First Up Program

[ClueByFour]

The most expensive ticket you can get R/T on SWA is $658.00 (309 each way plus taxes) I just did a PHL-SFO last minute fare @ $1,248R/T versus $658.00 to OAK.

When you say "did" is that as in "I actually flew this?"

Because if you actually did do that, you work for a better organization than I. No way in hades can I justify a %100 markup to chase a FF program.

OTOH, if you bought it on your own dime, I'm sorry.

On the rest of PB's post, he's spot on.

 

[USFlyer]

When you say "did" is that as in "I actually flew this?"

Because if you actually did do that, you work for a better organization than I. No way in hades can I justify a %100 markup to chase a FF program.

OTOH, if you bought it on your own dime, I'm sorry.

On the rest of PB's post, he's spot on.

Not sure about other companies, but alternate airports for us are suggested but not required. They sometimes try to get me to IAD or BWI in lieu of DCA, but with the extra drive time from DC I would lose several hours of my day. I've made it very clear with the agents that BWI is not an option, and IAD is only an option if the difference is more than $500. And, we're never required to take a connection, one is only suggested if it's cheaper.

 

[Travels2mch]

Since the Legacy US system is not automated, you should be able to call on your cutoff day at anytime to receive the upgrade. Say you're Gold and it's 3 days out? The system runs at 1500, but anyone who is Gold and calls before that time can get any available X seat.

This is what I do.....3 days out I call for the upgrade, but am usually told I am put on the list, that there are seats available but being held for sale, and to check on my status at the airport when I arrive.

This also doesn't help when you arrive at the airport where your originating flight is a UA code share-they can't help you. Then you arrive at your connection US flight (in ORD for example) and all of the folks checking in out at the counter are getting on the airport list, and I stand there waiting for a gate agent to arrive which is usually around the time the inbound flight is coming in. At that point any hopes of upgrades were given away to the folks coming in off the street.

 

[Seatacus]

they want the bonus money for selling the upgrade.

This is a recipe for abuse.......

 

[SegmentKing]

and the bonus is ONLY $5.... so yeah, lets screw people so I can take home an extra $15 or $20 on every check.

There aren't any agents making a ton of money off of this, I've seen the list. I believe the highest I've seen is $100 for an agent at one of the hubs.

 

[Seatacus]

and the bonus is ONLY $5.... so yeah, lets screw people so I can take home an extra $15 or $20 on every check.

And are you positive that this doesn't happen???????

 

[SCUBAgal]

And are you positive that this doesn't happen???????

Who was it that said no one was blaiming the big bad dishonest gate agents??? :down: PUHLEEZ. Kinda like flight attendants NEVER take minis out of the first class carts or anything else like that huh? Yes, there are very few who will abuse it but do not paint us all with that same brush.

 

[LMG]

I am tired of gate agents and ticket agents leaving it to the FA's to deal with irate pax like it is not their problem. They pass the buck, or in this case, may be taking the buck which causes more unnecessary aggravation for the FA who is a totally innocent party.

I totally take offense to this comment I am a gate agent and every flight I work I Upgrade every single elite member before I even think I upgrading a first up. Every gate agent I have ever worked with never tries to send problems down a jetway to a FA. We get our you know whats handed to us on a daily basis and try to do the best we can with what we have to work with. But you will have pax that you cannot please no matter what you do and yes they will get upset with FA's but do you really think we try to piss them off before they get to the FA. I am not blaming anyone but I do have to say if elite members listed for the E class and then also checked at the ticket counter for their upgrades it would make a big difference. I can't tell you how many elite members I get that don't even know they can waitlist and also don't know that the standby list at the ato is different from the waitlisting.

 

[Seatacus]

Yes, there are very few who will abuse it but do not paint us all with that same brush.

I never said it does happen and I wasn't accusing the agents as a whole. I just meant to say that this may be a temptation that someone may find hard to resist. You even say that some will abuse it (your words not mine).

 

[tadjr]

A couple of posts from here have been put into a flyer and placed in the break room in a certain city for all the employees to see. If they get caught doing something they arent supposed to be doing, they've been advised people are watching.

 

[Doc]

Without going on a rant, let me say simply that if I cannot upgrade for free as a CP, then I have no reason whatsoever to fly on USairways.

This cannot really be true. Can it?

First of all you can upgrade a week in advance and a gold can do 3 days in advance a silver can 1 day.

The first up is offered at the day of departure after the cp,gols,silvers have been cleared off the standby list. It is up to you to get to the airport and get on the list.

Every time the ailine try to make money people complain

LETS JUST GIVE IT ALL AWAY AND ALL OF YOU CAN FLY FOR FREE
SOUND GOOD

I CAN'T BELIEVE U IS BEING BASHED FOR GENERATING INCOME.

 

[US1YFARE]

The first up is offered at the day of departure after the cp,gols,silvers have been cleared off the standby list. It is up to you to get to the airport and get on the list.

Well, it happened again and I will be notifying Tempe. They put FC upgrades on sale even though I was on the waitlist for an upgrade. When I confronted them, they refused to deal with it and said that I "should" still clear and continued to offer the first up's for sale.

So, Doc, you've really missed the point. There are gate agents who are NOT upgrading people on the waitlist before putting upgrades on sale. I was on the standby list so I know, and I know that there were people behind me on the list.

And, I disagree, when I check in, that ticket agent should make sure I, or any other elite, is on the waitlist for an upgrade. This game of waitlists is a crock--it is unfair to those elites who do not know the system as well as some of us.

Y SHOLD YOUR COMPANION GET UPGRADED BEFORE A MEMBER?

Because that companion is probably flying US because of me. They usually have no loyalty and the only reason they are buying a B or Y fare is because I book their ticket to travel the way I want to. Most of the time when I travel with a companion it is with someone who travels less frequently, but will send money to US because of my status. That goodwill goes a long way with your best customers and that extra revenue the airline receives should be appreciated and noticed.

And, here is another reason, a lot of significant others put up with a lot when US1's travel....how nice is it when you go away to be able to get them a comp upgrade with your status as a thank you for putting up with my travel. And, before you get on the rant, I never sit in the front and let my companion sit in the back--I always give up my upgrade if for some reason both don't clear.

 

[Art at ISP]

US1YFare,

Are you documenting where and when it happens, and did you get the agent's name? Where did the latest incident take place?

Feel free to PM the information if you don't want to make it public.

Thanks,

 

[US1YFARE]

Feel free to PM the information if you don't want to make it public.

You have a PM. I am reporting all of these incidents to Tempe. I am politely confronting the gate agent selling them as well.

 

[trvlr64]

First of all you can upgrade a week in advance and a gold can do 3 days in advance a silver can 1 day.

The first up is offered at the day of departure after the cp,gols,silvers have been cleared off the standby list. It is up to you to get to the airport and get on the list.

Every time the ailine try to make money people complain

LETS JUST GIVE IT ALL AWAY AND ALL OF YOU CAN FLY FOR FREE
SOUND GOOD

I CAN'T BELIEVE U IS BEING BASHED FOR GENERATING INCOME.

WHO do you think generates MORE $$$ for USAirways? It surely isn't the 1-2x times a year flyer....it's ME, ART, PINEY, US1YFARE......

We aren't asking that you don't offer the availablity to a nonfrequent flyer the ability to sit in FC, but since we live on this airline it would be nice if we didn't get pushed aside so a GA can get an extra $5 in his/her pay.

And in the grand scheme of things, that extra $150.00 doesn't do squat for USAirways. The amount of $$$ I spend on tickets for my weekly travel does.