Need upgrade advice: Picked the wrong flight
 

I'm a Silver Elite and will be travelling EWR-LAX on Thursday. Checked on ITN and there are no first class seats on my flight. However, the flights immediately before and after my scheduled flight is wide open in first. I purchased my nonrefundable ticket several weeks ago.

Will CO let me change my outbound flight so that I can upgrade to first? Any advice on "talking" my way into changing flight and getting a first class seat?

Thanks in advance.

I don't know if your status will get you out of the $75 change fee, but assuming there is no fare difference from the flight that you are on and the flights before and after- you ought to be able to change without much of a problem. If you want to change this itinerary as much as it appears that you do, the $75 change fee will be inconsequential.

Also, I am not quite clear: Are you planning on upgrading with miles, or status. If you are upgrading with miles, do it. If you are planning on upgrading with status, that is a riskier proposition considering the route in question. If this is the case, the $75 turns into a gamble. It is your call whether you roll the dice.

If it's a same-price fare (which I'd guess it's not, since you'd have to pay walk-up rates now), then it would be worth the $75 change fee on Silver UG day, if seats are left.

If not, you certainly could get to the airport early stand by on the earlier flight (for coach), and if there are any FC seats left when the flight boards, you'd be able to snag one.

However, since your flight is 3 days away (start of UG window), I bet you'll see most, if not all, of the FC seats disappear on those other flights as well. But there might still be one or two available on Thursday, especially if it's a 737.

Colin:

In the meantime, have you attempted to book an exit row seat, just to be safe. Book the reclining exit row, if possible. Suggestion.

On most nonrefundable tickets you cannot change the outbound portion of the itinerary for $75, only the return. You can standby for another flight on the same day, but that would only get you into coach. Maybe with silver elite the gate agent will let you standby for the flight and the upgrade at the same time.

I'm Platinum and I'd doubt the likelihood of getting a complimentary FC upgrade after standing by, although I think the gate agent can do it and just about anything. I echo the advice to get a good seat assignment on your booked flight. You could invest the time to go early, stand by and hope for the first flight to clear coach and then the FC complimentary upgrade. If that fails you could elect not to take the standby and just be early in the silver line for a no show on your booked flight. I don't find many domestic flights that are not full in FC.

Jerry is correct. You cannot change the outbound portion of a restricted ticket (you can standby for an earlier flight, however). I think it's very likely there will be no advance upgrades available when the Silver window opens up. I suspect CO *sells* a lot of FC on that route.

I flew a few time on EWR-LAX this year. The FC are sold out often because, I believe, Contintntal has preferred treament for some big corporation in New York. (At EWR, they even have a seperate check -In lines, and those lines are always shorter than the first class check-in). Most of these corporation are willing to pay full fare and I guess they will comp these accounts with silver eliete, which means they will get upgrades 3 days before depature.

Bookexp:

I work for a large company in the EWR area. We guarantee CO a large amount of business ($$$) per year. Based on that they give the company a certain discount % (upwards of 20 %)on certain (most) routes. As part of this deal they give employees of those firms (AT&T, Lucent, Johnson & Johnson, etc.) access to the special check-in line that you mention that is open a good part of the day.

There is no policy that employees of those companies get comped to elite status or get any perks (besides the short check-in line)

If you stand by (any time before your scheduled time to 4 hours after it), they will try to put you on Coach first, and then to see if there is any f/c available. Since that happens only 10-15 minutes before the gate closes, and usually f/c stand-by clears before or at the same time, the chance is very slim. However, I did it once on a ATL-IAH-LAX flight. If you travel EWR-LAX, make sure you book on a 757-200 domestic config which has 24 f/c seats (flts #143, 135,133). The Business First only has 16 seats. Starting 4/1, CO uses 738 on some of the routes and 73G on Flt# 131, that is another reason f/c seats go out so quickly. I just love sitting in f/c on that route, the food is very good. Good luck to you.

Unless they change the aircraft and flight numbers on a regular basis, ITN shows that CO135 has the BF seating; at least that is the case for flights showing a little bit later in the season.

Dsimon:

CO 757-200 has two configurations, First/Coach has 24 in the front, and BF/C has only 16 (usually for European flights). So, flight 135 must be a BF/C 757-200.

guiming_miao, I believe that is what my previous post states http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif.

Ultimately, the answer to this question varies on the agent checking you in. Due to the generosity of various gate agents, I have arrived at the airport for an earlier flight, been put on it, and then upgraded even though I was ticketed to go out on a later flight. This usually happens only when either the earlier flight is fairly open, my current flight is overbooked in coach, or there are no upgrades available. Usually, if I am told there are no upgrades available, then I ask the agent if he/she can put me on another flight in F/C. Usually they'll do it if the flights are open. These are on non-refundable tickets too.

Regards,
RChavez

CO is the BEST airline! Had a two truly exceptional transcon flights over Easter weekend. Only a Silver Elite, yet my upgrade cleared the morning of departure. To my surprise, the 757 had a businessfirst cabin. The flight was a continuation from Lisbon. I have never experienced CO's businessfirst product, and I must admit that it is outstanding. Extremely comfortable seats, large PTV, and excellent food - Lobster and scallops over a bed of rice!

On my return trip on Sunday, LAX - EWR, my originally scheduled 4PM flight was sold in FC when I called the Elite line at 9PM PST. So, for an easy $75, I switched my return to the 9AM and got a confirmed upgrade. Again, I lucked out and got a businessfirst cabin! Service was just as good!

One slight drawback to business first is that the PTV do not show movies "on-demand". You have to watch when everyone else is watching.

I paid only $156.50 each way($313 RT) for my Easter weekend trip to LAX. I traveled on the busiest days and times. I am only a Silver Elite. And I still got upgraded to businessfirst! You just gotta love CO!