I'm not sure that CO has completely changed its policy. I just got upgraded on two flights on CO at the five day window last night as a NW platinum, but I did not and still haven't been upgraded on the two flights that are 2 days earlier. The ticket is a T fare that I booked months ago when airfares were running around $100.

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My Dad was booked today on the 2:50pm from EWR to TPA on a Q ticket originating in LHR. He is UK gold (free PC club membership I might add) but did not receive an upgrade prior to today. He went to the airport early to standby for the earlier 11:30am, which looked full. He also checked in for the 2:50pm. He asked for the upgrade (we had checked and it was wide open) and he was told the following "those seats are reserved for revenue passengers and you are flying on a very low fare code". As it happens he made the 11:30am so it became a mute point but it sounds to me like she based his "upgradeableness" partly on his Q ticket.

I am not sure what you mean by wide open. if all the FC seats were in A bucket, then what they told your father was correct. Only full fare coach seats can be upgraded to A bucket seats. On the other hand, if there were indeed F seats available, then the GA may have inadvertantly "let the cat out of the bag" so to speak. But I suspect the former is the case.

This thread is very detailed, I suppose I could get status on HP and e-mail copies of all of the lost revenue.

This seems to be an intolerable situation, LUsers drove me away from Delta, and I only consume TurQueys once a year.

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"A Southwest line never gets longer, It only gets wider"

Get this -- I was told the other day by an "Elite Line" agent that not all F seats are for elite upgrades. I'm 95% sure she didn't know what she was talking about.

And I hope you take anything the CO "elite" agents say with a gain of salt... I sure do! When they say "No F available", switch to my conversation 1 min later with a NW Elite agent, and they say "Mr. Zipper, Would you like aisle or window?" Makes ya wonder...

I have been flying American more often this year than in the past, and I have to admit that if the virtual automatic upgrade for Platinum elites in Continental ends or declines dramatically, the additional pitch on American aircraft makes flying in coach much more pleasant than Continental (plus the blocking feature for elites in the American program)
It does seem to me that Continental is believing its own rhetoric about being #1, and in doing so, making a series of decisions, particularly the international fiasco, that will drive away many of their most loyal customers. In the first three months of this year, American has received revenue from six flights that would normally have gone to Continental

I have been monitoring today's CO 1726 EWR-SAN as that is the flight my wife is on tomorrow with an $1,800 H ticket. That flight is now A2 F0 and she has NOT ben EUAed.
FOR TODAY: 3/19

3/18 10 PM A4 F1 ???????
3/19 6 AM A2 F1 ???????
8:40AM A2 F2 This is the 3.5 hour dump at 3.5 hours before 12:10 scheduled dep.
Note that it remained A2 F2 until 11:50 (20 mins before flight time). You mean that there were no silvers or companions?????
11:50AM A4 F4
12:10 Departure A0 F0

It kind of makes you want to scratch your head.

It kinda makes you wish you were a NW elite and could just call up and say "Show me the upgrade!!!"

Well....did she get the upgrade??

From Yesterday, 3/19:
I have been monitoring today's CO 1726 EWR-SAN as that is the flight my wife (Plat Elite) is on tomorrow with an $1,800 H ticket. That flight is now A2 F0 and she has NOT ben EUAed.
FOR TODAY: 3/19
3/18 10 PM A4 F1 ???????
3/19 6 AM A2 F1 ???????
8:40AM A2 F2 This is the 3.5 hour dump at 3.5 hours before 12:10 scheduled dep.
Note that it remained A2 F2 until 11:50 (20 mins before flight time). You mean that there were no silvers or companions?????
11:50AM A4 F4
12:10 Departure A0 F0

It kind of makes you want to scratch your head
============================================

FINAL UPDATE
Flight day. March 20.

At 6AM, ITN reads A2 F0, the same as last night, and not unexpected. Based on yesterday's dump, Sondra decided to be at the airport for the dump at 8:40, 3 1/2 hours before flight time. As I watched the dump take place, exactly at 8:40, ITN went to A1 F1. A quick cell phone call to her and she headed for the kiosk, as the manned check-in lines were long. Note that she asked someone before using the machine what would happen if she did not get an upgrade and was told "you will be added to the wait list'. Oh, really. They truly are clueless. JUST TO COMPLICATE THE PROCESS FURTHER, AT THE KIOSK THE MACHINE ASKED HER IF SHE WANTED TO ACCEPT HER UPGRADE. (Note that I checked the itinerarys section of MY Itineraries on OnePass and it now read AU with no seat assignment.) Of course she accepted, but this now appears to indicate that she was upgraded based on her H fare and at EXACTLY the same time as the dump. Has CO began another 'enhancement'? So, it appears that some fares are more equal than others at dump time.

Finally, at the PC she went to get something to eat during her 3 1/2 hour wait and was told they stopped supplying bagels and hard rolls!!!!! But there were plenty of Milanos.
It shouldn't be this difficult for Platinum Elites.


[This message has been edited by Vulcan (edited 03-20-2002).]