Originally Posted by
brarrr
I believe that this is the first reported successful upgrade w/ the e-certs - so it may just be that you were the first person to actually use one!
I have tried unsuccessfully to use my MVP partner upgrades on NWA on two cross-country trips in the last month. Similar experiences to others reported - even when seats have been available in First, agents tell me that booking class R is so low on the food chain that there is virtually no chance of getting an upgrade.
A NWA reservations agent this morning told me that it was extremely rare that one of these certificates ever gets an upgrade. So, it is the appearance of goodwill and a perk for being an MVP with very little chance of ever being able to use it.
I notice people selling these upgrades on eBay...that may be the only way to get any value out of them, but frankly it's kind of a scam since the seller probably knows there is almost no chance they can be redeemed.
When considering Alaska for my Freddie Award vote, I won't consider the partner upgrades.