Plat Companion U/G - Ever possible?
Oct 19, 2010, 3:40 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: CO Infinte Platinum, UAL 1K
Posts: 66
Plat Companion U/G - Ever possible?
I will be flying from Ft. Lauderdale to LAX via IAH soon with a companion and for the first time was hoping to use a Plat companion u/g if available. I understand that is only done at the airport (unlike UAL that does the EUA at the same time as the Elite member). That being said if I understand the procedure correctly my companion would only have a seat at the airport after all the Plats, Golds and Silvers are upgraded per the EUA and any seats happen to be left at the airport. Even though I am traveling on a weekend It seems the likelihood of such is zero as there are always too many elites on the EUA list before the day of departure. Any folks of any experience with such?
Oct 19, 2010, 3:44 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: SAT / MAA / BOM
Programs: CO Plat; UA 1K; EK Gold
Posts: 5,110
I will be flying from Ft. Lauderdale to LAX via IAH soon with a companion and for the first time was hoping to use a Plat companion u/g if available. I understand that is only done at the airport (unlike UAL that does the EUA at the same time as the Elite member). That being said if I understand the procedure correctly my companion would only have a seat at the airport after all the Plats, Golds and Silvers are upgraded per the EUA and any seats happen to be left at the airport. Even though I am traveling on a weekend It seems the likelihood of such is zero as there are always too many elites on the EUA list before the day of departure. Any folks of any experience with such?
Yes, conceivably, the EUA's could have run and everyone could have been upgraded, etc.
In these days, as we know, getting an EUA is hard enough.
Once they are added on the companion list, their status is Plat companion, which means they are higher than GOlds and Silvers.
If your companion gets offered a cheap cash upgrade at OLCI, Grab it (because if you dont, someone else is going to).
In the last two years, I have tried Plat companion upgrade 4 times and was successful 3 out of 4.
The day of flight and the "elite heaviness" will definitely affect your chances.
Oct 19, 2010, 3:48 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL Diamond, B6 Mosaic, AS MPV Gold, UA Gold MM, Marriott Plat, SPG Plat, Nat'l Exec Elite
Posts: 16,679
I've never been successful. I wish CO would treat companion upgrades the way NW used to and UA does now. The wait until the airport thing often does not work (at least on the routes/days/equipment we fly) and the splitting of PNRs to try and get an upgrade is pain and sometimes creates other issues.
Oct 19, 2010, 4:46 pm
#4
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9630/5.0.0.591 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)
Ever? Yes. Often? Not really. Recently? Even less common.
Since CO switched to near real-time EUAs the odds of those seats being available at the gate is even lower than it used to be.
Even I've stopped holding out hope on the companion upgrades being useful.
Ever? Yes. Often? Not really. Recently? Even less common.
Since CO switched to near real-time EUAs the odds of those seats being available at the gate is even lower than it used to be.
Even I've stopped holding out hope on the companion upgrades being useful.
Oct 19, 2010, 5:32 pm
#5
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K, AA Plat Pro, VS Gold, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 838
As an aside, I think US has the best companion upgrade policy. So long as the number of elite travelers in a PNR is greater than the number of non-elites, upgrades for all travelers will be processed according to EUA (or at least their version of it).
Anyway, of all the legacy programs, I'd argue CO's companion upgrade policy is the worst. Though I guess it favors those who actually earn the status...
Anyway, of all the legacy programs, I'd argue CO's companion upgrade policy is the worst. Though I guess it favors those who actually earn the status...
Oct 19, 2010, 8:05 pm
#6
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 7,040
Oct 19, 2010, 8:17 pm
#7
Join Date: Jan 2008
Programs: Conti Plat/1K, SPG Plat, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 60
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9630/5.0.0.591 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)
Ever? Yes. Often? Not really. Recently? Even less common.
Since CO switched to near real-time EUAs the odds of those seats being available at the gate is even lower than it used to be.
Even I've stopped holding out hope on the companion upgrades being useful.
Ever? Yes. Often? Not really. Recently? Even less common.
Since CO switched to near real-time EUAs the odds of those seats being available at the gate is even lower than it used to be.
Even I've stopped holding out hope on the companion upgrades being useful.
Oct 19, 2010, 8:27 pm
#8
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: United 1K, Delta Gold, Cathay Pacific Diamond, SPG plat.
Posts: 375
I have been 1 for 1 when trying to get a friend upgraded while I was gold and that was on LAS-EWR. He got the last seat with about 20 people on the waitlist.
Oct 19, 2010, 8:35 pm
#9
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: New York, NY
Programs: UA, AA, DL, Hertz, Avis, National, Hyatt, Hilton, SPG, Marriott
Posts: 9,450
I've been surprisingly successful with companion upgrades, clearing a companion at least a dozen times in the last year or two.
Off the top of my head, these routes have included: IAH-EWR, EWR-RSW/MCO/TPA/FLL, LAS-EWR, TUS-IAH, EWR-SJU. Nothing too crazy, but it does happen.
Off the top of my head, these routes have included: IAH-EWR, EWR-RSW/MCO/TPA/FLL, LAS-EWR, TUS-IAH, EWR-SJU. Nothing too crazy, but it does happen.
Oct 19, 2010, 8:39 pm
#10
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: HNL
Programs: CO Plat
Posts: 10
Got one in May on CO12 HNL-LAX.
Oct 19, 2010, 8:43 pm
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA Plat 2MM; AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 35,068
So you're generalizing your experience with the companion benefit to others? There are probably plenty of people who see decent delivery on this benefit. You may want to qualify your statements to indicate that they're reflective of your experiences, which may or may not be the experience of others.
Oct 19, 2010, 9:04 pm
#12
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K/*G
Posts: 276
I'm a gold and 2/3 this year.
Success:
IAH-SEA (weekday evening, cleared at gate)
IAH-CUN (weekend morning, battlefield)
Failure:
EWR-IAH (weekday evening)
Success:
IAH-SEA (weekday evening, cleared at gate)
IAH-CUN (weekend morning, battlefield)
Failure:
EWR-IAH (weekday evening)