My wife will become 1K shortly. We have been dancing around in the companion upgrade game between UA and CO and before airport control and after airport control, 4 different ways to process. Now it should become simpler, it already has on the CO side since we are both Platinum. Since we will both have equivalent status on both sides, the companion rules don't need to be considered?

So, now I must reconsider our strategies for this year, and am starting to think about next year as well, a 5th (and 6th?) possible scenario?....

For UA today:
- I am thinking it is best to put us on separate PNRs because if we are 2 pax on the same, we won't clear unless NF=2 at any point on during the upgrade path. Any downsides to separate PNRs? Issues during irregular ops?

For CO today:
- It seems always best to keep the PNR split from what I have observed. Does CO also follow the logic of having to have 2 seats open to clear 2 pax on the same PNR? at least until the airport control?

For new UA/CO:
- I would assume following the best course of action on CO today would apply on the new UA next year given that it seems they are using the same processing logic.