Why I Love EUA
 

March 15, 2002 CO 1118 IAH-SJD(San Jose Cabo FCTSTY)
C1 D1 Z1, no platinum upgrade. What a great system http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif

Since you've already passed the Platinum window with no upgrade and one seat available, you might try calling and asking for a manual upgrade, as EUA obviously isn't working. You'll probably have to make several calls, as most CO agents won't do it, but if you stick with it long enough you should find one willing to give you the manual upgrade.

A similar situation happened to me once, and I finally got an agent willing to upgrade me on the 3 or 4th call.

Good luck!

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"Read my lips! No more benefit cuts!"...Gordon Bethune

I am currently 0 for 2 in having the upgrade entered manually. The agents all claim the system is automatic and there can be no manual adjustments. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/rolleyes.gif

Same experience here as iwantanupgrade.

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daniel baker -- [email protected]
Reliable, fast, and unmoderated forums at ITYT.

Just checked ITN again. C0 D0 Z0 Y0. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mad.gif I wish I didn't live in IAH. Any extra seats on AA JonNYC. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

This is one area where NW really shines compared to CO. Every time EUA has passed me over when upgrades are available they've manually put it through for me. CO always refuses, with each agent giving a different excuse.

I'm truely amazed at the answers the agents give out. My last call was to a supervisor who insisted that it was not possible to enter a manual upgrade. He stuck to this story even when asked "your telling me that no one at CO can make a manual change". I don't know if i'm more upset that CO hires idiots to repeat the party line or that they believe we are idiots to believe it.

So, uh, did anyone ever consider the possibility that some agents truly don't have the system permissions to do an upgrade?

Or that they joined Continental post-EUA and were never told how to do it, which is a reasonable expectation?

Everyone here seems to assume that there's a sinister motive behind every action.

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daniel baker -- [email protected]
Reliable, fast, and unmoderated forums at ITYT.

There could be some agent who are not aware for whatever reason but I would think that a supervisor would be experienced enough to be able to make that change or pass the request to someone who can. Instead he just states that it isn't possible. No one builds a system that cannot be manually adjusted. It is a question of priorities and CO seems to have made the decision the rare exception (in their view) of EUA not working properly is not worth the time of correcting.

I have actually been booking more flights on RJ's this year. I know it's a coach seat and there is no chance of an upgrade, it takes the stress out of dealing with CO's EUA this year. As a Platinum this year flying from CLE I am less than 50% on upgrades. Most flights are A8 F0 at the Plat window and I can't get to the airport 3 hrs early for the flight to claim my seat.

Also, so far EUA 3hrs before the flight has NOT worked for me so far.

[This message has been edited by RW (edited 03-11-2002).]

[This message has been edited by RW (edited 03-11-2002).]

I was succesfull with a manual EAU last Thrusday, took two calls after the 3.5 hour mark. However, this morning at 3.5 hours when flight went F0 to F2, I made several calls and could not find an agent who would do a manual upgrade... "System Upgrades only or at airport" was the general theme of my calls this morning.

I think what you're missing is what "can be done" and what is "within the guidelines to do."
For instance, it is possible for an agent to issue you 10 free round-trip first class tickets to Paris. It would cost the agent his/her job, but IT CAN BE DONE.
Maybe what the agent should share with you is "I'm not willing to risk my job to bend the rules for you." Would that make more sense?

I'm finding the best way to get around CO's idiotic EUA lottery is to book flights on NW.

So far this year, I'm 5 for 8 upgrading on CO segments (2 at the airport), which includes a 6:45 stint in Y EWR-SJC.

On NW, I'm 8 for 8, ALL EUA. On my last trip, I companion upgraded my wife on a reward ticket even.

I don't get an email from NW, but then again I've stopped getting emails from CO, too.

WMH

Criminal charges, too, if past actions are an indication of future results. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

AA might have seats, but will cost you 30,000 miles