VX no longer allowing automatic Gold upgrades to MCS?
 

As Gold elite, just got off the phone w/ VX customer service, trying to figure out why I was being asked to pay for an upgrade to Main Cabin Select, which has always been a comp at the 24-hour window.

Was informed that Alaska Airlines has made a lot of unannounced changes to the program, including the fact that they are now holding back a limited number of MCS & F seats from the Gold comp upgrade program.

Is this true?

I thought that VX holds back a few MCS seats from auto-upgrade. If not sold, they are processed at the gate.

Thanks. That sounds consistent with what the VX phone rep told me... I guess I have just been lucky enough never to encounter that situation on any of my flights.

That qualifier doesn't appear to be disclosed anywhere in the description of the Elevate Gold program benefits.

I don't think it has to be. No program offers, as a matter of right, last seat availability on comp upgrades. The last one that I know that did was AS, several years ago, when the MVPG upgrades booked into F.

Fair point.

I was auto-upgraded to MCS at the Silver 12-hour window. And I'm on an award ticket, which I though wasn't eligible for comp upgrades.

Follow-up: I paid the upgrade fee, then filed for refund.

VX refunded it after the fact.

dayone - I wonder if that's one of the Alaska changes, since we have been able to upgrade now as MVP/+ on award tickets on AS - maybe its now happening for VX elites on VX award tickets too?