jsloan

It really does happen frequently, especially on shorter routes like DEN-SJC. The issue is that there's no way to stand by for an all-or-nothing upgrade at the gate. So, if you're a party of 2, and the upgrade didn't cost you anything (and you got listed for it automatically), and they can only upgrade one of you.. many people would prefer their original seat.

There was also a thread on this board recently (and in the TalkMail email, if you get that) where somebody was trying to get off of the list for all complimentary upgrades.

Supima

MSPeconomist

SS255

Kacee

I'm sorry, but the idea of calling people up to the podium before processing their upgrade is just completely inconsistent with how upgrades are now handled by UA.

I certainly do remember the old days of hawking the podium to make sure you weren't skipped but those ended many years ago. Now the rule is (and has been for years) that you can board and not lose your upgrade. And you don't have to pick up a new paper BP, just refresh on the mobile app. As a result, over the past few years, I've been upgraded literally dozens of times at the gate without ever interacting with the GA. And IME they like it that way. It's more efficient. They can focus on closing the flight without being distracted by endless questions about upgrade status.

Requiring that the pax be present and listening to be called runs contrary to this entire scheme. It still sounds to me like a very convenient excuse for shenanigans.

Collierkr

garykung

OP - Non-rev is, again, irrelevant in your case.

Uncommon, still it is possible for a non-rev to have a higher priority than a rev pax. But the problem is the non-rev will be still in the upgrade list. So being #1 is pretty much a clear sign that you should be the first one to upgrade.

I won't say this is true at all. I believe following the upgrade priority is a clear policy/procedure that a GA has to follow. If not, I believe the GA's buddy, aka non-rev, will get all the upgrades first.

Guvner067

Not to mention the incontinent.

fastair

One MUST be present to board, n'est pas? I'll see em whether they reply early or I catch them when they board. Far easier to do something once, then to have to undue it when the original seat has already been reallocated to someone else who has already boarded. Measure twice, cut once! (and yes, for the reason mentioned by others, this is why people often, especially on shorter flights, turn down single upgrades at the gate. Even more often is the onboard upgrade that gets turned down (due to a no show, an unanticipated misconnect, or someone boarding late that rejects the upgrade when they are next on the list,) so processing it prior to closure but after boarding is often chaotic. In those situations, I have the order written down and find the people in order, often holding a standby customer on the jetbridge while I free up a Y seat for them, when I find the person (in order) onboard who actually wants the UG that they have waitlisted (almost always a CPU.)

HNLbasedFlyer

Can you refer to a written policy? Short of that, it seems being around the podium might be prudent.

I'll politely refer to fastair's posts auto upgrades are not guaranteed

fastair

Kacee isn't wrong. There or not there, the upgrade is supposed to be given to the next person on the list. I still do that, I just verify it before doing it. Be it when called up at t-30, as you board if you're not paying attention or not there, or onboard if someone ahead of you turns it down. I'm not deviating from that, I'm just not processing them (or any other seat change) without your knowledge. I also give a choice of seat, if more than one seat is available, which is something that doing it without your input doesn't do. Yes, it's a little more work for me, but I most work RJs, so it's rare that my workload is so great that I can't do this. What DOES throw a monkey wrench is having to undo the dominos at the last minute and work backwards when a seat has been backfilled, yet a person wants their original seat back because they don't want to split from their traveling companion.

txaggiemiles

Oftentimes, GAs will call you to claim a new boarding pass. Oftentimes they will not. Either way, typically if #1 on the list doesn’t respond, the GA will go about the business with boarding, and if someone tries to board with their “old” boarding pass, the GA will be alerted and a new boarding pass issued. None of the anectodotal stories in this thread run contrary to this process nor do they explain why OP had an experience contrary to this process.

If #1 does not board, GA can then clear #2 and go find them on board and move them up to first. This has the potential to add 2-3 minutes to departure. In this case, the flight was already delayed.

At best, this GA altered protocol to alleviate the delay, assuming OP would never know. At worst, #2 was their buddy - and GA either skipped #1 entirely or made a cursory announcement then moved on. Neither is correct.

Write in.

Bonehead

n'est-ce pas, n'est-ce pas?

ExplorerWannabe

I like to have my carry-on under the seat in front of me was often displeased by an "upgrade" (usually on a CRJ) to a front bulkhead. Give me my exit row aisle that I selected at the start of my trip.

p_man

There's a thing these days called a "telephone." Many people actually have one that's small enough to carry around with them! It's a really cool technology: you can speak with somebody who's in a totally different location. Say you're a GA and somebody hasn't checked it. You can use this "telephone" to speak with somebody who's maybe on the way to the airport (or maybe they're 1,000 miles away - who knows?) and ask them if they're still planning on being on the flight.

(Also, it turns out that this isn't a new thing. Ms. p_man told me she's been called by a GA for the same reason. Seems like it might a GS courtesy.)