FIRST CLASS: Ever hear of this?

[goofieslonglostsis]

I try to upgrade last minute when we can by grabbing seats to boost my frequent flier elite level. Anything more than $100 really isnt worth it for under 3 hours. On a side note, nothing makes me more mad than being #1 on the upgrade list than seeing 4 and 5 yo's in first class...They dont appreciate it!

Clint
Sliver Elite - Continental / Star Alliance

Sounds like you need a reality check. If you wanted that seat you should've paid for it. Unless you pay for it upfront, it's all fair game for the airline to do what ever they see fit. If this already gets you so wound up, you might not like CO much longer at all. Pretty recently they started offering these domestic buy ups at certain times to all those booked onto the flight, before totally clearing the upgrade list. Pay for it, or don't expect it. That's all I can say.


GLLS
CO Silver, paying for her 11.000+ miles BF seat.

 

[mefordis]

Uh, oh. I had a 2 yr old and a 6 yr old in first class on my trip to Orlando, and on the way back! I used to feel the same way until I had kids. Now I feel like I need the extra space. Especially for the 2 yr old who would otherwise be constantly kicking the seat in front of her.

I try to upgrade last minute when we can by grabbing seats to boost my frequent flier elite level. Anything more than $100 really isnt worth it for under 3 hours. On a side note, nothing makes me more mad than being #1 on the upgrade list than seeing 4 and 5 yo's in first class...They dont appreciate it!

Clint
Sliver Elite - Continental / Star Alliance

 

[mefordis]

I got yet another upgrade flight on the return flight - this time for $59 instead of $69! I upgraded the entire family. It was a great way to end the trip. LOVE Continental now!

I think they offer this when they have oversold the coach cabin and have plenty of seats in first class available. I think a lot of people ignore these offers. Or think it's not worth it for even $59.

 

[chamonix]

I try to upgrade last minute when we can by grabbing seats to boost my frequent flier elite level. Anything more than $100 really isnt worth it for under 3 hours. On a side note, nothing makes me more mad than being #1 on the upgrade list than seeing 4 and 5 yo's in first class...They dont appreciate it!

Clint
Sliver Elite - Continental / Star Alliance

Oh Clint--I feel your pain, i hate being #1 on the list and missing out no matter who is sitting in "my" seat! LOL!

That being said, i can assure you that my daughter appreciates and enjoys her first class seat, especially the fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and ice cream sundae cart, sleeping in a bed when flying international, lots of attention from flight attendants, etc etc! The only thing she doesn't get to take advantage of is the free booze! She's 13yo now and has been Platinum pretty much her whole life.

 

[kaytieeldr]

NOT holding my breath on this one, but what does anybody think my chance is that Continental will offer me the opportunity to upgrade from my really, really, really cheap red-eye/Christmas morning coach fare seat, to First Class for a reasonable fee?

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

All that being said, enjoy your flight in F, it's the best way to travel, it takes so many of the negatives and hassles away from the airport experience and gives you a great start to your trip.

We totally agree ...

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

NOT holding my breath on this one, but what does anybody think my chance is that Continental will offer me the opportunity to upgrade from my really, really, really cheap red-eye/Christmas morning coach fare seat, to First Class for a reasonable fee?

Sounds like it'll be a pretty full flight, lots of folks getting back where ever they need be for christmas on a lastminute.

IF, IF, IF, there are any F seats left; they could make you the offer. It has been noted they've been making these idiotic priced offers to any and all before processing the EAU upgrades for the elites. Odds? Who knows, maybe the upgrade fairy?

 

[AlexDurrani]

In the old days on continental I would buy a couch seat and go up to the gate agent and see if the flight was full and if so I would volunteer my seat. 9 out of 10 times If they needed the seat they would upgrade me to first class. I think only one time they offered to upgrade me for 50 bucks or they would give the seat to an elite grade passenger. Just so you know I am a person of size and this was before they started charging for two seats. I have upgraded to first on a Hawaii LAX red eye for 50 bucks by just asking.

Now days I have a flexible schedule where I don't have to travel on the really busy days. For Orlando the busy travel days leaving out corresponds to cruise departures and arrivals and when room rates go up and down. I found I can get cheeper flight segments on Saturday instead of Friday.

Everyone so far has given been saying the same thing in regards to selling upgrades at bag checkin, the airline says we will charge you 25 bucks more for your bag and give you a empty first class seat that isn't making revenue. At the same time we can get another paying customer in your seat and make money off their possible bags. Mind you they've either charged that customer a change fee or full fare to go standby on your flight.

