Originally Posted by 869 (Post 28346120)

Agent mentioned that BXP1's (the instrument I was discussing) will soon be electronic.

Originally Posted by snorkmaster (Post 28356627)

I've used the BXP1 certificates several times before, but don't have the answer to the following question:

Does a through flight count as one segment? For example, AA 1704 from SFO to BDL has a stop in CLT.

Originally Posted by platbrownguy (Post 28356841)

My strong hunch says yes; and, if so, that would be perhaps the first good reason to book a through flight (assuming you had confirmable C space).

Originally Posted by 869 (Post 28346120)

Agent mentioned that BXP1's (the instrument I was discussing) will soon be electronic.

Originally Posted by platbrownguy (Post 28347066)

Interesting. I wonder if the rate at which paper BXP1s are not collected by airport agents has anything to do with it. Presumably making them electronic will reduce the rate of duplicate redemption to zero. And presumably it's hard to police it now (at least in cases where they don't ask you for the serial number, which they didn't ask me last month) because the certs are commonly transferred.

Originally Posted by snorkmaster (Post 28356627)

I've used the BXP1 certificates several times before, but don't have the answer to the following question:

Does a through flight count as one segment? For example, AA 1704 from SFO to BDL has a stop in CLT.

Originally Posted by Ross0 (Post 28358845)

I've had to recently give serial numbers, but I'm not sure how it is policed. I've several times applied BXP1 certificates and then changed plans and didn't need the certs, so I presume those serial numbers are still good. Of course, 50% of the time the TA doesn't even know to collect a paper certificate...

Originally Posted by joepercussion1 (Post 28386200)

I thought points are supposed to post on the 20th of each month. Has anyone else not seen points post for this month yet?

Originally Posted by FleyeSkyHigh (Post 28207955)

That's a great question. I know that IF the upgrade space (C inventory) is available the itinerary has to be ticketed PRIOR to the BXP1 upgrade being applied (even though applying a BXP1 upgrade does NOT result in a re-issue). I have had some meeting services agents mistakenly apply the BXP1 upgrade to a reservation that is on hold and by doing so it will prevent the reservation from ticketing all together (and the systems will refuse payment via website or live rep). I was unaware that meeting services would waitlist a reservation that is on hold (prior to ticketing) but good to know if that is the actual process.

Therefore, based on the extrapolating the above, I highly doubt that a waitlisted BXP1 upgrade will clear prior to ticketing and if it does it might require removing the upgrade (and losing the C inventory altogether or to another waitlisted pax) just to get the ticket to issue after payment. I would highly recommend that anyone that waitlists a BizExtra upgrade prior to ticketing verifies it’s still waitlisted after ticketing (my guess based on what I know about the systems it is should stick however but who knows for sure).

One other piece of advice: When you find an available BizExtra upgrade but have not ticketed the itinerary I recommend you put it on hold and then call meeting services. They have access not only to the front end systems that reservations reps use but also to the back-end systems so that can perform the two step process of forcing an immediate ticket issuance followed by application of the BizExtra upgrade. If you ticket the itinerary via website or reservations (even EP desk) then mtg svcs has to wait for it to queue for ticketing which can take hours and then you have to wait and risk the upgrade inventory going away not to mention waste the time to call back in after the ticket is issued.

Here is my experience over recent months with C (domestic) inventory opening up close to departure time (rated most frequently/likely to least frequently/likely):
T-25ish hours
T-5ish hours
T-100ish hours

The release of C (domestic) is based on route, historical, demand, overall premium load (and to a lesser extent economy load/anomalies) and certainly aircraft type. For example I never see C open up on a 2+ hour flight serviced by an A319 if less than 3 premium seats are for sale. On the other hand a on a B757 or B763 I occasionally see C open most likely at T-25 if it is not a trans-con.

In the event C doesn’t open up and you are waitlisted you should automatically be put on the airport waitlist (PALL) according to status but above all sticker/500 miles upgrades but below all eVIP/SWU upgrades. In addition, it should be noted that prior to the airport waitlist, normally revenue management is supposed to open up C space (to satisfy eVIPs, BizExtra Upgrades and Mileage upgrades) prior to opening up the other types of inventory that satisfy complimentary EP sticker/500 miles upgrades .

There are some weird processes now with regards to CK and Airpass members that violate a lot of what I have mentioned above but they are mostly manual processes and if you are not a member of either program they don’t really affect you.

Originally Posted by Ross0 (Post 28395038)

I have a few BXP1 certs that expire at the end of this month. Does anyone have recent experiences returning these awards? If so, care to share what happened with your points? The points I would've used to issue these certs likely would have expired last year.

Thanks!