rhino_uk

OK first a little background.
Flying from MAN to LAS, normally would look to go non-stop so that would be BMI, but on this occasion we want to stop in NY for a week on the way back so CO became the obvious choice.

Now through some stupidity on my part I didn't realise that I could pre-book my seats on-line until after the window had closed. So I looked at the availability and decided that the twin seats on row 44 looked the best option and I would try to get them at the airport.

Further background:
My wife walks with the aid of a stick, but it's not walking she has the most problem with it's just standing so, whenever we go to check in we always politely enquire at the business check in if they would mind us using that desk. So far we've had no refusals.

So we arrive at the airport a little early, see the usual queue for ecomony and make our way to the business desk. Once again no problems and we're waved down to the counter.
At this stage I'm bent down writing the luggage tags and trying to get the wife's attention to tell her to ask for row 44 and I hear the supervisor say keep this between you and me.

We check the bags in and I take the ask her what row we ended with.
Row 9. Ok thats a bit more room than 44.

So sorry to anyone who didn't score an upgrade on the MAN-EWR yesterday (28th) and thanks to CO, you just might be getting more of our business from now on.

BTW we were where we belong an the LAS flt and it was delayed for an hour.
That's the problem with luxury you soon get used it to.

ijgordon

Ok, well it's one thing to be wowed by those elusive international op-upgrades, but tell us what you thought about the BusinessFirst experience! Have you ever flown international premium class before? (would like to gauge if you were wowed by the general premium class experience, or if it was CO specific)

snake

I was on a CO flight out of Guatemala where they put a gal with her foot in a cast in F with me and the non-revs. The gate agent said to the stews that it was OK for her to be up front, but that she was supposed to get the economy meal.

rhino_uk

I've only been upgraded once before and that was on KLM LAX-AMS.
I think that was because we volunteered for a bump on the outbound.
Other than that it's always at the back for me.
I only fly for vacation and a couple of trips to the states a year makes getting any kind of status difficult.
I guess it was just the general premium class thing that got me but even with nothing to compare against, I would have no problem being told I had to fly CO for the rest of my flights.

deephouse

Odd. I was under the impression that when you're in F, you get all of the benefits normally given to F pax, regardless of how you got there... cash, miles, Elite status, or op-up.

Example: at least at their hubs, NW has a policy of paying for the hotel rooms of Platinums, Golds, and F pax in the event of a weather delay. I got stranded at MSP once due to weather when I was a mere Silver. The GA told me that my status wasn't sufficient for a free room, but because I'd been upgraded on my flight from IND to MSP, they took care of the bill.

Jim Phillips

CO coach? Foot, meet mouth, and literally.

flymeaway

Sounds like the passenger with the injury didn't have a FC seat assignment. Probably, there was an empty seat and were allowing her to sit there for comfort.

WayMaker

They try not to board too many meals. Each F meal costs them. A last minute call to the caterers to top off the flight with an additional F meal can potentially delay the flight. So the agent will stipulate that the person's Y meal is what is to be offered.

What usually happens is that somebody in the F cabin declines the meal. If the FA crew is a good one, they'll offer that meal to the non-revs or special medical op-ups, as in this case. If the the FAs are hungry and selfish, they save those meals for themselves.