I plan to make my virgin CO flight PVG-IAD over Christmas. All my miles are with Star Alliance and I'm nervous about flying CO after most of the posts here:

Q1: Should I wait to book my flights until after Oct 2009 to see if the mileage accrual systems are in place?

Q2: Are there any good deals to be had with CO later in the season?

Q3: How generous is CO with upgrades with Elites compared to other US airlines?

Am grateful for your views.