This is a known issue for many years - when the Elite Desk is full, you are automatically routed to the main call center.

When you ask a main call center agent if this is the 'Elite Desk', 9 out of 10 times they will lie and say yes...you need to spend enough time calling CO to get a feel for how the agents at the ED sound vs the general line and you'll know right away when you re-routed and can just ask to be transferred to the ED.

Most of the ED agents are older, female and will often announce the Elite Desk name when answering the phone. Their pronunciation is clear, concise and professional - no accents, mumbling, slang, "ummmms", etc. Remember how your 8th grade English teacher sounded, and that's an ED agent.

We've been asking CO for ages to add a feature to the call system giving us the choice to either hold for an ED agent or be transferred to the next available general reservations agent - but it never happened.