I'm OP Silver and have been flying NWA metal for several weeks trying to bump my segment count into the Plat levels. I recently booked CLE-IAH-MCI-MSP-DTW-CLE on nwa.com with the first 2 flights being CO metal on NWA codeshares. I got an EUA on IAH-MCI and called reservations 24 hours in advance to ensure I got elite seating on CLE-IAH. I was confirmed in 5F but when I got my boarding passes from NWA, was seated in 28D. CO couldn't do anything and chastised me for not being checked in 1 1/2 hours early. I told them that's rediculous when I call in advance to block the seat; I checked in 1 hour prior to departure, and still couldn't get any satisfaction.

On the return leg, I was EUA upgraded by NWA using my OnePass account on the MCI-MSP leg, and was able to get standby on MSP-DTW on a very full DC10-40J. The DTW-CLE was an SF3 so "it's all first class".

Overall though I'm batting 50-70% by managing the upgrades; I don't depend on EUA and call CO at 12:05am the day of the flight to get upgraded. If that doesn't work, I get on the standby list at the airport when I check in.

I had a flight a couple weeks ago CID-MSP-CLE where the gate agent put me on standby and said, "Let's see if we can get you moved up a bit..." and typed something into the computer and then was surprised that it put me first on the standby list. I thought that was pretty cool, but when I checked in in MSP, the gate agent there told me she asked me who placed me on the list, res or the agent in CID. I told her the agent and she typed away and told me I was now #12 on the list for 2 seats that hadn't checked in yet. I said "Thanks" and she responded with "I don't know that the hell they were thinking in Cedar Rapids." I wasn't disgruntled at the 3 Plats who got the seats that flight, but was a little put off by her attitude, especially in light of the fact that I was very friendly with her, even as she bumped me from #1 to #12 on a flight that was 2-hours delayed and full. *shrug*