Although I eventually get the seat, the system failed me again last night. Yesterday (1/15) I bought a V class ticket EWR-FLL for travel Wed 1/17, inside the Platinum upgrade window. Naturally I asked the agent about the upgrade and she said that I would be upgraded automatically that night and had the advantage over all Gold and Silver Elites. I mentioned that formerly, I would be upgraded on the spot, but she told me that I would have to wait for the auto and that "this was a much better system [for me]." I gave her no argument because she was not one of the most competent agents (and also, FC on my flight was wide open and I knew that the EUA would find me with no trouble).
Of course, the automatic upgrade failed, and I had to call this morning anyhow. As opposed to some other times, today I got an agent who was able to override the system without any hesitation, as though this were now a common occurrence. This has happened to me twice in a dozen or so upgradeable flights, but both times I was able to get an agent to override the system in the morning.




[This message has been edited by monitor (edited 01-16-2001).]

received email yesterday for coming trip on 17th to confirm that we got upgraded. This my first since the EUA in place. So far so good and hopefully stays this way! I was told by agent when I bought the tickets that if anyone on the reservation is not Platimum, the auto will not go through on my status. I asked what if there is only one seat but two Platinum on the same reservation what would happen. She was not sure. Does anyone know?

Its still unreliable. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I called about an upgrade 2 days before the flight and was told I was already upgraded, yet I never received an e-mail. On another flight, a D10, I received an email at 4am for an 8am flight that my wife and I were upgraded (both of us are Platinum). The B/F section was so empty that my wife was able to leave the cabin 20 minutes before takeoff, walk back out to the podium, and get an associate in coach upgraded as a companion upgrade. To say that Yield Management is out of control may be an understatement.

After my first CO trip as an elite (silver), I'm 2/4 for EUA. One of those surprisingly was CLE-IAH. Was e-mailed both times.

Mrs. motnot, also silver, went 0/3 by EUA, including the CLE-IAH that I was upgraded on. The elite agent I called to check if EUA had upgraded (out of town, no e-mail access) said Mrs. motnot could stand by at the airport. Upon check-in, she was upgraded. So 1/3 overall.