Originally Posted by
flyquiet
I feel the same way, and a tad disappointed that those who crossed 100 later than I crossed 35 get THEIR late-early recognition, and I have to play by the rules. The cost to AC of throwing us a bone of "E35 lite" is minimal (less benefits, a couple of trips) compared with the cost of early SE benefits (heavier benefits x more travel volume).
The printout and the check-in is worth a shot, but in the last couple of flights, I had to pay the bag fee during OLCI, before I saw an agent. (I guess I didn't have to OLCI though.)
You can also say you have no bags during OLCI, and then pay at the bag drop.
The first time I paid a baggage fee during OLCI, the agent was genuinely confused that the system wasn't asking her to collect $25 from a non-status passenger to check a bag, and even more confused when I told her I had already paid.
I'm still somewhat hoping that my account will get a Prestige banner, but since there are no more Saturday nights before my flight (that's when the sweep usually happens, right?) I'm not optimistic.