I'm a plat and for the first time since the advent of the electronic upgrades (and for only the second time in three years), I'm sitting in the back.
Luckily, it's a shuttle from DCA-Newark.

I got the email notification of an upgrade for the leg up to Boston and decided to call to find out about the first flight. It turns out there will be NO elite upgrades on that flight Thursday afternoon. All 10 seats are occupied by folks purchasing 1st class tix or folks who are using miles to upgrade the leg as part of a longer trip. No full Y fares will be sitting up front, either.

The agent said she'd never seen this before.

Well, Elite upgrades are made on a "space-available" basis to begin with, so that if all first-class seats have been bought with either cash or frequent-flyer miles, seats for complimentary upgrades wouldn't be available anyway, EUA or no EUA.

Or am I missing your point?

As to the CO agent's "never seeing this before," well, all considered, she may have been around for the recent past only. CO is lately enjoying a well-earned windfall of popularity and notoriety translating into higher-than-ever passenger load factors. Viewed in this context, it's downright likely that CO is winning over more passengers from other airlines who are paying for first class, or passengers who are willing to burn miles on a segment that takes 90 minutes to drive. (Out of curiosity, why wouldn't you take the train? By the time all is said and done with getting to the airport, boarding, flying, making to the trip into the City, etc., you could have already been on your way out of Penn Station to wherever it is you need to go...).

[This message has been edited by ETOPS (edited 04-01-2001).]

EWR-DCA is one of my steady runs and it is very unusual that everybody in front will show. There is almost always at least one no-show and if you are Platinum, they will send somebody to move you up.
Actually, when I'm carrying bags on, I frequently decline the upgrade because it is too much of a hassle to wait to get back to the bags at the end of the flight, especially when the real priority is getting to work.
A couple of weeks ago, you should have seen the face of the deadheading pilot when he came to the back with my FC boarding pass to take my seat and send me forward. When I told him that he could have the seat upfront, I think that for a moment he was not sure what to do, since he is not supposed to ride in FC. However, he slipped into the FC cabin and probably sat down with a smile.
As for ETOPS' suggestion about taking the railroad, maybe the train is a good idea when you're going from Manhattan to the District, but for me, and as far as I know for most of the business travelers that I observe on the planes, the destination is Virginia and the only decision is whether to take the crappy ATR to Dulles or the nice jet with all those FC seats to DCA and drive an extra few miles on the lovely VA roads.
And it even takes me more than 90 minutes to drive from my office 35 miles down the road in NJ to any destination in Metro DC. How about a minimum of twice as long, and I go like hell when I drive that route. Three hours and five minutes from exit 9 on the NJ Tpke to Tyson's Corner is the absolute best you can do.


[This message has been edited by monitor (edited 04-01-2001).]

Um, I'm not taking the train as I'm continuing up to Boston. (and as I noted, I'm up front for that flight) When I do go to NYC, I take train.

I also make this run often, and whilst I'm not trying to pick a fight, I'm going to say I agree with what that agent told me. In at least 20 trips, I had never NOT been upgraded three days out and I usually see the front cabin at least half full with last minute upgrades, as opposed to being filled to capacity with full paying flyers.

The train goes on to Boston, too...

joanek, when are you going? How full is the flight in coach?? I might expect a full paid FC cabin for maybe a Friday PM flight... and if coach is already full, I can see some business travelers booking FC to get home. But..... 3 days from your original post would be Apr. 4th, a Wednesday!?!

Sorry---I'm of no help on Friday flights. I'm heading up Thursday in order to attend my 20th Opening Day at Fenway Park on Friday.

However, I can tell you that the 3 post 3pm Thursday dca-ewr flights are quite full. The earlier one (1230, I think. Maybe 1:30?) still has room, but I'm not sure I can get out of the office THAT early.

And yes, I know about the train between DC-Boston. The last time I took it was I was in my first year of college, eons ago. It was spring break and I had to stand (or perch on arm rests) the entire ride from Boston to Philadelphia.


[This message has been edited by joanek (edited 04-03-2001).]

Joanek - Stop worrying and looking on ITN for upgradeable seats on that run. There is no discernable pattern that I have been able to find over the years to gauge whether the FC cabin will be full between DCA and EWR.
For example, as Viajero Joven suggests, one would think that Friday nights would be busy and that is almost always the case, but one would also think that Saturday PMs would not, and that frequently is not the case as international BF travelers sometimes take up the entire FC cabin. I will bet you a cocktail at the PC (I'm a big sport) that you do get offered the upgrade despite what it looks like a few days in advance. Let us know how you make out on the trip (but not at the ballgame, because we know how bad the Sawx are going to be the way things are going for them this spring).

(if you don't get your upgrade) just think...if you had to miss just one upgrade this year, which would you rather it be...a DCA-EWR or a EWR-LAX?? This always gets me through the pain of upgrade not clearing on hops less than a few hours.

BTW -- Were you able to get seats in the Exit row in advance (I think only Plats and Golds can do so??). The exit row IIRC has the same or MORE legroom than First Class, and you won't be missing much of the First Class service (take your own soda if that makes you feel better!).

Wait--- let me set things straight.

It's not missing the seat that prompted me to start this topic---I'm just fascinated by the numbers here. And so was the agent.

I bet you will be too, when you think about it.

She said there are 10 first class seats on the plane. 9 are filled with folks paying the first class fare.

The other first class seat seat is a mileage upgrade. 2 people were hoping to use miles to upgrade and are on a waiting list.

So, those two folks are in coach, along with "a bunch" full fare coach people. I didn't ask for an exact number, but the agent said more than 10. Along with "many" silvers, golds and plats. I don't know exactly how many "many" is, but I'd think it is more than "a bunch."

Might this be the flight with the highest % of full fares of the day? At least this day?

PS--As for the game---Monitor, I've been an o's fan ever since I could say brooks robinson. It's the Opening Day reunion, not the Sox, calling me back to Boston.

And if you join Amtrak's Guest Rewards, you can transfer those miles over to OP once you get 5k.

Amtrak credits 500 points per Business Class trip, 750 for First Class.

Jim