Really bad experience - New strategy
 

Yesterday I flew BOS-PHL-SFO. Did not get upgraded as a CP. This is the 4th trancon I have not been upgraded in the last several months. And before all of the airline apologists jump in; I know I can't always expect an upgrade and I'm not looking for compensation!

So, I'm on a 321 from PHL-SFO in 22D E
exit row, I think no big deal. What a nightmare. FA's announce at boarding no congregating at the lav's, yea right. From the time the flight took off until it landed, even with the seatbelt sign on in rough air, there were no less than 3 people crowded in front of me; sometimes 5! I was bumped, pushed and stepped on; I literally have bruises on my shins. I tried to get some sleep, no chance. Every time I feel asleep, I was bumped. The guy in 21D had a friend in in 23D, so he kept getting up and leaning on my seatback as he chatted with his friend. Two additional items; a young woman with a baby set up a play area across from me for her baby. Blanket spread out in front of the passengers in 22A-C, spent 45 minutes playing with the baby with an air sickness bag. The passengers were literally smooched in. Item two, the FA decided to put her bag in front of mine in the seatback in front of me; I thought that the exit row was supposed to offer extra leg room. At no point did the FA’s try to exert any control over this zoo.

Next week I’m on the same flight, paid big bucks and the best seat I could get is 21E; so enough already. It is clear that for whatever reason I’ll be sitting in the back more. So, I’ve changed my strategy. I’ve canceled my next week flight. I’ve booked on Virgin Atlantic. I know no upgrade (which I haven’t been getting) but it’s a nonstop and a pretty decent Y product (i.e. new seats and TV).

I have at least 8-10 more transcons in the first half of the year. I missed CP by 6,000 miles was going to buy up for $579, also needed to renew my club membership. I will now use the buy up money to buy a priority pass, and skip the club membership. I will also fly the additional transcons on Virgin. I do a number of Asia trip, I’ll book this to my US account to keep my *G status.
Too bad, I actually don’t ask for very much. Not a really big guy. Don’t have a lot of extra needs. But if, this is life in US Y, I’m off to somewhere else.

Y on any carrier pretty much sucks, although the A321 Y exit seating does tend to suck a lot less, or a lot more, depending on the other customers and how the FA's handle crowd control.

It's certainly your choice to spend your travel dollars however you see fit. Personally, I don't like the idea of losing out on all those good transcon miles to fly Virgin America-- their hard product is rather nice, but with limited destinations, and no partner award booking as of yet, it works better for me to suck it up, deal with the fun of Y when I'm not upgraded, and bank the miles towards a really nice award. But we each have our own priorities, and if you're happy with the miles you'll earn without those transcons, or have no interest in an International award ticket, then there's no reason not to try other carriers.

Perhaps if/when Virgin America's pseudo-partnership with Virgin Australia and Atlantic evolves to where you are able to book awards on those other carriers, I'll give them another look. For the time being, with a really crappy earn rate on VS (you don't even get 100% for paid Upper Class) and no way to redeem anywhere but on VX metal, I'd personally look at another domestic carrier if I decided not to deal with transcons on US any more.

But the "attractive nuisance" of that wide open space in front of the exit rows will always be there on an A321, no matter who is flying it. I think you have a legitimate complaint for US--- not compensation-worthy and I know from the OP that you're not seeking compensation--- but the FA's did not do their jobs, and they should be reminded that, especially in turbulence, folks shouldn't be making that exit row area into their own little lobby. If there'd been a bad bump, someone could have fallen, and landed on you, or the baby in the makeshift play area, etc etc, and it's a safety concern. If you're not planning on flying US transcons any more, I'd hope that you'd still complain, so that it's not me that gets hit on the head by a falling passenger; if you attach a copy of your VX itineraries to show US how much money they've missed out on, it's likely to get more attention.

I too switched to Virginia America for a period of time from US Airways.... until... I got stuck in Seattle during Snowpcalypse which hit DC and Virgin America was sold out. I had 24 hours that I was going to back home in DC area before going to Boston.

Virgin America had capacity in First Class, refused to switch me (or another passenger, I didn't care about me) and offered to get me out of Seattle 5 days later. This didn't work as I would be late for conference and had been travelling for two weeks prior.

I booked a ticket on US Airways and got home that same day and let the Virgin America credit expire. No response from Virgin America staff after my letter.

I couldn't imagine this ever happening on Delta, US, AA, Continental, United, etc as they would have put me on another airline.

Virgin product is good when things are fine. An absolute nightmare when not since you're stuck w/ them.

If you can get into row 10, that is always less congested in my opinion. Also with the new lower mileage UG rates, "pay" for it.

Shhh ! ;)

I think the "no congregating" thing is applicable only to the forward lav, because it's near the cockpit.

I usually have to book 1- 2 weeks out, nothing in row 10 is generally available.

As far as the pay for it, as a CP it can't be done!! I have lots of miles and having trying to do this; happy to do it. It never works so here is what I found out.

To use miles there has to availability in the "O" bucket, same as awards. I can try prior to the 7 day CP window. But on transcons during the week inventory is never released prior to 7 days. Here is what I found out, once the first sweep is run a CP cannot upgrade with miles. The system has marked me for a complimentary upgrade, so that status says I can't use mile I'll get an upgrade if available during the next sweep if available. However, if something opens up prior to the sweep any person with mile can snap it up. I got this from an very experienced CP desk agent (who I know is from the orginal CP Desk). I couldn't believe this, so I called back three more times and when I presented the specifc senario all three agents verified it. So, in essence there is no possible ways for me to upgrade with miles for me on a weekday transcon.

So, your answer is that anybody can do anything the want in Y? No matter how determential to their fellow passengers? Hence, my new startegy.

My apologies for the misunderstanding. My answer was that there is no FAA regulation prohibiting congregating near the aft lavatories. The careless behavior of other passengers wasn't part of my answer. Best wishes with the new strategy...I hope there are no careless passengers on Virgin, and they are everything you hope they'll be.

Wait until March 1
 

The elite ranks will thin down on March 1; 2010 had Hop, Skip, Jump and a DEQM promotion for several cities. I suspect upgrades will be easier after this date for both first class upgrades and exit row access.

PHL/CLT to PHX/LAX and SFO are horrible upgrade changes even for CPs now the later flights are better but if you fly during the day (you never mentioned the flt # or time of day), its been documented on here. It seem there are lots of people who pay for the chance to be in FC on those routes. So even though you are CP doesn't mean you will get a seat.

Now, people today are just plain rude, if you don't want people to step on you, tell them, now with the guy with his buddy, tell them to knock it off. I laugh at people, they allow all this crap to happen, and then come on to FT to b*tch about it and BLAME the airlines. IF you do not speak up at the time of the problem, you can't blame anyone but yourself....

Check FC Airfares
 

One of the reasons UG's are so hard to obtain is that US often sells FC seats at roughly (or below) refundable coach fares. I just booked DCA-FLL-DCA in fully refundable A for $600 less than full Y and $34 more than the lowest refundable coach fare (Q).

On this flight, I will gladly pay the out-of-pocket $17 in each direction. The CP back in steerage who booked steerage is out of luck.

And what? I have never ever been upgraded with * as a M&M Hon

I'll have some work coming up in NYC, so i checked US website since they fly PHX-JFK, I was amazed that i saw $600 RT in FC on thier new A321, so of course I bought those tickets just in case it was a misprint... Full fare Y was $450 OW...