B-747, I sincerely empathize with you. This is one of the reasons I'm afraid to jump ship from NW to CO. For me it has been nice to call, find the open FC seat and get it right there then have to wait till "airport check-in roulette". I know for a biz traveler like you it's probably not an option, but have you ever though about doing 1-2 flights on NW and see what happens as far as the UG situation? Good luck otherwise.