The marquee benefit for NW/CO is the unlimited domestic upgrades, without certificates. WP admits that it monitors frequency of upgrading and profitability, and will continue to adjust elite qualification to hit its own targets of customer satisfaction.

As someone who is willing to be flexible on time to get a better travel experience - I fly off peak and less crowded flights when it can be arranged - I hope that some of the other CO/NW people can share their experience and advice on the new AUG system. The old system was a "call at midnight" regime, which the airlines found tedious and not matching their goals of service.

While several people complained bitterly about the change, my experience is the reverse, it is a positive joy to reach the airport in PEK and be ticketed through with my last leg home confirmed as FC. It is a positive joy to have a full fare coach flight confirmed at purchase, and it is a positive joy to get email confirmations. Perhaps I am the "lazy elite" who got so much flack, but that is the way it should be. My productive hours should be spent making money, not playing games with FF programs.

What tactics do people use? Checking seat allocation for example, remains a mystery to me - where do people log in to find it out?

Thanks in advance.