My wife and I will be flying from Orange County to Houston in March on a Friday. I want to maximize the chances of getting upgraded to first class. Seems unlikely. Connection up to TUL. I have several one-segment space-available upgrades, as does she. She will also be NWest Silver Elite and be eligible for space-avail upgrades on that as well. Thus, our plan is to arrive at check-in two hours beforehand. She uses her elite status for space upgrade (saves the coupons) and I use the coupon. We are on the 8:45 am flight on a 737-500, and there is a 6:45 am flight at 6:45 am on a 737-700. Very few first class seats on the 737. Perhaps we should try stand-by on the earlier flight to improve our chances of upgrading. Anyhow, I realize this may be somewhat mundane to you all, but any advisement would be appreciated. Coming back on a Tuesday, so maybe chances better on the return. Can the upgrade us for connecting flight in OC or must we first wait to get to Houston? Will here elite status for space avail upgrade give her different priority than my coupon? Many thanks in advance.

First, have her call CO elite phone and find out if there are any "F" class seats available on the flight now. If there are none, your coupon is useless as it is already a "waiting list" situation, and only Gold elites are allowed to be on the waiting list.

Best bet is for both of you to get to the airport very early with her elite status and see what the agent will do. If there is a waiting list, it is almost guaranteed that they will not put you on it. If there is availability, you should not have to use the coupon (if your wife is Gold) as Gold Elite's are entitled to upgrade a companion on the same itinerary anyway.

Dave

NJD, Notice the March date. I'm not sure the certificates are valid. Secondly, are the "new" Golds allowed a companion upgrade?

I was able to upgrade to FC on the first flight out of SNA to IAH on a Friday in November. The counter opens at 6:00a and I was one of the first in line. I had a seat available upgrade from my Prestige Pack and got right in. Then our plane had to stand in line as all 10 or so of the 6:45a flights depart the gates to await the 7:00a curfew.

JAWS, I'm the first to admit I'm confused. If she achieved silver last year, she'd automatically be bumped to new gold, which is less than new platinum, but both new gold and new platinum can upgrade one companion. I don't know if Northwest Silver's get the same upgrade. I felt just saying Gold was the safest thing.

Also, if it's a CO "pack" space available certificate, they usually expire a year from receipt, so it depends. I am clueless if CO certificates are good on Northwest or visa versa.

My limited conversations with operators / agents on the CO priority hotline so far this year seems to prove out the fact that no one has a clue what is going on, as most of the time they see if they can make some case for what I'm asking for (you once were a gold, but you will be platinum, but not till March, but you're flying after March, but the program changed so we don't do that anymore, so....just tell me what you want and we'll do it).

So I'm not the only one confused.

Dave

[This message has been edited by NJDavid (edited 01-24-99).]

Jeff ~ I can tell you my experience the one time I flew CO (sorry this may be a bit long).

I signed up for the OnePass program and never used it ... so about a year later CO sent me two free segment upgrades.

I decided to try and use the upgrades so I was flying MSY-IAH-SNA-IAH-MSY. These were space available upgrades. I was unable to use them on my trip out.

On the trip back I was on a morning flight (probably the 8:45 am flight you are planning on being on also). I got to the airport really early and they were able to put me in first class on the early flight (probably the 6:45 am flight you are thinking about standing by on) with no waiting, but the 8:45 am flight I would have had to waitlist for.

In other words, a peon with no status (me) was able to space available upgrade on the early flight with no problem, so I'd guess that would be your best bet also.

I'd also suggest you check how F looks on both flights using http://www.itn.net, just select the flights you are on (first class) and look how many f seats are available on each flight.

NJD, I think you are correct. Everyone is confused and until we get the "new" handy-dandy membership guide, the "upgrade game" is open to 1998 rules, as of right now. I, just like you, really do not know what CO will do when they put the rules in writing. I agree about the certificates, they usually have a one year life. So, I could see that certificates issued in 12/98, would be valid for all 1999. However, if the certificates are "ELTx types", then they would not be valid after 3/1/99.

Ok, here it is in a nutshell:

1. She is silver elite on NW and will not be upgraded to gold elite on the 1999 plan (unless she flew the miles). NW did not have a mid-elite level like CO.

2. I spoke to Continental and they told me that the rules do not go into effect until March 1, 1999, for advance upgrades. They did say that had made some exceptions.

3. She is silver elite. Her certificates are not transferable. Even if she gets upgraded, her companion can not use one of her certificates to get upgraded.

Bottom line, she may get upgraded but the hubby is sitting in the back of the plane.

Indeed, it looks as if I'm going to be the poor hubby. However, my wife doesn't like to sit apart from me so we'll probably both have to enjoy coach.

Question: her advance upgrade possibility as NW Silver Elite (she begins status 3/1) will only give her a two hour advance notice window, just as do my certificates. Thus wouldn't they be treated similarly. Or, does she in fact have a possibility to wait list and I don't? And she can call but I must go to ticket counter?

Thanks for all the replies.

If you are using certificates to upgrade at the airport, they are first come first serve, if seats are available. Once there is a waitlist its buy elite category, then time of check-in.

First check expedia or itn to find out if there are first class seats available. I suggest doing this the night before. You can also call the elite line and ask them to check. If there are none, then your space available certificates might not do you much, since the Higher elites will jump ahead of you on the wait list.

As for the plane's the 737's have up to 14 First class seats, depending on the model.
If I remember the 737-700 has a good ratio of first class to coach.

If their are first class seats then being first person in line at the airport will help big time.

As for the reply that said the certificates will be useless after 3/1, NOT TRUE.
I have right in front of me an ELTS that has an expiration date of 4/8/99.

Good luck on the upgrade.

Although the ELTS certificates may have an expiration date that is after 3/1/99, they are in essence useless because Silver Elites are given unlimited upgrades for day of departure, and current Silvers that will be Gold in 99 will have unlimited 48-hr advance upgrades, so although you *can* use the certificates, you may have better upgrade options as a 99 Elite. Also, the ELTC certificates given to Gold members do have an expiration date of 3/1/99.

I hadn't thought about it that way. I see your point.

RChavez, Thank you for the translation. ELTS certificates were apparently issued when one achieved Bronze(no more) and Silver. These could be anytime during the year and therefore could have exp. dates later than 3/1. And, for all practical purposes they would be useless after 3/1.