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Consolidated "Upgrade Clearing AFTER On-Line Check-In" Thread (Glitch) [Merged]

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Consolidated "Upgrade Clearing AFTER On-Line Check-In" Thread (Glitch) [Merged]

 
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Old Mar 26, 2007, 12:54 pm
  #1  
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Exclamation Consolidated "Upgrade Clearing AFTER On-Line Check-In" Thread (Glitch) [Merged]

I printed my boarding passes using OLCI last evening for my LAX-SFO flight this morning. Sometime during the night, I got the easy update telling me I was upgraded. So I go to the gate this morning and say to the gate agent that my upgrade cleared and could I please have a new BP? The agent types away then tell me nope, that I am wrong. I am in coach and still on the waitlist. Confused, I show him the Easy Update message. Again, he insists I am still in coach. I call reservations to check and they tell me the agent is wrong and I am indeed in First. I go back to the agent who then tells me reservations is wrong and he can see I am still in coach.

Call back reservations, get a nice agent, she calls LAX CS who then calls the gate to ask what's up? 30 seconds later, I get called up and without an apology, the agent hands my a First BP and just says "I was looking at the wrong thing".

Pathetic.
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Old Mar 26, 2007, 12:59 pm
  #2  
Ari
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Originally Posted by auh2o
I printed my boarding passes using OLCI last evening for my LAX-SFO flight this morning. Sometime during the night, I got the easy update telling me I was upgraded. So I go to the gate this morning and say to the gate agent that my upgrade cleared and could I please have a new BP? The agent types away then tell me nope, that I am wrong. I am in coach and still on the waitlist. Confused, I show him the Easy Update message. Again, he insists I am still in coach. I call reservations to check and they tell me the agent is wrong and I am indeed in First. I go back to the agent who then tells me reservations is wrong and he can see I am still in coach.

Call back reservations, get a nice agent, she calls LAX CS who then calls the gate to ask what's up? 30 seconds later, I get called up and without an apology, the agent hands my a First BP and just says "I was looking at the wrong thing".

Pathetic.
There are several threads on this.

Your upgrade cleared in UA reservations after you checked in.

The GA was looking in fastair. Since you checked in before your upgrade cleared, you were checked into Y.

The GA had to offload you and then re-check-you-in in order to get you your F seat.
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Old Mar 26, 2007, 1:04 pm
  #3  
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Originally Posted by Ari
There are several threads on this.

Your upgrade cleared in UA reservations after you checked in.

The GA was looking in fastair. Since you checked in before your upgrade cleared, you were checked into Y.

The GA had to offload you and then re-check-you-in in order to get you your F seat.
Exactly.

One moral of the story: if you expect/hope for an upgrade to clear <24 hours, don't OLCI before it does.
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Old Mar 26, 2007, 1:06 pm
  #4  
 
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Very interesting.... so...

If he hadn't got the easy update (but cleared) or asked about it, would he have not gotten the upgrade?

Does that mean it is not a good idea to OLCI and wait until as late as possible to check-in?

Scary... who knows how many people have missed upgrades just because they were diligent and OLCI'd early...
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Old Mar 26, 2007, 1:07 pm
  #5  
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Originally Posted by dmodemd
If he hadn't got the easy update (but cleared) or asked about it, would he have not gotten the upgrade?
Very likely not

Does that mean it is not a good idea to OLCI and wait until as late as possible to check-in?
Correct, imo.
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Old Mar 26, 2007, 1:10 pm
  #6  
Ari
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FWIW, if you check into Y and subsequently get an easy update upgrade confirmed message, do the following:
  1. Go back online.
  2. Cancel check-in.
  3. Check-in again-- into F.

(Ignore the scary warning message when you cancel your check-in.)
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Old Mar 26, 2007, 1:11 pm
  #7  
Ari
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Originally Posted by cblaisd
Very likely not



Correct, imo.
See post #6. Better to get on DM early and the offload and onload if you clear in reservations instead of DM.
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Old Mar 26, 2007, 1:14 pm
  #8  
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True, an even better solution I stand (actually sit) corrected.
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Old Mar 26, 2007, 1:17 pm
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Originally Posted by Ari
FWIW, if you check into Y and subsequently get an easy update upgrade confirmed message, do the following:
  1. Go back online.
  2. Cancel check-in.
  3. Check-in again-- into F.

(Ignore the scary warning message when you cancel your check-in.)
Thank you for this concise and very useful outline regarding this situation Ari.
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Old Mar 26, 2007, 1:18 pm
  #10  
 
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Originally Posted by Ari
FWIW, if you check into Y and subsequently get an easy update upgrade confirmed message, do the following:
  1. Go back online.
  2. Cancel check-in.
  3. Check-in again-- into F.

(Ignore the scary warning message when you cancel your check-in.)
Or just go ask any CSR to offload you and check you in again. Also, in this situation, if the CSR says you haven't cleared, ask them to check the PNR to see if you are confirmed in NF, because they just check the DM by default.
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Old Mar 26, 2007, 1:18 pm
  #11  
 
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I have preached this zillions of times here, and agree with a post about 5 above me. Checking in when you are a day out has it's drawbacks. If you are waitlisted for anything, there will be problems if you clear while you are checked in. If you have what you want, go ahead, but if you are waiting for something to clear...don't do it. It's not that the problems can't be solved, it's just one more issue that makes your day less than desirable.

Morale of the story....check-in on the day of the flight before you leave for the airport if possible. By then most PR related issues have already reached their final stages, although I believe that some waitilists are still active (elligble for clearing) up to 4 hours prior to departure.


People can argue that their position on the DM list is determined by time of check-in....this may be true given the same status of other people...which COULD lower your chance for a gate upgrade assuming you are at the same status levels as others who also go on the DM list.
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Old Mar 26, 2007, 2:27 pm
  #12  
Ari
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Originally Posted by LGA_UAL
Or just go ask any CSR to offload you and check you in again. Also, in this situation, if the CSR says you haven't cleared, ask them to check the PNR to see if you are confirmed in NF, because they just check the DM by default.
Yup. Agents are "blind" to your PNR once you are checked-in unless you ask them to look at it.
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Old Mar 26, 2007, 10:59 pm
  #13  
 
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I think part of the problem might be the number of people who ask GAs for upgrade information who have no chance or intention of upgrading. Thus, what seems to you like a reasonable question may seem to them like another person after a freebie.

I arrived at PDX flying to SFO the other week and was checked in and still on the waitlist for an upgrade (737). SO instead of going to the RCC I went to the gate first and was told that 'no, first class is full'. As I turned to leave she saw my BP and said "Oh, Mr <x>, we were looking for you - here's your new BP", which they had already printed - and she gave me the last seat in F.

They were very busy and looking for volunteers to fly later and I think they simply didn't expect me to the be the one person who did have an upgrade that day.

david
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Old Mar 26, 2007, 11:06 pm
  #14  
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Sorry, but I think that the agent could have at least done the following:

looked at the correct record for passenger auh20
APOLOGIZED for HIS (gate agent's) mistake

Not sure why we're so quick on FT to say that it is the 'fault' of the passenger!

Note to UA - hire some REAL IT people - may solve quite a few problems!
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Old Mar 26, 2007, 11:29 pm
  #15  
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I had the same issue once - except I wouldn't leave the gate. Finally the frustrated GA just handed me an F BP.

In the meantime, she "accidentally" (through ignorance or on purpose, I don't know) UN checked me in for my connecting flight, which I didn't find out until I tried boarding in DEN. I had 6C but ended up in 22E. Fun fun fun.
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