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Old May 15, 2009 | 7:10 am
  #5  
sbagdon
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: DTW
Programs: DL 0.22 MM, AA 0.34 MM, PC Plat Amb, Hertz #1 GC 5*
Posts: 7,511
Originally Posted by raehl311
Was checking in this morning at MSP, and noticed the woman next to me was offered an upgrade to WBC for $150 on the check-in kiosk as she checked in. Anyone know what circumstances get you a $150 WBC upgrade?
Hoping for a WBC upgrade, on a V-fare?

Know? Probably not.

Guess? Most probably a function of C availability, fare paid, and loyalty factors. If C is empty, and a Plat is on a Y/B fair, a $150 offer buys a lot of future love.

I'm sure there's an argument that my 2 WBC experiences aren't indicative of the "big picture", yet on both flights Y was full, and C was at least half empty. On one of them, there were two seats occupied in the row (only window seats occupied). I'd suspect that NW is always trying to balance cashflow from upgrades, "protecting the integrity of the cabin", and trying to not spoil people who would pay for C, and start buying Y in the hopes of "upgrades" (op-ups, buy-ups, swu's, etc).
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