Possible upgrade "loophole"!!!
Oct 24, 2000 | 10:27 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Smoke filled room, TPA and FLL/MIA :UAL 1K and 2MM,AA EX PLAT and 2MM,Lifetime Plat Starwood
Posts: 4,318
Possible upgrade "loophole"!!!
rjwx2man, posted on another thread that he was able to call at 12:03 ESTand get an upgrade just like before. It dawned on me the e-mail I got from CO said, "All
upgrades are processed at midnight CST." So what is to stop us from upragading in the ONE HOUR WINDOW between 12:00 am EST and 12:00 am CST??? Then we can't get burned by the cost of ticket,length of time since purchase, silver on Y fares etc...Rules that kick in at 12:00am Central Time . It seems we have an hour to beat the "lazy" fliers!
upgrades are processed at midnight CST." So what is to stop us from upragading in the ONE HOUR WINDOW between 12:00 am EST and 12:00 am CST??? Then we can't get burned by the cost of ticket,length of time since purchase, silver on Y fares etc...Rules that kick in at 12:00am Central Time . It seems we have an hour to beat the "lazy" fliers!
Oct 24, 2000 | 10:31 pm
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Smoke filled room, TPA and FLL/MIA :UAL 1K and 2MM,AA EX PLAT and 2MM,Lifetime Plat Starwood
Posts: 4,318
IM4Travel's post seems to confirm my theory. Second person to get a manual upgrade by calling PRIOR to 12:00 am eastern. 
Oct 24, 2000 | 10:38 pm
#3
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Greensboro, NC USA
Posts: 235
Cigarman,
I hope your theory is correct. I dont get home until about 11:55pm eastern anyway, so the midnight call is an easy one for me to make. I hope we have the option, but this in one loophole that may tighten up.
I hope your theory is correct. I dont get home until about 11:55pm eastern anyway, so the midnight call is an easy one for me to make. I hope we have the option, but this in one loophole that may tighten up.
Oct 24, 2000 | 10:39 pm
#4
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Spring Lake,NJ
Posts: 1,219
All I need is a few minutes!!! An hour is a HUGE advantage for us opportunistic Elites!! Yahoooooo... I hope you are correct Cigarman...
I hope you are correct Cigarman...
Oct 24, 2000 | 10:43 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Smoke filled room, TPA and FLL/MIA :UAL 1K and 2MM,AA EX PLAT and 2MM,Lifetime Plat Starwood
Posts: 4,318
I'm not ready to pass out cigars YET. However I would really like to know if anyone else manually upgraded in the "loophole" . Or should I call it the "twilight zone"?
Oct 24, 2000 | 10:54 pm
#6
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Southwest Desert, under a rock, watch out! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<" You can get there, but it's gonna cost you!
Programs: Previously NonePass, now UA 1K (*Enhanced*)
Posts: 4,248
A "rodent" at NW tells me that the upgrades are actually processed a couple of hours before the witching hour, closing this little loophole.
Time will tell how this wonderful new advance in computer technology will affect the mileage maniac.
For a skinny guy like me an occasional trip back with the rest of the animals ain't so bad.
Time will tell how this wonderful new advance in computer technology will affect the mileage maniac.
For a skinny guy like me an occasional trip back with the rest of the animals ain't so bad.
Oct 24, 2000 | 10:58 pm
#7
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Spring Lake,NJ
Posts: 1,219
Arrgghhhh.. I was actually hoping to get a "Trinidad" out of Cigarman!!!!
Oct 24, 2000 | 11:10 pm
#8
In Memoriam
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Rancho Cucamonga, CA USA
Posts: 638
I tried to upgrade my MCO-IAH-DFW flights for last Sunday @ 12:01 Eastern time and the agent refused to process it because she said that it is based on Central time. When I told her that I have upgraded before at that time she said that this was not a new policy and I was mistaken. When I asked to talk to a supervisor she said it was a 22 minute hold for one. I hung up after a few minutes of the annoying hold music/announcements and called back an hour later at 1 AM. I did get upgraded for both segments but I have no idea what is going on down in Houston. 
Oct 25, 2000 | 4:15 am
#9
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: In protest of Flyertalk's uncalledfor censoring of my point of view, I cancelled my InsideFlyer subscription. So long, and thanks for everything.
Posts: 3,325
So, even if we can always call back until we get an agent that honors the "Midnight EST" hour advantage, Silvers and Golds STILL loose out to the "Lazy Platinum" who would not have called.
This should still be read as a lowering of the benifits to Gold and the utter removal of Silver benefits for everything other than early boarding.
Still a very bad idea....
This should still be read as a lowering of the benifits to Gold and the utter removal of Silver benefits for everything other than early boarding.
Still a very bad idea....
Oct 25, 2000 | 4:32 am
#10
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: TX
Posts: 712
Ah yes, the myth of "the lazy platinum."
Let's add that to the myth of "I'm 100 percent on upgrades and it can only get worse."
Indeed the sky is falling.
Let's add that to the myth of "I'm 100 percent on upgrades and it can only get worse."
Indeed the sky is falling.
Oct 25, 2000 | 5:25 am
#11
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Tempe,Az,USA
Posts: 472
But then again West Coast passengers now have a two hour advantage.
Oct 25, 2000 | 8:08 am
#12
Commander Catcop
Join Date: May 1998
Posts: 10,259
Cigarman, I was unaware that the upgrade rule was to call midnight CENTRAL TIME!
In most of my CO upgrade calls, I phoned at midnight eastern time and they processed me.
YES< this is true. I would not lie about something like this.
But now I'm floored that I may have won upgrades early.
Or do east coasters get a special dispensation.
Nice topic Cigarman.
In most of my CO upgrade calls, I phoned at midnight eastern time and they processed me.
YES< this is true. I would not lie about something like this.
But now I'm floored that I may have won upgrades early.
Or do east coasters get a special dispensation.
Nice topic Cigarman.
Oct 25, 2000 | 8:39 am
#13
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Houston, TX , CO PLT
Posts: 189
Technically, the rule until now has been that you can call and upgrade after midnight in the time zone of your originating flight. So, if I am flying IAH-CLE, I can upgrade at midnight Central, but if I am flying CLE-IAH, I can upgrade at midnight Eastern.
Therefore, Catman, if your flights have been originating out of EWR, you would be legal in calling at midnight Eastern.
Therefore, Catman, if your flights have been originating out of EWR, you would be legal in calling at midnight Eastern.
Oct 25, 2000 | 8:41 am
#14
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 1,439
Originally posted by Catman:
Cigarman, I was unaware that the upgrade rule was to call midnight CENTRAL TIME!
In most of my CO upgrade calls, I phoned at midnight eastern time and they processed me.
YES< this is true. I would not lie about something like this.
But now I'm floored that I may have won upgrades early.
Or do east coasters get a special dispensation.
Nice topic Cigarman.
Cigarman, I was unaware that the upgrade rule was to call midnight CENTRAL TIME!
In most of my CO upgrade calls, I phoned at midnight eastern time and they processed me.
YES< this is true. I would not lie about something like this.
But now I'm floored that I may have won upgrades early.
Or do east coasters get a special dispensation.
Nice topic Cigarman.
Oct 25, 2000 | 9:18 am
#15
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: San Francisco (Marin County), CA
Programs: UA Lifetime 1K, LH Senator, SQ PPS Solitaire, Hyatt Courtesy Card
Posts: 3,031
I am on 1670 SFO-IAH today; earlier this week I called at 9:15 p.m. Pacific, several hours before the appropriate time three days before (I am Platinum). This would be within the "window of opportunity" discussed here.
I was already upgraded.
I was already upgraded.