TravelWeary
Dec 12, 01, 5:07 pm
26,220 Miles for $165.
Well, I had no need for qualifying miles, but who among us has the strength to resist 26,220 miles at a cost of a mere $165 or $.006/mile? And, using 12,000 HH points for a Point Stretcher award, I really kept the total cost of this one-night trip down.
I had my 8 AS segments but needed 4 more NW segments by Dec. 15th to complete the 2-4-6-8 promotion for the 6,000- and 8,000-mile bonuses I would get in addition to my double miles. Using Dream Maps (gotta love it), I looked for the most miles for the least money to be done over a weekend and with at least the possibility of upgrades.
Sorry, We Have 1 Person Filling 20 Seats in First Class, So No Room for You.
I was totally prepared to do this run in coach with a DVD player and a couple of movies and some good Scotch, but was hoping for some luck. My upgrade quest started about a week before my flight. I have no status on NW, but have had excellent luck this year using the AS Gold upgrades issued by NW. (Thanks to all my FT friends for keeping my resupplied this year.) But, since those are only confirmable on the day of travel, I first tried using NW miles. I was told there was no availability even though ITN showed occupancy in first at 1/20, 7/16 on the outbound and 8/16 and 9/16 on the return. I just don’t have the energy to argue about this anymore with them, so I said, yeah…whatever, and hung up.
We Don’t Care Enough to Take Your Call, but We Still Deserve Your Business.
I used to stay up until midnight to call for these “same-day” upgrades, but anymore between about midnight and 4 a.m. I get the “Because we’re too cheap to pay anyone at night to take your call and didn’t really mean all that customer first nonsense anyway, please call back when it’s more convenient for us and most inconvenient for you” message. So, about 7 a.m. I called and had no problem getting the upgrade for both of that day’s segments. Flight 50 (which used to be a DC-10) had 20 seats up front and ended up with only 9 of the 20 seats filled and 2 of these were by uniformed pilots. (Please remember a week ago this flight was too full to upgrade using miles.) So, we all had rows to ourselves and got our first choices for lunch. I must interject here that all four of my flights had meals and even in coach meals were served on at least two of the flights. On the DTW-FLL segment, there were two empty seats when the doors closed, so the FA went and brought a couple of lucky people up from the back.
Nine Hours in FLL.
Landed about midnight, checked in at the Hilton FLL Airport and had a great room on the concierge level with a huge Jacuzzi bathroom. I was impressed as I didn’t have to ask for the upgrade and I was on a free (cheap at that) stay. Why do I only get these great rooms when all I have time for is sleep?
Never Say Never.
When I called the next morning about upgrades, I was told airport check-in only. When I checked in, the agent said FLL-DTW had so many already on the waitlist I would never get it, but she waitlisted me (#11) for DTW-SEA. Never say never. As my seat was in Row 7, I was one of the last to board. The agent who had not waitlisted me was scanning boarding passes, so I casually asked if first had checked in full as I hadn’t heard the announcement. The agent behind the counter overheard, looked at her list and asked me for my name. I told her I didn’t think I was on the waitlist, but she said there had been 17 people on the list but no one was answering when she called their names, so I got my seat! Come on, people, if you’re on the waitlist, don’t board the plane. Oh no, I mean please board the plane so that I can have your seat.
I’m So Special.
In DTW, I went to the C Concourse World Club and went to the check-in counter to verify I was on the waitlist and was told me 8 of 16 had checked in already. At the gate, I hung around waiting for my name to be called (or not). At the point where I was forced to board as there were like five people still in the boarding area, I asked again if first class had checked in full. I was told there was one seat left and the gentleman at the counter was getting it. Then she asked me for my name at which time I was told I wasn’t even on the waitlist. What do I have to do????!!!!! P.O.’d and resigned to coach at this point, I handed over my boarding pass and was told I had been “selected” for a special screening (I must be really special, as this is becoming routine.) While I was being wanded, patted, folded, spindled, and mutilated, I heard the agent say, something about another seat and then, “didn’t the woman that asked already board?” I yelled, “No, I’m standing right here.” (Mind you, I am the ONLY person left in the boarding area and I’m standing there with my arms out having my ankles patted by one man and my lingerie pawed by another.) A woman had refused the upgrade because they didn’t have one for her husband (Well, I love my guy too, but...), so I got it. I was now 4 for 4 and oh so happy. I realized then that if I hadn’t been selectively screened, I might not have gotten this upgrade.
The End.
All in all, a good mileage run. Got some reading in, watched a couple of movies, and man, gotta love those miles!!
