I cannot waitlist for an upgrade?
 

I am flying ORD-CDG in a couple of weeks and I am not being allowed to complete an upgrade request on .bomb (Y to C). It says that I am eligible to upgrade the Y fare with miles (10,000) or a SWU. But when I try and apply miles to the upgrade it says that there has been an error. There was no problem applying for an upgrade on the return portion on the trip with miles. I show up as waitlisted.

While I acknowledge that the plane may be tight and that I may not get the upgrade, shouldn't I be allowed to be waitlisted? We are still quite a bit out of the approval windows for upgrades so I should be able to take my place in the queue.

Did you try calling and asking?

This happened to me a couple of months ago on UA 900 (SFO-FRA). I tried to upgrade a B fare with 10K miles as a 1P and got an error. I called to find out what was going on and was told that the waitlist was closed as there were to many GS and 1K's already on the list for the number of seats available.

CSR said this doesn't happen often.

I'm a bit surprised that you wouldn't still be able to get on as a 1K. CSR didn't bother with me since I was 1P at the time.

Ok, I called. Here is the scoop.

The plane is sold out in all classes of service and waitlists are already full for all categories of upgrades. I was transferred to a higher level of reservations agent when I asked for clarification and the nice lady told me that the waiting list for Y to C upgrades was full and that the computer would not allow manual additions onto the list as there was no conceivable way the all of the names on the list to clear. She also said that the C to F list was full. She could not give me the numbers on the list (I asked how many people the computer would allow to be waitlisted), but she did confirm for me that it was almost exclusively GS members.

Wow. This is the first time as a 1K, I have been totally left in the cold. Not even as a 1P did I ever fail to at least make the list. This flight may be an adventure.

I experienced this once a couple of years ago (as 1K, not yet GS) on a flight to China -- at the gate they were paying people (not sure how much) to downgrade from C to Y...

Try again on the day of flight.

I've had this happen twice (SFO-somewhere in Europe, and FRA-SFO).

Both times I was able to waitlist at the airport. One cleared at the gate, the other didn't but I was #1 or #2 on the list.

At the moment your status means nothing as the waitlist is full, but on the day your status still counts so you'll be able to trump most of the rest of the people on the waitlist who are lower status.

If you're booked in full Y, can you try and reroute ORD-IAD-CDG?

I'm glad I booked IAD-CDG instead -- still waitlisted, but C is pretty empty!

Unless you are married to that day use the advantage of the Y fare and change your flight/date.

I can try this and that may be an option. The problem would be the aircraft type. Wouldn't that be a 777 vice a 767. Granted ANY C is better than no C, which seems to be where I am now.

I'll definitely look into alternate routes. Thanks for the heads up.

Couldn't have said it better myself ;)

Unfortunately the problem is that CDG is not the final destination and I have a connection to make to Casablanca from there via another non *A airline. I am not sure that I would have the same flexibility adjusting a ticket through Royal Air Moroc/Atlas Blue.

I will try though.

New .bomb is useless. The only way is to call in. Then you get put on the priority waitlist.

I'm guessing you missed the post where the OP called in and couldn't do it there either?

OP stated the wait-list is full and not accepting any more requests, not that the software wouldn't allow any more. A call was made and the same result. It is NOT internet software driven.