later about 8 more people confirmed from the standby list (a few addl'l seats due to C-.F upgrades). and of course from the mobile site I could verify a number of those seats were upper-deck, asile, window, etc, that cleared after I checked in.
Question is, since the system knew a number of reservations had been un-booked (went from 51 to 45) a few days ahead, why didn't the seating assignments release? Is there anything the 1K agent could've done to view or assign those seats? Not that I'm really complaining, any C seat is a good seat...just wondering.
Also just curious, I did SDC into a R=0, T<24 flight, and I never ever showed up on the upgrade list. To those monitoring their position on the upgrade list, one seat just disappered at T-3, looks like a UFC or TOD. How do folks who believe in mass TOD conspiracy know that there is not just a lot of churn with SDC with previously confirmed upgrades, esp when they see the last 1 or 2 C seats disappear when they are #1 on the upgrade list?
Oct 29, 2013, 9:27 pm
#3
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,146
When I've cancelled an itn, my seat has always opened up immediately. Could be others snagged them via EF alerts, etc.