deelmakur,
Enjoyed your commentary. I would have to agree, but who else can you go too?

That is disappointing to learn that the EWR PBI F breakfast has been reduced, and that EWR could care less that you actually bought an F ticket. One of the reasons I left CO (I was Plat at one point) was due to lackluster supvs at EWR, and due to the 1800-WEDon'tCare lines lack of understanding.

When I left CO I first jumped ship to US, and now I'm mainly a UA flyer.

I did get a status match to Plat, so this weekend I took a BOS to IAH trip on CO.

My upgrade as Plat only cleared on the day of departure for a Friday mid morning flight. Then I had to change the ticket to fly out Sat morning, and my upgrade again cleared the morning of the flight but that is more understandable since it was a last minute change. Still got an aisle seat, and enjoyed hot towel service, nuts (not warm), soup, a hot roll, shrimp salad, a chocolate candy, and then a cookie close to landing. I would give the food a little bit better grade than what you might get on a similar United flight, no soup to be had on a regular United midcon flight.

The return flight, an IAH to BOS on a Sunday night, my upgrade never cleared in advance. Again I'm Plat, what's going on? There were several F seats that got allocated to others, I'm assuming people that paid higher fares. My fare was in I class and about $235, of which I used a $200 CO bump voucher , so I really can't complain too much. Sstill I don't like that fare class plays in to it besides status but I can imagine a high roller spender would feel differently. All I can say is it is very transactional based as opposed to relationship based.

I check in probably 22 hours before the flight, and I have a sequence number under 11, and I am placed on standby for F. F at this point is 0'd out in the computer on all Sunday flights.

I get to the gate and they announce F has checked in full, but I wait in the gate area since just because someone is checked in it doesn't mean they actually will board. About 10 mins before departure I go up to the desk, and they advise indeed they are watiing for 1 F class pax who has not boarded, but the rest have boarded. The agent checks, and says however that there are, it sounded like, at least 2-3 people ahead of me for this one possible F class seat. The g/a asks me my status, and I advise CO Platinum, and seems confused that I am not at the top of the list, but then says as far as they know the others would be Platinums who paid more for their tickets. I thank the g/a and go back to my coach seat in the 20's. Again, I don't like this business of doing it by fare paid on that one transaction? I wonder if their computers have put all elite pax who paid say Y or B fares ahead of me even though I'm plat?

I wonder what will CO serve for "snack" on this dinner time flight in economy? I was pleasantly surprised to see a personal cheese pizza which was pretty good, an average to not so great salad, and M&M's. I really have to give it to CO for serving coach class customers a hot meal instead of a $5 box of junk food or cold sandwich like all the other big six carriers do:
AA: Serves buy on board food;
DL: Serves perhaps best variety of free snacks and possibly some buy on board food;
NW: Serves buy on board snack boxes;
US: Serves buy on board food;
UA: Serves buy on board food;
CO: Serves a hot meal even for customers in the back of coach!

I don't know why CO does not advertise this more. The only thing I can think of is they want to protect themselves in case they go the way of the other 5 of their big brothers and sisters. But they could easily have advertisements about their hot meals, while their brothers and sisters in the industry will justt sell you a $5 or $10 cold snack or maybe if you are lucky sandwich.

I also enjoyed the Margaritas that CO offers, while being cramped in their coach. The flight was full, and it was extremely cramped in coach which is different than United's roomy Economy Plus.

In short I will continue to stay with United as main airline (I especially like the channel 9 where you can listen to ATC), but I was impressed with CO's food service. Though it sounds like food service has really declined on shorter flights, like NYC to Florida. However, I was disappointed that as a Platinum my upgrades were not a sure bet, and that one randomly didn't come through and must have been given to someone of who knows what status that paid more on this particular flight. I am more used to when you are at the top level to getting upgraded nearly all the time, and it was strange too even the flight that cleared they held back seats until the very last day. All I can say it I would hate to be Silver .

I wonder if CO, other than say UA P.S., has the best domestic food? And if so they do deserve our compliments on that aspect of their product.