Well, I had no need for qualifying miles, but who among us has the strength to resist 26,220 miles at a cost of a mere $165 or $.006/mile? And, using 12,000 HH points for a Point Stretcher award, I really kept the total cost of this one-night trip down.
I had my 8 AS segments but needed 4 more NW segments by Dec. 15th to complete the 2-4-6-8 promotion for the 6,000- and 8,000-mile bonuses I would get in addition to my double miles. Using Dream Maps (gotta love it), I looked for the most miles for the least money to be done over a weekend and with at least the possibility of upgrades.
Sorry, We Have 1 Person Filling 20 Seats in First Class, So No Room for You.
I was totally prepared to do this run in coach with a DVD player and a couple of movies and some good Scotch, but was hoping for some luck. My upgrade quest started about a week before my flight. I have no status on NW, but have had excellent luck this year using the AS Gold upgrades issued by NW. (Thanks to all my FT friends for keeping my resupplied this year.) But, since those are only confirmable on the day of travel, I first tried using NW miles. I was told there was no availability even though ITN showed occupancy in first at 1/20, 7/16 on the outbound and 8/16 and 9/16 on the return. I just don’t have the energy to argue about this anymore with them, so I said, yeah…whatever, and hung up.
We Don’t Care Enough to Take Your Call, but We Still Deserve Your Business.
I used to stay up until midnight to call for these “same-day” upgrades, but anymore between about midnight and 4 a.m. I get the “Because we’re too cheap to pay anyone at night to take your call and didn’t really mean all that customer first nonsense anyway, please call back when it’s more convenient for us and most inconvenient for you” message. So, about 7 a.m. I called and had no problem getting the upgrade for both of that day’s segments. Flight 50 (which used to be a DC-10) had 20 seats up front and ended up with only 9 of the 20 seats filled and 2 of these were by uniformed pilots. (Please remember a week ago this flight was too full to upgrade using miles.) So, we all had rows to ourselves and got our first choices for lunch. I must interject here that all four of my flights had meals and even in coach meals were served on at least two of the flights. On the DTW-FLL segment, there were two empty seats when the doors closed, so the FA went and brought a couple of lucky people up from the back.
Nine Hours in FLL.
Landed about midnight, checked in at the Hilton FLL Airport and had a great room on the concierge level with a huge Jacuzzi bathroom. I was impressed as I didn’t have to ask for the upgrade and I was on a free (cheap at that) stay. Why do I only get these great rooms when all I have time for is sleep?
Never Say Never.
When I called the next morning about upgrades, I was told airport check-in only. When I checked in, the agent said FLL-DTW had so many already on the waitlist I would never get it, but she waitlisted me (#11) for DTW-SEA. Never say never. As my seat was in Row 7, I was one of the last to board. The agent who had not waitlisted me was scanning boarding passes, so I casually asked if first had checked in full as I hadn’t heard the announcement. The agent behind the counter overheard, looked at her list and asked me for my name. I told her I didn’t think I was on the waitlist, but she said there had been 17 people on the list but no one was answering when she called their names, so I got my seat! Come on, people, if you’re on the waitlist, don’t board the plane. Oh no, I mean please board the plane so that I can have your seat.
I’m So Special.
In DTW, I went to the C Concourse World Club and went to the check-in counter to verify I was on the waitlist and was told me 8 of 16 had checked in already. At the gate, I hung around waiting for my name to be called (or not). At the point where I was forced to board as there were like five people still in the boarding area, I asked again if first class had checked in full. I was told there was one seat left and the gentleman at the counter was getting it. Then she asked me for my name at which time I was told I wasn’t even on the waitlist. What do I have to do????!!!!! P.O.’d and resigned to coach at this point, I handed over my boarding pass and was told I had been “selected” for a special screening (I must be really special, as this is becoming routine.) While I was being wanded, patted, folded, spindled, and mutilated, I heard the agent say, something about another seat and then, “didn’t the woman that asked already board?” I yelled, “No, I’m standing right here.” (Mind you, I am the ONLY person left in the boarding area and I’m standing there with my arms out having my ankles patted by one man and my lingerie pawed by another.) A woman had refused the upgrade because they didn’t have one for her husband (Well, I love my guy too, but...), so I got it. I was now 4 for 4 and oh so happy. I realized then that if I hadn’t been selectively screened, I might not have gotten this upgrade.
The End.
All in all, a good mileage run. Got some reading in, watched a couple of movies, and man, gotta love those miles!!