I'm flying NW ATL-MEM-AUS today. I called CO at 1am and was on hold for about 20 minutes before giving up. I called again at noon and immediately spoke to a CO rep, but was put on hold for about 20 minutes while she contacted NW. She ultimately said that seats were available, but that they couldn't upgrade me and that they didn't know why. I was told that I'd have to upgrade at the ticket counter in ATL.

I'm at ATL now. The ticket counter NW rep wouldn't upgrade me at all since I didn't have my Onepass card with me and four first class, CO elite boarding passes from Friday wouldn't cut it for her. Fine, I went to the gate and was put on standby for the ATL-MEM leg, but told that they couldn't put me on standby for MEM-AUS until I checked in again at MEM.

I think that I'm going to stick to CO exclusively now; the partnership between CO/NW just "isn't there" yet.