Question regarding standby on Delta
 

I'm trying to understand what happened today:

So today I tried hopping on a flight to Istanbul out of JFK. (DL72)
I checked the loads while I was at the airport, on Travelnet, maybe about an hour and a half prior to departure.

The loads on Travelnet looked like this:

Business Av/Au (14/15)
Coach Av/Au (-16/xx) [overbooked, of course]

I checked the number of standbys and there were only 4 of us, me being No. 1 on the list. (0 rev, 4 nonrev)

I thought to myself, that being No. 1 standby, I would be sure to get a Business class seat since there were 14 seats open up front, since I wasn't expecting any revenue pax to upgrade (this will be my next question).

I waited in the gate area and noticed the 4 standbys on the screen. However, I also noticed the "Cleared List" included approximately 18 people who were never on the standby screen and never appeared on Travelnet. The seat assignments for the people on the cleared list were mostly coach seats.

The plane ended up leaving, and none of us 4 standbys (which had appeared on travelnet) got on the flight.

What exactly could have happened, then?
Don't ALL standbys appear on travelnet? Travelnet showed only 4 people. I was almost positive I would have gotten on this flight.
I'm probably wrong, but I always thought that rev pax upgrades appear on travelnet as "rev" standby.

Any feedback would SERIOUSLY be cool. It left me completely confused.


Could it have been that 14 revenue pax upgraded from coach, leaving 14 seats open in coach for the overbooked revenue passengers, thus filling up the plane? ...but then those on the cleared list were mostly coach seats assigned.

I'm seriously confused, and you probably are too. I can re-explain if need be, but I really would like to know how all the travelnet numbers work.

I'm going to take a stab at it, but someone correct me if I'm wrong...

First, I don't think Pax can be upgrade to Business using their Miles on International flights like they can on domestic flights.

Second, and this is just a guess, the other list of people that showed up were maybe pax from an oversold flight, maybe the day before?!

I'm no non-rev Whiz and don't have the patience for non-revin', especially on Deltoid!

On travelnet I always check the airport standby list. It's one click past the non rev list and it shows any displaced passengers and upgrade passengers for the flight. I've also found the seat availability to be more straight forward than the av/au.

I was told by a gate agent one day during an airport appreciation break that often times when there seems to be plenty of seats even on the airport standby list (the 2nd list) that people who purchase tickets online without confirmed seats (like Priceline) will appear and take some of those seats.

It's happened to me several times trying to go JFK-LAS that both the main page and the airport standby page show several seats available, but the closer it got to boarding the number of open seats declined rapidly.

Interesting, thanks for the replies so far....would like to hear some more ideas.

What surprised me was that those 14 Business seats were gone all of a sudden out of nowhere!

edit: I've had this same exact oversold load situation on this flight before and had no problem getting a business seat being standby. That's what was so new to me.

Well this is my current outlook for Lima tomorrow. I'll let you know how it turns out in reality.

Business Av/Au (cap)
29/30 (42)

Coach -32/2 (204)

25 non-rev standbys, no airport standbys yet. I'm XJ.

Think I'll make it?

If none of the 32 extra in coach get 'upgraded' then all 25 non-rev standbys will fit into those 29 spots in business even if everyone shows up.

BUT, will delta really leave behind coach passengers rather than upgrade them? They are overselling coach by 34 seats! Even coach passengers get on the plane before non-revs right?

I Think you will make it down. Getting to Lima is not the problem it is getting back. lol this time of year they have heavy cargo loads and leave with lots of seats open

[QUOTE=Colnago;644358]I'm trying to understand what happened today:

So today I tried hopping on a flight to Istanbul out of JFK. (DL72)
I checked the loads while I was at the airport, on Travelnet, maybe about an hour and a half prior to departure.

The loads on Travelnet looked like this:

Business Av/Au (14/15)
Coach Av/Au (-16/xx) [overbooked, of course]

Here's what's happening: In the past Delta would not bump up coach revenue passengers to Business Class, BUT they are now. I THINK most if not all are medallion flyers, not thats just a hunch. Got bumped off a flight ATL-LGW last year right after they started doing this. SO, to be sure of getting on, really check to make sure that coach isn't way oversold. It sucks, but thats what the powers that be have decided! Good luck!

another thing as told to me by a Delta gate agent is what class you list for as a non-rev matters as well.

if you list for first/business, and there are only seats in coach, then they'll "downgrade" the listing to the coach seat.

however, if you list in coach and there are none available, but first/business is open, the system will not automatically "upgrade" your listing. you'll be left behind. if the gate agent is busy they may not have the chance to change it in the system and help you out.

[quote=Ponch;644405]Thanks.

I bet it's to alleviate not having to give compensation for volunteers during this high peak season. Those $600 vouchers would add up fast and so would the sequential loads. That really kills nonreving in these flights, though. It's too bad, but it's business, I guess.


Tomorrow's loads:

Business Av/Au (4/5)
Coach Av/Au (-16/6)

I'd be no. 3 in the standby list. The airport standby list shows 0.

I'm still gonna try it out. You never know 'til you try, obviously...but I'm thinking it's not gonna work out.

I was thinking of maybe just getting a ZED on Turkish Airlines. I would *imagine* the loads would be better since those tickets are priced WAY higher than Delta's. It's too bad they don't release load info to nonrevers. :(

Suggestions?