Old Gold

A couple of days ago I purchased a pair of tickets on America West at my local airport ticket counter. When I requested seating assignments I was told that we had been assigned seats, in rows 25 and 29. When I requested seating in the elite section (I'm CO Platinum) the ticket agent told me that he could not assign those seats, and that I Had to call the number on my Elite card to get preffered seating.

Called the CO Elite line, the agent called HP, and after a long time on hold came back on the line and told me that they would not assign the preffered seats, except to Flight Fund elites! She said that this was the first time that she had heard of this problem, and that CO has always offered preferred seating to HP Elites.

After that call I tried to call HP reservations direct, and was told that for preffered seating I would have to call Flight Fund during regular business hours.

This is all new to me, I have been flying on America West regularly since the CO-HP partnership started in 1994, and with a few isolated exceptions have been extended the Elite benefits that I receive on Continental. (Getting milage credit is another story!)

I normally don't bother with seating assignments on HP since I'm usually on short flights, and have had a pretty good upgrade sucess rate. However on long flights and when traveling with my wife I prefer to have decent seats preassigned. In the past the procedure has been that the reservations agent would put me on hold, confirm my elite status with CO, and then assign the seats.

I hope that this is not a change in policy, has anyone out there had any similar problems recently?

Tute84

Just the other day, I had a similiar experience at EWR. I was booking on a CO flight to Cancun for the millenium. I had just made it to silver, and had not yet received my stuff, but the information was still in the computer. The lady refused to assign elite seats (hey, that rhymes!!) because I didn't have my card, even though I pointed out on the screen that I was silver. I didn't bother asking for a red coat, I figure I'd just call reservations directly and would have better luck.

MRLIMO

Old Gold,

I regularly run into the same situation except in reverse since I am HP Platinum. It happens to me when I am flying CO and I request elite seating, using my HP elite status. I've concluded that the real problem is that our elite status cannot be accessed on their screens by the other airline, and short of taking us at our word (which they have done sometimes), they need to actually contact them.

It is at this point that the next "problem" occurs. The level of customer service they wish to provide us, determines whether we get the elite seating preferences we are entitled to and have earned by our loyalty. Too often they choose to take the course of least resistance by telling us that we need to contact our respective elite desks, or that no elite seating is available, or one of any other convenient excuses. I know, because I've been there, done that. I can be refused my elite seating choice due to any of the above excuses, hang up and call right back and the next customer service representative is more than happy (due to my elite status) to seat me in elite seats, by simply taking the necessary time and effort to verify it!!!!!

I hope that in the near future their computers will be able to talk to one another regarding our elite status. I feel we are an important component to their continued success. Overall, I am very pleased with the level of customer service I receive from both CO and HP.

MRLIMO

dgolds

I am in the same situation as OldGold - CO Platinum flying occasionally on HP. A couple of times, I've been told to call the CO elite desk after buying a ticket on HP to handle an upgrade or seating. When they tell me that, I say that in the past other HP agents have been able to do whatever I asked them to do. This usually gets a sigh from the agent or a "just the second, I need to talk to my supervisor," and then eventually the task gets completed.