Forgive my simple questions here, but this has not come up for me before, but it is too difficult to find in searching the board because it is relatively general.

I will be flying on a business trip with an associate. I have status (silver), she has none.

If we make both reservations on one PNR, can I pre-book us the exit row? Also, how does it work for upgrades? Will my already slim chances be slimmer with her on my reservation? Do there have to be two available seats to get the upgrade? Will they put one upgrade through without the other.

Definitely book both tickets together as you will be able to place you both in available 'premium' seats.

My experience then (based upon CO and so far on HP/US) is that you then ought to phone in on your Silver line and split the PNRs as it is unclear whether the 'new' system will see you on a combined PNR. I have been able to get my U/G on the split but not on a combined.

With your companion after the split, you'll have to phone in and have them designated as your 'Companion' for U/G purposes. My success rate on that has been 1 out of 6 but that may be a function of the routes I regularly fly (YEG-PHX-ONT/PSP; YEG-PHX-CLT/RDU - the latter when my OILERS were in the Stanley Cup finals in the spring and I went to Pinehurst to celebrate my 50th this fall! :cool: )

Good luck!

Last poster's comments are exquisitely precise in my experience as well.

I have tried for a companion upgrade a few times very recently (my only attempts post-merger), and experimented with phone vs web booking, one vs two PNRs.

We got the auto-email and the 7day upgrade on a 757 on the return, and nothing on the outbound.

Last poster's comments are exquisitely precise in my experience as well. . .

Agree, though keep your eye on the seat assignments. I did this once recently and companion was dumped out of the "elite" seat and put into a middle seat in the back. I saw it, called and got it fixed, but if I hadn't been paying attention, it no doubt would have been a very unpleasant surprise come check-in.