 

[mefordis]

I would be very ticked off if I had elite status, to see them offer such cheap upgrades before I get my free upgrade.

Sounds like it'll be a pretty full flight, lots of folks getting back where ever they need be for christmas on a lastminute.

IF, IF, IF, there are any F seats left; they could make you the offer. It has been noted they've been making these idiotic priced offers to any and all before processing the EAU upgrades for the elites. Odds? Who knows, maybe the upgrade fairy?

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

I would be very ticked off if I had elite status, to see them offer such cheap upgrades before I get my free upgrade.

That's why it's a rather lively discussion on flyertalk.

 

[mefordis]

How do I get to flyertalk?

 

[MAH4546]

I try to upgrade last minute when we can by grabbing seats to boost my frequent flier elite level. Anything more than $100 really isnt worth it for under 3 hours. On a side note, nothing makes me more mad than being #1 on the upgrade list than seeing 4 and 5 yo's in first class...They dont appreciate it!

Says who? Both my children are Platinum on American Airlines and have been for a very long time, and they appreciate it very much, especially the cookies.

I would be very ticked off if I had elite status, to see them offer such cheap upgrades before I get my free upgrade.

I don't know how Continental does it, but American Airlines only offers pay-for upgrades after all upgrade requests made at the 3-hour mark are cleared.

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

How do I get to flyertalk?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/continental-onepass-488/ is a direct link to the CO onepass board. Assuming you're interested in CO as that's the airline discussed here?

Link to mainboard is http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/index.php . For airline specific discussions; look under 'airline programs'.


Link directly to one of the topics in which this new development of buying upto F before Elites clear gets discussed; http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cont...uld-we-concerned-new-upgrade-development.html

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

I don't know how Continental does it, but American Airlines only offers pay-for upgrades after all upgrade requests made at the 3-hour mark are cleared.

You used the magic word; upgrade request. For CO those would be elites (or non!) that have requested an upgrade paid for by using miles (if applicable plus a copay). Those will be dealt with before the buy up is offered. Haven't seen any other reports so far. And as always; no cheap *** buy up offers to BF. Very iffy whether or not somebody can have a real choice in seats, allthough it should be better than with the elite 'battleground' upgrade that CO seems to have decided follows next.

For this cheap upgrade offer CO is offering, they have not processed the free upgrades elites are entitled to, starting anywhere between the 5 days out until the moment of the door closing. Sometimes the processing of that is even a bit after that moment. Very iffy whether or not the elites still have oppertunity to choice their own seat, most will clear in not enough time to really have much choice.

These are 2 very different upgrades with CO.

Than there also is the upgrade only elites get offered when buying an M or B fare eco ticket. When availability is there, they clear into F a.s.a.p. When checking things for booking this basically means you clear into F within minutes of booking the flight. CO actually has a nice little sign warning elites of the flights that have availability for the upgrade at that moment. I used this type of elite-upgrade for my IAH-MCO leg of my flight. Bought a B-fare for that one and a Z (discounted BF-fare) for my leg across the Atlantic. As soon as there is availability, that B will change into a Ze , and the elite is able to handpick their seat in F. In my case that cleared in about 15 minutes after making my payment. Picked my seat; et voilà. I'm set months in advance. In my case that was cheaper than getting that leg booked into F at the moment of booking.

 

[mefordis]

A bit off topic but I saw something interesting on my return flight. A guy sat next to my mom in first class then asked the flight attendant to call his wife and daughter who "accidentally" went to the back of the plane. The flight attendant said, "Oh, they are supposed to be up here?" and called them. They sat in the two seats across from him. They gave him a weird look and said, "Did you upgrade us?" I didn't hear anything from him, but it was pretty obvious he saw the two seats were not taken and called his family up.

In my experience, the flight attendants check the first class passenger list to make sure who is there should be there. Typically when they take the dinner orders. This time they ignored it. Strange. Maybe they care less about who flies first class these days, whether they belong there or not. Or the crew was just too tired to care.

 

[chamonix]

I firmly believe you have to take overheard conversations with a grain of salt because you don't know the context of the conversation, the backstory, etc. You could just as easily make the assumption that the hubby had actually purchased Full fare F seats for his wife and child but didn't want the wife to know he had spent the money....so he leads her to believe they were "upgraded" at the last minute which would cost little or nothing (depending on how he did it).

