Strange experience upgrading a companion
Apr 8, 2007, 11:45 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: PHL
Programs: Marriott LTT, Amtrak Select, Hertz 5*, AA Gold, IHG Plat, National Exec
Posts: 1,312
Strange experience upgrading a companion
I had a rather odd experience upgrading a companion (my wife) on a trip Saturday from LAX-PHL.
We had flown PHL-LAX earlier in the week. My upgrade cleared at the 3-day window, wife's did not. I called and tried to get her upgraded, but was told that all "upgradable" F seats were full. I was able to get her upgraded at the airport. This was basically the overall experience I expected.
On the return, I didn't clear immediately at the 3-day window, but did clear much later that day (Evidently the bit about "we'll keep trying to upgrade you" is true). Again, wife did not clear, and just on a whim, I decided to try calling again. At this point, the seat map was only showing 1 seat open in F.
Much to my surprise, after typing away for a few minutes, the agent tells me that she was able to get my wife into the last seat in the F cabin.
So, this worked out very nicely for us, but it seems like the agent made a big mistake here. I thought that US always held about 25% of the F cabin in order to try to sell the seats. How did my wife get the very last seat in the cabin, over 2 days before the flight?
Anyone have any idea what happened here? Needless to say, we were quite pleased!
We had flown PHL-LAX earlier in the week. My upgrade cleared at the 3-day window, wife's did not. I called and tried to get her upgraded, but was told that all "upgradable" F seats were full. I was able to get her upgraded at the airport. This was basically the overall experience I expected.
On the return, I didn't clear immediately at the 3-day window, but did clear much later that day (Evidently the bit about "we'll keep trying to upgrade you" is true). Again, wife did not clear, and just on a whim, I decided to try calling again. At this point, the seat map was only showing 1 seat open in F.
Much to my surprise, after typing away for a few minutes, the agent tells me that she was able to get my wife into the last seat in the F cabin.
So, this worked out very nicely for us, but it seems like the agent made a big mistake here. I thought that US always held about 25% of the F cabin in order to try to sell the seats. How did my wife get the very last seat in the cabin, over 2 days before the flight?
Anyone have any idea what happened here? Needless to say, we were quite pleased!
Apr 9, 2007, 2:44 am
#2
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Toronto YYZ
Posts: 162
I thought the way this is supposed to work (according to the US website) is that you get an F seat at your window unless it has already been sold.
I have gotten the last F seat myself a few times 2-3 days before departure.
I have gotten the last F seat myself a few times 2-3 days before departure.
Apr 9, 2007, 3:27 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Arizona
Programs: BA Gold, AA Plat, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Explorist, National EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 473
Im not sure and this would be way out there but it could be that US had already sold X amount of paid F and was willing to release the rest of seats to the O bucket, or it could be that the seat maps were just showing full and there were still seats for sale as I have seen before.
Apr 9, 2007, 6:42 am
#4
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Washington, DC (DCA)
Programs: UA, AA, AS, SPG.
Posts: 3,463
I have been given the last F seat for an upgrade within 1-2 days of depature. That said unless you looked at inventory it is possible the seat map was misleading. On some US aircraft all seats in row 1 are shown as occupied even though they may be empty.
Apr 9, 2007, 1:01 pm
#5
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: CLT
Posts: 90
yeah.. I had this happen on my flight today. NO seats available either online or at the kiosk, but the seat next to me was empty.
Apr 9, 2007, 1:53 pm
#6
Join Date: May 2006
Location: PIT
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Gold, Delta Silver, AmEx MR
Posts: 94
Just be careful though - I had a chance to upgrade LAS-PIT last week at the 7-day window but I declined when my girlfriend, a Silver travelling with me, could not also be upgraded because only 1 seat (in the O bucket, I guess?) was left in F.
She wants to sit together regardless of where, so I declined the upgrade because I was worried that even though she should have been on top of the list from that point out, since her record can't be linked to mine in SHARES, so anyone else in those 7 days would have been able to snatch any available seat, and we'd be stuck in two different cabins.
Then again, is the companion upgrade only valid day-of travel?
She wants to sit together regardless of where, so I declined the upgrade because I was worried that even though she should have been on top of the list from that point out, since her record can't be linked to mine in SHARES, so anyone else in those 7 days would have been able to snatch any available seat, and we'd be stuck in two different cabins.
Then again, is the companion upgrade only valid day-of travel?