I beg to disagree. As a not insignificant equity holder, I believe and expect that Mr. Bethune and soon Mr. Kellner will opt for profits over pleasing elite customers at any and every opportunity. (It shouldn't even be a contest.) I am certain that CO staffers at all levels would agree.

Regards,

Tom

As a shareholder, you of all people should understand that profits and happy customers go hand in hand. Without happy returning customers (i.e., Elites), you hurt recurring revenue. This is not an industry where you can alienate customers and expect to replace them with new customers. Just look at the ratio of Elites in the air these days.

As joebeenyc pointed out, it's a "fine line."

I apologize for such a rudimentary question but could anyone please explain how to optain this detailed inventory information.

Head over to the mileage run forum for lots of useful info, but this is the link I use to chck availability. There are others.

http://flyaow.com/classamex.htm

and in case you want to start a new hobby http://flyaow.com/classavailability.htm

I definately have to second Channa's comments. If you want your "not insignificant" equity to have any type of return, Mr. Bethune and Mr. Kellner better be doing everything they can to please Elite customers because we represent the bread and butter of consistent revenue - the non-Elite customer will choose carriers based on price and schedule, but the Elite customer will add preference and loyalty into their decision making process - as well as being better able to discern product quality.

I don't expect CO to give the farm to Elites at the expense of profits, but these loyalty relationships represent a vital source of repeat business. It is a very fine line that when crossed against Elite customers, can cause significant peril for the airline. Just ask USAirways how it feels.

Thank you for the prompt and helpful response OB one.

May I press further? The flight that I looked up shows 15 coach seats (OP only) and 13 FC seats (28 total) available through CO's website. When I request a coach seat on CO.com, CO starts off offering with a Z fare in FC even when requesting a coach ticket. ( even though 15 coach seats are available, all OP seats.) When I check inventory through classamex it shows A9 D9 Z9 Y3 (0's below),(30 total) and will only show the flight number when searching first class.

Two questions: Why the 2 seat discrepancy between Classamex and CO's website? It is a consistent number? Does it fluctuate based on equipment or is it merely a random ghost?

Does CO only offer FC seats to non OP prospects when only OP seats are left available in coach?

(did I say two questions?)

First, keep in mind that unassigned seats have very little to do with actual availability on the flight. Quite often, seats are sold, but not assigned, so coach may be sold out while several seats are unassigned. My guess on your particular flight is that several non-Elites have purchased seats, and since only Elite seats are available for assignment, they have been left unassigned until check-in, and coach is fully sold out. A coach seat is sold to anyone if there is availability, Elite or not, and has no correllation to whether an actual seat is assigned or not.

Second, while the Amex/FLYAOW site might show avaiability, it is not always perfectly in line with the airline. I have been chasing a Y seat on a sold out DL flight for more than 2 months, and while AMEX shows 1 to 4 Y seats available for sale, DL does not. Furthermore, when you actually try to buy the seat from AMEX, it will often come back saying "That flight has recently sold out" or something to that effect. AMEX/FLYAOW is a great tool to use for scoping flights, but not an absolute exact replica of the airline's actual availability.

Hope this helps.

Robin

First Class may also be cheaper than coach. Particularly discounted F vs. full-fare Y if that's all that's available. Co.com will show you the lowest fare, even if it means in F.

Thank you for your help Robin and Channa. This new tool will help me with future bookings.

By the way as an FYI: I'm scoping my flight that is 3 days out to FLL, and FC is wide open with sold out coach and no upgrades yet granted to the hordes of presumptive OP passengers.

While I don't expect Co to give the farm away to Elites I do expect them to follow their published guidelines/rules. The CO website lists the following on UG's:

Upgrades are processed nightly and confirmed in priority order using the following schedule:

All Elite members on unrestricted Y fare class -- Beginning 5 calendar days before departure if an upgrade was not confirmed any time after ticketing

Platinum Elite members on non-Y fare classes -- Beginning 5 calendar days before departure

Gold Elite members on non-Y fare classes -- Beginning 3 calendar days before departure

Silver Elite members on non-Y fare classes -- Beginning 1 calendar day before departure

OnePass Elite members unable to upgrade in advance on Continental Airlines, Northwest Airlines and Copa Airlines may request an upgrade within two hours of departure at the airport.


Between ignoring these policies, the guarenteed seat policy, and the general devaluation of the product CO will be placed into the mix with the other airlines when I book travel for the next year, and the way it is right now this PLAT will be flying based only on price.