new US policy - no reciprocal upgrades for CO Gold ??
#1
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Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
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Counter agent and two GAs at RDU tonight said US no longer offers comp reciprocal upgrades to *A members (specifically Gold, but I sure got the impression that it was "all") ... not really a big deal since they gave me 5F on the 27-min flight to CLT and 4F for the 1+15 to BWI, but definitely not a good omen even though CO will match my DL Platinum for 2011
Counter agent and two GAs at RDU tonight said US no longer offers comp reciprocal upgrades to *A members (specifically Gold, but I sure got the impression that it was "all") ... not really a big deal since they gave me 5F on the 27-min flight to CLT and 4F for the 1+15 to BWI, but definitely not a good omen even though CO will match my DL Platinum for 2011
#2
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: IAD
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Rewards - LTPP
Posts: 4,240
been that way for some time. There are several threads discussing it.
#3
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: DCA
Programs: US CP, CO PE, Avis First, National EE
Posts: 232
No Longer = they never did offer this as a benefit. If you were upgraded in the past, you got very lucky.
#4
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Northeast Kansas | Colorado Native
Programs: Amex Gold/Plat, UA *G, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Gold, NEXUS, TSA Disparager Unobtanium
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I've never heard of any benefit that would allow a * Gold to be given a reciprocal upgrade on a partner airline.. UA used to offer E+ access to * Gold members, but that was a long time ago..
#5
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: A menace to everything in the sky. Yes. Even birds.
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It requires finding the right agent, a bit of luck, and banking on the fact that no one in their right mind actually purchases F on US and most VFF's have moved on to real airlines.
If they updated their system to no longer allow this I'm not surprised. It was a great little-known benefit while it lasted.
#6
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: 40 miles SE of EWR
Programs: UA 1K/COPlat, Hyatt Diamond, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 532
I've had good luck with US upgrades...put on a happy face and give it a shot. Has worked for me about a dozen times this year out of about 2 dozen flights.
#7
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: SEA
Programs: UA Prem, DL Plat, CO Plat, Torrid Diva,Rascal House (free cookies!), TWA Ambassador 183506503
Posts: 415
as a co plat...
I got an op-up on US once but only because I complained incessantly. You could say that US is the evil stepchild of the Star Alliance
#8
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: New York / Hawaii
Programs: UA Global Services, HH Diamond
Posts: 5,176
Ditto here - always upgraded on US at the airport, always offered whatever Y seat I wanted without fee over the phone as a CO Platinum *A Gold. And even upgraded companions.
#9
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: 40 miles SE of EWR
Programs: UA 1K/COPlat, Hyatt Diamond, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, Hertz Platinum
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Or the "Ugly Girl"...that happens to have a beautiful new A320 that I flew on the other day. The updated A320 PSU is nice.
Can't believe I just complimented Airbus :td
Originally Posted by alison11
I got an op-up on US once but only because I complained incessantly. You could say that US is the evil stepchild of the Star Alliance
Can't believe I just complimented Airbus :td
#10
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: 40 miles SE of EWR
Programs: UA 1K/COPlat, Hyatt Diamond, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, Hertz Platinum
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Blackberry triple-post sorry
Blackberry triple-post sorry
Last edited by rggale; Dec 29, 2010 at 4:45 pm
#11
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: 40 miles SE of EWR
Programs: UA 1K/COPlat, Hyatt Diamond, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 532
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Blackberry triple-post sorry
Blackberry triple-post sorry
Last edited by rggale; Dec 29, 2010 at 4:46 pm
#13
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA Plat 2MM; AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 35,067
I just flew on one of their brand new A321s, which had Internet (not found on a single CO plane), pillows in F (not found on CO domestically), and free specialty drinks in F (also not found on CO domestically), and they had a cappuccino machine in their club (not found in CO clubs).
My return was IRROPed by some snow in CLT, and they rebooked me without hesitation on an alternate route (something I'd always have to fight for with CO).
If US is the evil stepchild, what does that make CO? The evil stepchild's turd?
#14
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,381
I didn't get upgraded on LAX-LAS as a CO Gold on US, flying earlier this year. I have occasionally gotten bulkhead without status, though, which on an A32X is almost as nice in terms of legroom.
#15
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 7,541
This isn't new policy...there has never been a policy in place...what people had was nice agents who went beyond their scope.