Originally Posted by
JBord
+1
As another Gold out of ORD, my experience has been about 99% E+ (but not always at booking as I book some very late). If booking 10+ days in advance, it would be hard to imagine E+ not being available at booking. CPU's to F are all over the place, not worth trying to predict.
I'm usually between 70-90 segments per year, so while still a small sample, I'd say it's relatively safe to assume a Gold will get E+.
Indeed. And even if E+ seats do not appear available at booking as a Gold (or Plat/1K/GS, for that matter), I almost always find that they open up at some point, particularly within the Plat+ upgrade windows (3+ days before the flight), as they are generally moving from E+ to F. On business travel heavy flights, though, don't be surprised if only middle E+ seats are available, particularly if you book late.