tvelinsk

I am having trouble booking reward travel on Northwest. I am trying to get 4 people to Hawaii from Detroit next June, and if I go into the NW website, Reward Travel Reservation, they show 2 separate flights with 2 FC seats available leaving June 1 and returning June 14. I have called the CO elite line twice and they say they do not show availability for any seats on NW DTW->HNL for anytime in the month of June. Does NW only release a certain percentage of seats to CO for rewards travel? Or do they only release seats, say, 6 months before the travel date? Or 30 days before the travel date? Or am I just out of luck?

Thanks for your help!

Vulcan

Typically, the NW site is pretty accurate for availability. I use it to see if there are upgrade seats to Asia as they come from the same bucket as the Free, award seats. If the site says that there are seats available, I then call Continental and they sell me an upgraded NW ticket on the spot. I did this yesterday and it was accurate again.

880

I have a question for all OnePass Reward experts.

1. Are the Northwest reward seats indicated on the wpaa site or nw site also available for onepass awards?

2. Do you need to point out award availabilty on NW or HP to the CO customer service reps? Do they hassle you over this?

3. Do the CO cust. service reps check out CO routes first and do you have a choice of airline to pick for your reward? Does CO make you take a CO route if it is available over a similar NW route?

4. Does CO/NW/HP allow domestic upgrades on award travel on onepass awards?

I've accumulated over 300,000 OnePass miles but have never redeemed any.

I want to be ready and educated before I face CO customer service!

mrjohnnyt

It usually doesn't hurt to state "the NW website is showing 2 FC seats on flight 123 on date xyz available...."
I think many times they're just trying to blow you off and get you off the phone.
As others have said, if you don't like the answer you get the first time just keep calling.

MileKing

Based on my limited experience redeeming CO miles, here are my answers:

1. Are the Northwest reward seats indicated on the wpaa site or nw site also available for onepass awards?
Not clear if award availability for CO onepass awards corresponds 1-to-1 with reward seats appearing on the NW site. Some people have stated NO, but it has been a 1-to-1 when I have checked award availability.

2. Do you need to point out award availabilty on NW or HP to the CO customer service reps? Do they hassle you over this?
YES, they always check CO availability first so it is wise to have them look at NW. No hassle, but they seem to try to steer you to CO flights rather than NW.

3. Do the CO cust. service reps check out CO routes first and do you have a choice of airline to pick for your reward? Does CO make you take a CO route if it is available over a similar NW route?
YES (see #2). No, you do not have to opt for CO over a similar NW route.

4. Does CO/NW/HP allow domestic upgrades on award travel on onepass awards?
Don't know for sure, but I believe you cannot upgrade award seats.

happymob

Based on previous threads, domestic upgrades on award tickets seem to be very rare on CO and somewhat common on NW (at the gate at least).

gottigotti

Just got off the phone with my favorite NONEPASS reps on the elite line. I am flying DFW-DTW-AMS this weekend in full Y and wanted to upgrade with miles through CO. I call, they so sorry no seats available. I say ok, but I checked the internet and it said seats are available. She says tough.

So.... I call the supernice Gold Line people at NW and ask for the same upgrade. She taps in her computer and rattles off EIGHT, yes EIGHT available seats for upgrade. I plan on cashing out the last of my CO miles and sticking strictly to the super nice people at NW.

venk

I found a solution for what I thought were essentially worthless miles. Convert most of your OnePass miles to hilton honors points at 2 points per mile. Keep some miles for upgrading when you fly NW. When you are not flying NW, build miles on another airline and book award nights at a very nice suite in a Hilton and relax after the flight. Much better result than trying to get an international upgrade or award on CO.