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I'm beyond confused about IM, someone help me (please)!

I'm beyond confused about IM, someone help me (please)!

 
Old Aug 4, 2008, 7:49 pm
  #1  
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Question I'm beyond confused about IM, someone help me (please)!

OK, here's my version of the notorious "my upgrade didn't clear" thread, but I'm confused as heck.

I'm booked on SEA-DEN tomorrow afternoon (UA742), which is a 757, and was waitlisted for an upgrade. When I left for work this afternoon the flight was F9 and the seatmap showed four seats assigned (I know, I know, the seatmap isn't an accurate indicator of actual number of seats taken, but it gives you a general idea). I come back this evening and the flight is F0.... that's right, F0.

This is one I can't understand, since I had just posted to my blog that I really didn't care when the upgrade would clear, because I knew it would eventually clear.

So what the heck happened?

1) IM is playing a really cruel joke on me (the only plausible explanation AFAIK)
2) UA cleared a bunch of upgrades (I can't imagine this is the case because I doubt they would clear upgrades up until the point of it being F0, and considering that I didn't clear as a 1K, it just can't be that they cleared over a dozen upgrades without me being one of them)
3) Over a dozen people just decided to buy F fares.
4) Aircraft swap to a smaller plane (not likely since the flight is still L9 and considering that the seatmap looks full, I doubt they'd be selling more seats if they were expecting a smaller plane)

The odd thing is that this is the second time this has happened in a row. I was booked on the same flight not to long ago, and the flight went from F9 with a totally empty seatmap to F0 overnight. Twice in a row, seems like I must be missing something here....

I'm confuzzled, help me!!!
lucky9876coins is offline  
Old Aug 4, 2008, 7:52 pm
  #2  
 
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Could it be a knock-on effect from today's problems? I know Denver and Seattle weren't directly impacted, but there must be a lot of re-bookings?
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Old Aug 4, 2008, 7:52 pm
  #3  
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Originally Posted by lucky9876coins
When I left for work this afternoon
I am more confused about this than anything else... WORK?

Perhaps all the SEA-ORD flights were cancelled for the rest of today. They need to get those people to ORD tomorrow somehow, including through DEN. You know in irregular ops they will put people in F and all of a sudden they disappear.
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Old Aug 4, 2008, 7:55 pm
  #4  
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Originally Posted by Red_Fox
Could it be a knock-on effect from today's problems? I know Denver and Seattle weren't directly impacted, but there must be a lot of re-bookings?
This seems very likely. This is what happens when you are "protected" on alternate routings. Many of you have probably experienced more than once, an agent booking you on duplicate routings for one reason or another.
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Old Aug 4, 2008, 7:56 pm
  #5  
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Seatmap on expertflying.com is currently showing 5 of 24 seats "occupied" in the F cabin.

Maybe the Tilton decided to throw a party on UA742 tomorrow? That's all I've got.
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Old Aug 4, 2008, 7:57 pm
  #6  
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Originally Posted by Red_Fox
Could it be a knock-on effect from today's problems? I know Denver and Seattle weren't directly impacted, but there must be a lot of re-bookings?
Possible, but would they really block out just F for tomorrow afternoon? Y is still selling plenty of seats, as I said.
Originally Posted by iluv2fly
I am more confused about this than anything else... WORK?
Someone has to work in the pillow factory.
Originally Posted by rwk32882
Seatmap on expertflying.com is currently showing 5 of 24 seats "occupied" in the F cabin.
Aha, very interesting! So four seats were occupied earlier, now one more. Now I'm even more confused, why block out F then and not coach?
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Old Aug 4, 2008, 8:09 pm
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Originally Posted by iluv2fly
I am more confused about this than anything else... WORK?
That's the first thing that jumped out at me as well
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Old Aug 4, 2008, 8:18 pm
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Originally Posted by iluv2fly
I am more confused about this than anything else... WORK?
LMAO ^ ^

KVS sez the two earlier non-stop flights are totally zeroed out, perhaps supporting the trickle-down theory.

But:
(1) the flights via SFO or PDX (at least to DEN) are not zeroed out, except the late SFO one.
(2) if this happened to you recently at a time when tornadoes were not having their way with ORD then we'd need a different explanation for that one.

[KVS Availability Tool 3.2.0/Platinum - Apollo: ITN/US-ARL]
Code:
SEA  Seattle/Tacoma Int'l WA US [KSEA]
DEN  Denver Int'l CO US [KDEN]
TUE  05 Aug 2008

Carrier   Flight From Depart    To   Arrive    A/C  St   Availability
--------- ------ ---- --------- ---- --------- ---- ---- -------------------------------------------------- 
UA        356    SEA  13:47     DEN  17:28     320  0    F0 Y0 B0 M0 E0 U0 H0 Q0 V0 W0 S0 T0 K0 L0 G0 P0 A0
UA        288    SEA  15:29     DEN  19:13     733  0    F0 Y0 B0 M0 E0 U0 H0 Q0 V0 W0 S0 T0 K0 L0 G0 P0 A0
UA        742    SEA  16:40     DEN  20:14     752  0    F0 Y9 B9 M9 E9 U9 H9 Q9 V9 W9 S9 T9 K9 L9 G0 P0 A0

Last edited by FortFun; Aug 4, 2008 at 8:19 pm Reason: typo
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Old Aug 4, 2008, 8:37 pm
  #9  
 
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It has happened to me several times of late. When I checked in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning, my upgrades had cleared. I don't think I would worry too much.
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Old Aug 5, 2008, 10:23 am
  #10  
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Originally Posted by lucky9876coins
This is one I can't understand, since I had just posted to my blog that I really didn't care when the upgrade would clear, because I knew it would eventually clear.
Perhaps someone from United was reading your blog and did not like your confidence at clearing.... and decided to show you who was BOSS!
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Old Aug 5, 2008, 11:35 am
  #11  
 
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Jeez now I'm a little worried about my SEA-DEN upgrade on Friday... also a 757, lots of open seats and F9.. I became waitlisted yesterday at 100 hours out. I also was not sweating it as out of SEA I've got a 100% clearance rate. Hopefully it was just due to the weather situation and re-bookings that won't impact Friday.
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Old Aug 6, 2008, 10:33 am
  #12  
 
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This puzzles me: UA 917 IAD-SEA tonight is showing F9 and coach sold out in all buckets. There is always a long line of upgraders waiting to clear. Why wont they clear some upgraders and offer Y for sale? Do they really think they can force enough people to pay for F? Maybe so... maybe Y is oversold by way more than 9 so they need to move at least 9 upgraders anyway and still not sure they will get everyone on? But for an F purchase they can afford to IDB a low fare Y purchaser.
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Old Aug 6, 2008, 10:35 am
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Lucky....how about an update?? Did it clear?
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Old Aug 6, 2008, 10:36 am
  #14  
 
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Even more than the cryptic comment about "work," (which was never adequately answered, IMO,) I am confused and concerned by the very question itself.
lucky is the guy I go to with wacky questions about stuff like IM. If he doesn't know the answers, now who am I going to ask?
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Old Aug 6, 2008, 10:37 am
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Originally Posted by dmodemd
This puzzles me: UA 917 IAD-SEA tonight is showing F9 and coach sold out in all buckets. There is always a long line of upgraders waiting to clear. Why wont they clear some upgraders and offer Y for sale? Do they really think they can force enough people to pay for F? Maybe so... maybe Y is oversold by way more than 9 so they need to move at least 9 upgraders anyway and still not sure they will get everyone on? But for an F purchase they can afford to IDB a low fare Y purchaser.
Take no chances, call immediately and upfare to full F. I want my sundae update!
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