Was flying home with MrsPhrantic from NRT a few nights ago. It was a K fare and when we booked, it booked the late flight, leaving 3 or 4 flights in between our inbound and our flight.

So we waitlist for an earlier flight (still 1p luckily for a few more days) and both me and MrsP jump to #1/#2
(she's 2p) on a list of 14 (for a seat, not for the upgrade).

GA says the flight is oversold but being #1/#2 we have hope.

Anyhow, GA calls us up and says, I got 1 seat. So I tell MrsP, Go... I'll catch a cab when I get home. The GA then tells this 14year old unaccompanied minor - "Sorry". I'm sitting there listening to him call his parents and say he's going to be stuck ihere etc etc etc. Feeling kind of guilty.

3 minutes later..boarding is done, most of the WL's have left for the other gate for the next flight, GA calls the name of the person that was #3 when we were #1/#2.. then #4, then #5, then #6, then #7, then #8.. Then looks at the kid, who was #9, and says "Lucky day, get on.".

And so I'm sitting there thinking 1) Cool.. At least he got on and I don't have to feel bad.. .but also 2) Why didn't I get that seat?

2 minutes later, GA says "Come here and stand next to me". She says there is still 1 missing px, checked in, on his way... Watches the clock...right at 10minutes prints me my BP and I get on. ALL GOOD FOR ALL. (except that 1 px. )

Anyhow... LONG story... Why didn't I get the 2nd seat right away? (I probably would have given it to the kid anyhow but still curious)

Something is very fishy with this story. Glad you got on the flight but an unaccompanied minor is not allowed to do standby. They had to have had a seat on that flight and the GA has almost no way to unseat them without a very good reason.

As for why she didn't call you and went to #3 thru #8 - no clue. Were you still showing as #1 after your wife cleared at the gate?

-RM

Yup. That is how is went down. There were several other minors on the flight and she mentioned they were all on this one, but he was on the late flight. Thus, I can see the desire to not split the group up and leave one stranded alone for 3 hours.

I'm not complaining. I actually thought the GA did a great job trying to meet everyones needs. She went through the entire list of 3-8 before getting him a seat; She didn't give me my BP until exactly 10mins to depart (to the second), etc.. By the book..... As I said, I would have yielded the seat to him anyways if I got it first.

All good but was just curious

You present two interesting perspectives on the power granted to the first person on the waitlist. Passing to your wife, you suggest that it would be nice to be able to let someone (in your party) go before you and retain your spot at the top, or at least switch with them (inheriting her #2, but then going to #1 again when she boarded). What should the policy be if you then decide to let the #9 UM go? Should you switch places with him (and become #9), or stay at the top of the list, choosing who else can clear from behind you, and in what order? What if your wife was #5 instead of #2?

My guess is that the policy is once you've passed on clearing, you're removed from the list, or at least put on the bottom. The GA probably did the best she could within the policy--realizing you were just being nice--by getting you on the earliest moment she could.

Was the UM really a paid UM, or just a kid flying on his own without an adult? If the latter, they don't have any special priority and I've seen more than a few stranded teens-in-tears during irrops when their parents hadn't prepared them properly.