Should we be concerned with this new Upgrade Development?
#76
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Delta sells upgrades for a fee, but never before all elites are accommodated.
#77
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I've been a consistent cheerleader for CO for a long time, much to the chagrin of some, and I was operating on the good faith belief that the policy on upgrade-sales was exactly as our Insider stated in a post right here in this forum.
I'll still give CO the benefit of the doubt to sort out what's going on here, but if there is an unpublished, secret policy change that is designed to undermine the Elite upgrade program in order to score $30 here and there, I would be absolutely furious.
When you say it out loud - undermine the Elite upgrade program to score $30 here and there - it sounds so ridiculous that I cannot imagine this is an actual policy change or even market test, so I'm still leaning towards a software glitch.
I would just like to hear from Scott that there is no policy change, that there is a technical problem and it's being looked into - and I'd be satisfied to sit back and wait until the issue is resolved.
#78
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: LAS
Programs: United Premier 1K
Posts: 71
similar experience today
CO 233 LGA-IAH Plat on W fare...nothing at the 5 day window, nothing at 24 hour window - appears to be 8 seats open - nothing inside 24 hours, 3 hrs, etc...appears to be 7 F seats open all day on a flight that, overall, appears to be as empty as I have seen in quite sometime...9 names on the upgrade standby list - at kiosk to print boarding pass asked if I want to upgrade for $269 - no thanks - at gate full EUA run by GA - 14/16 filled - myself included - the remaining 2 seats filled by GA on the plane...clearly, they were waiting for some reason...not a good sign IMO...
#79
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: burlington, north carolina,usa
Posts: 252
Speak it Brother! You couldn't have summarized it better. Being a Plat for the last 10 years, what is happening feels like an adulterous affair... sneaky, disloyal, and never a good ending. Very sad to watch happen... and really p*ssing me off too!
#80
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EWR
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Posts: 992
Just another upgrades complaint. The buy-up is helpful to keeping the company alive and if that's what it takes, well, then so be it.
#81
Join Date: Oct 2004
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Except for the small fact that no other major, save US, does it to the same extent...or that if you translate this non-sense back to the UA network where they're actual other options where the elites can defect to it'll spell disaster.
I don't think anyone here minds CO trying to capture revenue -- if they're selling upgrades for thousands of dollars I doubt we'd care. But when they do it for tens of dollars at the expense of the EUA, then it's a slap in the face to the elites (and the integrity of CO as they specifically said this would not be the case) and a shortsighted trick to make a cheap buck.
<shrug>
Last edited by J.Edward; Sep 1, 2010 at 6:53 am
#82
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Yes, clearly it's a necessary evil.
Except for the small fact that no other major, save US, does it to the same extent...or that if you translate this non-sense back to the UA network where they're actual other options where the elites can defect to it'll spell diaster.
I don't think anyone here minds CO trying to capture revenue -- if they're selling upgrades for thousands of dollars I doubt we'd care. But when they do it for tens of dollars at the expense of the EUA, then it's a slap in the face to the elites (and the integrity of CO as they specifically said this would not be the case) and a shortsighted trick to make a cheap buck.
<shrug>
Except for the small fact that no other major, save US, does it to the same extent...or that if you translate this non-sense back to the UA network where they're actual other options where the elites can defect to it'll spell diaster.
I don't think anyone here minds CO trying to capture revenue -- if they're selling upgrades for thousands of dollars I doubt we'd care. But when they do it for tens of dollars at the expense of the EUA, then it's a slap in the face to the elites (and the integrity of CO as they specifically said this would not be the case) and a shortsighted trick to make a cheap buck.
<shrug>
I haven't missed many EUAs, but should it start and this continues it will be clear, that $29 they got today for that upgrade will be a fraction of a ticket I won't purchase from them in the future, unless they are the absolute cheapest. Because it is clear my flying loyalty means nothing.
#83
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: MUC
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All things being equal (maybe not)
As a Gold that booked a V fare for MUC-EWR-SJO 40 days ago, I have not been offered a "buy up" when checking my reservation on CO.com so it seems to me only Plats get this?? Yay or Nay??
Flying out this Friday, I have been hoping for an EUA on the EWR-SJO leg. But, as my MUC-EWR-SJO has gone through the 3 day mark (and no EUA) now down to the last 24 hrs, all of a sudden, there are 7 pax Upgraded to First and the counter reads 13 booked, 0 Checked In...
Would these have been Plats offered a "Buy-Up"? If yes, this gives some proof to a theory (and some Plats can be relieved "lower tier" Elites don´t snag an F seat ahead of them).
Flying out this Friday, I have been hoping for an EUA on the EWR-SJO leg. But, as my MUC-EWR-SJO has gone through the 3 day mark (and no EUA) now down to the last 24 hrs, all of a sudden, there are 7 pax Upgraded to First and the counter reads 13 booked, 0 Checked In...
Would these have been Plats offered a "Buy-Up"? If yes, this gives some proof to a theory (and some Plats can be relieved "lower tier" Elites don´t snag an F seat ahead of them).
#84
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As for folks upgraded on EWR-SJO, It could be mileage upgrades, Y/B/M-Ups, Platinum EUAs or Gold EUAs on higher fares.
#85
Join Date: Feb 2010
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I am a cheapskate
#87
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Non OP-elites are being offered the 'sale' upgrades too. I was offered a 'sale' upgrade of $59 iah-anc n/s upgrade...obviously I snagged it up quickly. This was at check-in at the 24 hr mark.
#88
Join Date: Apr 2008
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Also keep in mind that as we near the official start of the football season, EWR-SJO fills FC with the Sport-book (on-line and other) employees and customers. Fridays-Mondays on that route are getting tough for EUA's in my experience, and not all that are coming to Costa Rica to watch birds or lie on the beach
#89
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$59 on a 3,266mi. flight. CO is getting an extra 1.8cpm from you on that ticket. Awesome, and definitely worth making a loyal customer with status sit in the back for 7 hours. Heckuva job, CO. ^
#90
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