Very important document. Next time you get one, take a look at your "BPCODE"--which is your "boarding priority". Everyone flying has a BP--but it is different based on what kind of ticket you are using. For instance, employee standby pax have a higher number (meaning a LOWER priority) than pax who purchased revenue tickets. The numbers are further segmented by letters. Anyone on the standby list, which of course includes all employees, gets a DMSC. That is why the agents refer to the standby boarding process as "working the list"--ie--clearing the standby list by boarding priority, status, seniority, whatever.

 

MagMile I understand the fare catagory is visible to them but NOT what was paid.

Four on DM list might all be on W or V or H etc. Some might be deep discounted V, others paid nearly double that. Y and B will "outrank" those. But a 1K on a V might "outrank" a 2P on a B. And a pretty woman might outrank all of the above! Who knows .. as I posted earlier it is an Einstein like science boarding a plane, the larger the plane the more the mystery IMHO!


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~ Glen ~

 

MBS PremExec asks in his original post that CSRs tell him his place on the wait list ("2nd on the list, 4 seats still not checked in").

Most agents will never tell you that-- because, rightly, the lists is seemingly ever-changing, and all it takes is a couple more people to check in and the whole thing changes.


1KSFO--

I've never not been told where I stand on the list...But I'm pretty forward with my questioning. As for where I am on the list, I know it's very much subject to change...Probably because I fly cheap (once in my life I paid a B fare), if I'm not confirmed 72 hours in advance, I don't usually get NF. Seems like every flight has 50-60 1K's on it, especially out of ORD, where I always must connect through.

About the only thing I understand is that it is very complex...I ticked off a few people once:

Got off a Sh!ttle flight at LAX, where I was supposed to have a 2 hour layover to another U* flight to PHX. But the plane I got off of from SFO was heading to PHX...Too quick of a turnaround to legally make a connection (even if my aircraft is scheduled to go on to PHX--whole different issue). Anyway, got in line to go standby in Y and waitlist NF for the heck of it. As I was waiting in line, they made the 'If you are waiting for an upgrade, there are two possibilites, Mr X and Miss Y'. Turned in my old BP, called me up again in 3 mins...They gave the 2 last F seats to my girlfriend and I, and we were never issued coach tix first...Miss Y in the boarding area was none too happy.

I guess a perfect example of where my 'You are 1st on the list for 2 seats' theory gets blown away.

I bow to thee, oh great FFers. I am indeed a rookie.



[This message has been edited by MBS PremExec (edited 10-06-2000).]

 

MagMile, suggest you read:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum50/HTML/001668.html

Also just FYI, other notes:

- Term "Waitlist" applies to United's Reservation system. Term "Standby List" or "Departure Management List (DM)" applies to the airport's separate inventory control system.

- If you were waitlisted on your reservation, you do not automatically get placed on the DM list at the airport. It is a manual action performed by your check-in agent.

 

The DM "Security Card" seems, to me, to have two primary functions:
1) Minimize the # of people (both revenue and non-revenue/employees that continually re-check with gate agents whether they are on the standby list, and
2) Provide an audit trail for UA management to ensure that revenue pax upgrade request aren't "accidently" ignored by check-in staff (to the benefit of friend-employees, which are lower on the upgrade totem pole). This is similar to store's that give $5 to a customer that doesn't receive a receipt from a cashier (ensures the cash goes in the register).

 

Okay, after reading the other thread (thanks Premex), one last question: does the BPCODE apply only if you are standing by to get onto a flight (and not if you are waiting for an upgrade)? So that if I have been given a DM card only b/c I'm waiting for an upgrade, I should not expect to see a BPCODE for it.

Also, in my experience, the agent rarely volunteers my precise ranking on the list. But I've never had one refuse to tell me after I've asked. To me, it's very useful information--not perfect information, but useful.

 

As a non-american with an obviously non american accent, you can often get alot of information by pretending total ignorance of the system. For example, being told how many people are on the upgrade/standby list and what the likelyhood of being processed is. Making sure to ask the important questions along with the really dumb ones!

The other thing to note is that the DM card will also have yourt *A status if you are with another carrier instead of 1P, 2P or 1K. So it will read for me NZ*G

Of course the fun question is how are flyers of other airlines processed in the system.

For example, when placed on the list I am usually amongst the first to be called and for a standby have been bumped straight into domestic first. Of course much to the raised looks of the UA premiers etc when they see someone with a "foriegn" card move ahed in the system.

I would presume that *G rates with premex level, and maybe I was lucky to have not been in a sitaution with lots of 1Ks, but who knows.

Mark

 

Koru .. lucky sums it up I suspect.

My guess is that 2 pax on H class tickets are on the final cut for one last F seat, the UA Gold will get it ahead of the Star * Gold if no other factors weight it differently. To be honest I would HOPE Air NZ rated you ahead of ME or even a UA 1K (also * Gold only) in a tight spot with one Air NZ upgrade left! It after all comes down to BRAND loyalty and they mostly "look after their own" first, no matter WHAT airline IMHO.



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~ Glen ~

 

I concur with ozstamps. With all things being equal, I would imagine the priority goes something like this: employee , 1K, 1P, *G, 2P, *S. Just kidding about the employee. I realy have no clue where they stand on the list.

On my ORD-LGA today, I noticed employee standbys being called "...to the podium" somewhere in the middle of other standby passengers. They don't seem to be first and they don't seem to be last. However I did notice a cockpit employee boarding early but waiting until everyone sat down before sitting in a remainding seat in coach after the FA confirm the passenger count against the manifest.

 

Seawolf ... they often seem to do that and then need to occupy the jump seat if load 100% full. Imagine missing out on those neat pretzel mix packs on Sh!ttles.

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~ Glen ~

 

Looking at my DMSC 'souvenir card' (as oz so properly put it) from last week...My MP Level is in there as 1P, which is correct, but there is no 'BPCODE' in there...It says "BPCODE:" with nothing next to it.

I didn't get upgraded on the flight, hence the souvenir of my lovely Y seat...Would the lack of a BPCODE kept me out of loop?

 

Maybe the BPcode only applies to standby passengers waiting to get on that flight, and not to upgrade standbys?