Hi-

So I'm looking on the OP offers page and up pops an offer to upgrade to Silver Elite for $350 through 02/27/07. Now I'm a student who goes back and forth between SEA and EWR about 3-5 times a year and pretty much always fly either CO or AS, as they're the only carriers with NS service. I pretty much always go with a restricted ticket. I also have a EWR-SEA segment that I was able (miraculously) to get a mileage upgd on.

I'm trying to figure out if this is actually worth it. I plan to do a bit more traveling over the year, mostly to SFO (from SEA) and possibly EWR-BOS to look at grad schools. Now I know that there's the 50 % milage bonus (although that doesn't count towards elite status grrr) along with the priority security, boarding, luggage handling, ability to get "premium" seats, etc., but is it really worth paying 350 bucks on an upgrade in status. Odds are pretty good (unless I do mileage runs through ATL on DL) that I won't be able to fly enough miles by the end of the time frame to get Silver after that point, so it'd be a pretty much one-time shot. Although I probably would earn enough miles to get a cap ctrl econ RT.

So really, what I'm asking is how likely am I to get F/C without being on a full-fare ticket and being Silver because, for me, that's the best part of the whole deal. Also, it wasn't very clear from the prog. info, but do mileage upgds. cost less in terms of miles for elites than they do for non-elites on non-Y class fares? Finally, how much better is reward travel availability for Silver elites compared to non-elites, as I'd actually like to be able to use the miles I earn? If a Silver elite could try checking out upgd and cap ctrl econ. both signed in and not signed in between EWR-SEA, that'd be much appreciated. Bear in mind that the EWR-SEA route generally is pretty full, although the flights I usually go with (1481 outbound and 1880 return) use the 738's with the 14 F/C seats.

Thanks for reading (and hopefully replying).

- Ben