santarosaflyer

Had a similar experience two days ago. I was on a GPU - I had cleared NRT-SFO but not on BKK_NRT.

There were 5 open seats in GF and 1 in BF. There were a number of open seats in Y. Ten minutes before boarding I checked the list and the same names appear on the standbye list as well as the upgrade lists.

I politely asked the GA if there would be people sitting in BF that would be moved to GF. She said no.

After we had boarded I checked the list and GF was now full. The woman one of the GAs was chatting with socially while ignoring passengers in line was in one of the seats. I saw here name on the her boarding pass.

The OLD United in the past would have worked some of the passengers from BF (C) into GF (F) in order to accommodate more of the paying passengers.

Baze

I don't think non-revs get those GF and BF seats for free, they pay a fee to sit anywhere other than Y. On international flights anyway. At least that is what I have seen reported before.

Seat 1F

I think they pay the tax plus a bit more. Its minimal.

LilAbner

It's really no-one's business how these non-rev's get those seats. In the case cited above the non-rev was standing-by for the flight and was also wait-listed for B/F and G/F. It doesn't work the way that some people wished that it did --- i.e. the g/a moves B/F to G/F and Y's to B/F and what's left goes to non-rev's. Non-rev's (employee's) work for an airline for somewhat lower wages than other industries and one of the benefits is passes. They pay a minimal amount plus taxes, and again, it is no-body else's business re the agreement between an airline and their employee's. If anyone wants to sit in G/F on an international flight put in about 25/30 years listening to people that can do their job better, or purchase a G/F ticket, otherwise let UA and their g/a's do the seat assignments. Years ago Delta had a policy (as some airlines still conform to), "Our employee's are all First Class employees, and if there is First Class available, they will fly First Class."

Seriously, this is about the millionth thread on this forum alone that infers that somehow a non-rev is getting special handling and they got ripped off for not getting upgraded when it was their turn.

I'm reducing my flying experiences on this airline as there is no return of my undying love when I took the vow to "Love, Honor, and Obey", so we will just "Be Friends" from now on.

Nope, with the exception of perhaps the occasional g/a that doesn't cherish their job, there is NO Panky Panky going on with where a non-rev sits. Any g/a found to be screwing around (especially with lot's-a seniority) will get canned in a N.Y. minute and UA will replace them with 2 minimum wage part-timer's!

Kacee

You're complaining about the system working exactly as it is supposed to.

I don't believe it was ever pmUA policy to upgrade pax from J to F in order to create space for Y to J upgrades. For as long as I've been flying, the ability to score empty front cabin seats has been a well-earned perk for nonrevs. Who, by the way, are not at all well paid in terms of cash compensation.

akonradi

That's not how it worked pre-merger, and it's not how it works now.

Wayside

Although NRPS employees can book directly into J on 3-class airplanes.

unavaca

Uh, no. I died on the Y->C upgrade list for SFO-HKG and SFO-FRA in 2009 and 2010 with the flight going out with empty GF seats.

planemechanic

In some cases, but not always. I have flown NRPS, and I have been denied a seat in Business Class even though the system showed as many as 30 seats open. It is limited.

mgcsinc

It's good to know that you guys deal with the PN availability issue too.

iker

Based on your research, it appears that the Op didn't really get the story straight.

There could have been two employees on the GF upgrade list.

I was reading somewhere recently that United charges more than $600 for a long haul int'l GF seat and BA over a $1000. That's not petty change for someone who earns $50k

well said.

JC5280

It's not quite that much you pay. Much less than that. Can't speak to the BA charges, but I do know many EU governments (Germany for example), charge their employees "imputed income" on the flights they take. I did some calculations based on pass travel charges on day in 2005. It was cheaper for a UA employee to fly LH in international business class than it was for a LH employee to fly it.

Oh, and if you think those employees make $50k, you should go chat with more of them.

The fact that he was on the same flight is first hand. The fact that someone was passed up for GF as the OP presumes, well, that's not a first hand experience.

Not how it ever worked, sorry. No double upgrades was a standard rule and one that was most consistently applied. Before CPU, it would drive pax nuts to see open seats in C and F classes. So it didn't happen...Unless you are talking about an over sale situation. Then heck yes, lots of movement occurred to avoid VDBs. You had full support for doing that. Speaking from an employee's perspective who knew the policies.

I promise, I am not feeding you BS as you usually see on these forums full of people that think they knew how things worked because they flew a couple of times a year. Too much of that on here. Just trying to keep it real.

santarosaflyer

Sorry folks, I have been on at least two international flights where the gate agent did move folks up to work down the upgrade list. These were not overbooked flights. That may have not been the protocol but it did happen.

Once on a LHR-SFO, I was one of those move up and the GA said something to the effect, "We appreciate our 1Ks and we want to keep them happy." The other flight I believe was from SFO to either LHR or FRA and the GA announced that the were moving some people up for a similar reason and again this was not an overbooked flight.

CALMSP

its more than minimal, couple hundred dollars.

in order to book into business class on a 3 class airplane, a certain class of service needs to be available. And that class of service is generally the first sold, so it can be tough to secure.

alex_b

Well except as the OP didn't give the date of travel I question how anyone can have "researched" it.