Also, they could be "non-rev" passengers, which the flight attendants would know from the manifest and they would probably be ok with them taking the empty seats, since they would be entitled to them. (non-rev passengers are airline employees) again, backstory info that you would not know just hearing the conversation.

Anyway, i agree it looked bad, lol, and could also be interpreted the way you wrote it, but then again, extremely unlikely.....unlikely that there would be 2empty seats in F next to the man, and unlikely that the FAs would allow a coach passenger to just sit in F without a proper boarding pass. It's completely against the rules for FAs to do so. Doesn't mean it never happens, but it's very very rare.

Once I was seated in the first row of coach because my upgrade had not cleared before boarding. After everyone was on the plane the gate agent walked on to the plane to give me a new boarding pass for an F seat because someone had not shown up in time. She had told me when I boarded she didn't expect the person to make it (tight connection) and that she would come get me if so. Well, of course, I was watching that seat in F stay empty throughout boarding and as soon as the gate agent stepped foot on the plane holding a BP, I knew it was for me--she didnt get near me at all, just caught my eye and handed the boarding pass to the FA at the door--I jumped up, walked into F and sat in the seat in full view of everyone in coach. If you didnt know the backstory, it would look like i just jumped into and helped myself to an empty F seat at the last minute. I'm sure there were folks in coach who interpreted it that way and were wishing they had thought of it first and folks in F who thought I was just helping myself to the empty seat against the rules.

anyway, just meant to show that you just don't know.....

 

[mefordis]

Thats true! I never thought of it that way!

I firmly believe you have to take overheard conversations with a grain of salt because you don't know the context of the conversation, the backstory, etc. You could just as easily make the assumption that the hubby had actually purchased Full fare F seats for his wife and child but didn't want the wife to know he had spent the money....so he leads her to believe they were "upgraded" at the last minute which would cost little or nothing (depending on how he did it).

Also, they could be "non-rev" passengers, which the flight attendants would know from the manifest and they would probably be ok with them taking the empty seats, since they would be entitled to them. (non-rev passengers are airline employees) again, backstory info that you would not know just hearing the conversation.

Anyway, i agree it looked bad, lol, and could also be interpreted the way you wrote it, but then again, extremely unlikely.....unlikely that there would be 2empty seats in F next to the man, and unlikely that the FAs would allow a coach passenger to just sit in F without a proper boarding pass. It's completely against the rules for FAs to do so. Doesn't mean it never happens, but it's very very rare.

Once I was seated in the first row of coach because my upgrade had not cleared before boarding. After everyone was on the plane the gate agent walked on to the plane to give me a new boarding pass for an F seat because someone had not shown up in time. She had told me when I boarded she didn't expect the person to make it (tight connection) and that she would come get me if so. Well, of course, I was watching that seat in F stay empty throughout boarding and as soon as the gate agent stepped foot on the plane holding a BP, I knew it was for me--she didnt get near me at all, just caught my eye and handed the boarding pass to the FA at the door--I jumped up, walked into F and sat in the seat in full view of everyone in coach. If you didnt know the backstory, it would look like i just jumped into and helped myself to an empty F seat at the last minute. I'm sure there were folks in coach who interpreted it that way and were wishing they had thought of it first and folks in F who thought I was just helping myself to the empty seat against the rules.

anyway, just meant to show that you just don't know.....

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

This happens all the time! But it's worth all the dirty looks, isn't it?

Once I was seated in the first row of coach because my upgrade had not cleared before boarding. After everyone was on the plane the gate agent walked on to the plane to give me a new boarding pass for an F seat because someone had not shown up in time. She had told me when I boarded she didn't expect the person to make it (tight connection) and that she would come get me if so. Well, of course, I was watching that seat in F stay empty throughout boarding and as soon as the gate agent stepped foot on the plane holding a BP, I knew it was for me--she didnt get near me at all, just caught my eye and handed the boarding pass to the FA at the door--I jumped up, walked into F and sat in the seat in full view of everyone in coach. If you didnt know the backstory, it would look like i just jumped into and helped myself to an empty F seat at the last minute. I'm sure there were folks in coach who interpreted it that way and were wishing they had thought of it first and folks in F who thought I was just helping myself to the empty seat against the rules.

anyway, just meant to show that you just don't know.....

 

[beccasmom]

Yes, this has happened to us several times on USAirways.