FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Advice Wanted: Do I Make the Switch to Continental?
Old Jan 3, 2008 | 9:50 am
  #8  
CO 1E
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: DCA
Programs: Kommissar Giga-Posting Direktor, PWP; Fasano Nouveau Aristocrat; CO Platinum; BD Gold; MR Gold
Posts: 18,733
Originally Posted by ALLCAPSANDCRAZYEYES

-Are upgrades truly that difficult to get as a Plat on CO? The routes I think I'd be using would be ANC-SEA, ANC-HOU SEA-EWR, SEA-HOU, and HOU-WAS. Anyone care to share their best guess on the percentage chance of an upgrade clearing on any of these routes
It depends on fare class, but the following are estimates of the average Platinum upgrade rates on the routes in question: ANC-SEA - 75%; ANC-IAH - 60%; SEA-EWR - 5%; SEA-IAH - 50%; IAH-DCA - 5%-10%, depending on day and time.

Originally Posted by ALLCAPSANDCRAZYEYES
-Are OnePass miles really that difficult to use? I'd be looking to redeem miles for pairs of 1st Class domestic tickets booked 1-3 months-out as well as pairs of business seats to South America, Europe, and Israel.
It is easy to get Standard business class reward tickets to Europe if you are willing to use other Skyteam partners. South America is more difficult because the only choices are CO, DL, and CM, and all carriers sell many business class seats on the Southern South America routes. Northern South America is easier. US-TLV is the most difficult.

Originally Posted by ALLCAPSANDCRAZYEYES
-How easily can Plats get that last minute redemption seat(s) in any class, at the saver rate, to somewhere because of a death in the family?
There is no priority given to people with family emergencies when searching for standard reward seats.
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