New NonRev policy annouced

[Justme]

Couple of questions:
 
1.  Has there been any indication as to whether or not 'elites' will continue to be offered free upgrades?  It would sure be nice to see that section open back up.
 
2.  I've had some anxiety over one fcfs aspect since the merge was announced.  Let's say I want to go FLL-PHX.  On my travel day there are two flights...0730 and 1230.  So I list D2 for the first flight and check in exactly 24 hours prior - 0730.01 the day prior.  So there are 14 seats available, 20 people listed, and somehow 9 of them clicked the check-in button before I did....so I am number 10 for 14 seats....all is well...but then when I check the listings at 2230 before going to bed I find that 6 of the D2's below me have cancelled their D2 listing and listed/checked in as D1.  So now I am number 16 for 14 seats....Should I just hope for the best?  Or should I cancel that listing and now list for the 0530 CLT flight, which unfortunately has 19 people already checked in with 16 seats available.  My point is, DOH provides much greater flexibility when seats all of the sudden 'disappear' or D1s all of the sudden 'materialize out of thin air'.  Do I just need to take a chill pill?  
 
thanks for any and all advice  

 

[1AA]

The AA system works very well. I would be concerned with how the USAir agents handle the new process in the beginning. You may have agents at USAir who do not like the change and intentionally screw things up. I say MAY not that I am accusing. I hope the transition goes well between the old and new process of boarding. Just pay attention to how things are done at the gate until it becomes second natures.

 

[dash8roa]

You can print the boarding pass/priority verification card at home to get through security.  If not, you can still access it at the kiosk at the airport.

So if I check in online at a hotel and am not able to print the boarding pass, does the kiosk still show my online check in time?

 

[Bogey]

So if I check in online at a hotel and am not able to print the boarding pass, does the kiosk still show my online check in time?

Once you get on the list (check-in), the time stamp remains with you thruout your travels. It doesn't matter when you print a boarding pass.

 

[john john]

Once you get on the list (check-in), the time stamp remains with you thruout your travels. It doesn't matter when you print a boarding pass.

Even if you transfer to another flight and destination

 

[jimntx]

Mr. Justme,
If you came to class more often (and I realize that a class that starts at the crack of noon is a little early for you), you would have heard my lecture on attempting to scam the system.  Well, actually it was in another thread; so, you may not have seen it.
 
Here again, we are assuming that the "old" AA rules and policies survive pretty much intact.
 
Your concern about people checking in as D2, then cancelling their listing and re-listing and checking in again as a D1 is unfounded.  This is an absolute no-no, and the computer tracks such shenanigans and generates a report to the appropriate management.  The computer will not stop you from doing it, but you may lose your non-rev privileges (and those of your family and everyone on your "buddy" list) for any time from a month to permanently.  You can change your priority code any time up until you check-in, but once your listing goes to the Standby list, you can't change it.
 
Unfortunately, there is no way to stop people from simply not listing until the last few hours before boarding and deciding then whether they list as a D2 or a D1.  However, remember that we only get 4 D1 listings per calendar year.  When they are gone, they are gone.  The computer will not stop you from listing as a D1 5 or more times, but that also is a travel-privilege-losing action.  It is your responsibility to be sure that you use your D1 no more than 4 times per year.  So, since they are all one-way, that means two round-trips per year as D1 or 4 round-trips where you are D1 in one direction but D2 in the other.  Fortunately, there is a travel history section on Jetnet where it shows you all of your (and your family and friends) non-rev travel for the calendar year, and up at the top of the page is a count of the number of D1s you have used that year.
 
Also, that listing at the last minute is fraught (now there's a college level word) with danger also.  You may log on to find a whole bunch of vacationing employees listed and checked in 24 hours in advance as D1.  So, waiting was for naught (a companion, college-level word to fraught ).
 
I think you are worrying too much about this.  As I posted earlier, in my vast 12 year career, I have never failed to arrive at my non-rev destination on the day I planned to travel...just maybe not at the time I planned to arrive.  A lot of the issues you all are worrying about are handled by the computer; so, there is no monkeying with the system by humans. 

 

[Bogey]

Even if you transfer to another flight and destination

Yes. For example, if you were flying to DCA and switched to IAD, your check-in. Time for DCA would apply. The only caveat to that is, that you would have not been able to get on the DCA flight because it was full.
An example of that, let's say there is a 6pm DCA flight, you can't get on a 6am BWI list and expect them to roll you to the 6pm flight.

 

[cynic]

I have heard stories of agents "jiggling the Standby List" to rearrange the order of the names, but I've never seen proof that it happened.

I have witnessed it on US, multiple times. I have had agents change my priority level in order or assign seats out of order so they they can get friends and/or family on a flight more than once.

 

[AP Tech]

Figures the only thing left in this business anymore is seniority and Parker takes that from US.....Experienced the FCFS check in process during the West merger and was scammed more than once.  Hit the "magic" button 12 hrs before, ck the list, see where you are only to get to the gate and see you have dropped...at least with seniority there was no scamming Just one more thing to make the work force happy I'm guessing.....

 

[Bogey]

Figures the only thing left in this business anymore is seniority and Parker takes that from US.....Experienced the FCFS check in process during the West merger and was scammed more than once.  Hit the "magic" button 12 hrs before, ck the list, see where you are only to get to the gate and see you have dropped...at least with seniority there was no scamming Just one more thing to make the work force happy I'm guessing.....

You just had about 30,000 people go ahead of you in seniority. Be greatful for fcfs

 

[AP Tech]

Just keep thinking that way.....

 

[jimntx]

Cynic, that is the advantage to knowing some of the RES codes and using them.  For instance, to display and print the Standby List.  If you have a hard-copy of the Standby List as of 1300 where you are #1 among the D2s, and at 1315, you are #4 among the D2s, you have evidence that can get an agent fired.  IBM computers have for years automatically provided a timestamp for every action taken on the computer.  If an agent monkeys with the Standby list, there will be an audit trail to exactly who did it and the exact time they did it.
 
I don't know about "old" US Airways management, but "old" American management has always taken a dim view of employees trying to scam a working system for a granted benefit, such as travel or health.  I have heard that AA employees have been fired for attempting to do it.

 

[AANOTOK]

Figures the only thing left in this business anymore is seniority and Parker takes that from US.....Experienced the FCFS check in process during the West merger and was scammed more than once.  Hit the "magic" button 12 hrs before, ck the list, see where you are only to get to the gate and see you have dropped...at least with seniority there was no scamming Just one more thing to make the work force happy I'm guessing.....

Are you gonna bid your days off, hours of work and vacation by seniority? If you answered yes, then Parker didn't take your seniority away.

 

[john john]

Your concern about people checking in as D2, then cancelling their listing and re-listing and checking in again as a D1 is unfounded.  This is an absolute no-no, and the computer tracks such shenanigans and generates a report to the appropriate management.

How close can the two be in the same window

 

[Justme]

How close can the two be in the same window

jj - I'm not going to answer your question, but I wanted to ask you to clarify what you are asking...