What is with the constant fascination with and derision towards Platinums flying on lower fares? Why is upgrading a $250 Platinum an act of carelessness? If you want to purposely pay the highest possible fare for your trips, please feel free to do so, but don't keep criticizing those who fly on a mix of fares, or lower fares. Everyone is entitled to the benefits they have earned and we all play by the same rules.

Had a similar event once, although with a better ending. Really late in from DCA, I run to gate, get there about 10 minutes before. I'm actually on the jetway, when I get called back.

Argue with agent who says he's entitled to dispatch early because of "ontime policy." I note that ontime policy hadn't applied to my inbound. He tries to dispatch me to Service Counter, but I know it's last flight so I hold my ground. Plane still there.

Finally I lose my temper, and a Red Coat comes over. I explain situation, including that we've been arguing for 5 minutes and it still isn't scheduled time. He tells agent to let me on, they put back jetway, and do so.

Really amazing -- we ended up arriving over half hour early, so they could easily have held it beyond departure time -- let alone that far.


Edited to add: I love New Yorkers. On a DL flight from LGA once I finally accepted a bump, after explaining reluctance to agent on the grounds that I was meeting my family and they'd be annoyed. Her response: well you obviously have to visit them more often.

I doubt it
 

I doubt it - I was on the pre-board manifest as checked in and arriving from Boston. They were told we'd be there. They one gate agent decided he wanted go home on time instead of hold the plane. That's all there was to it.

.....

I will agree that the DFW PC staff is _very_ friendly and helpful.

Can't they find a better option then that crappy Howard Johnson. I was on a full fare BF ticket one time from TLV and they put me there. It was the worst and scariest motel I have ever stayed at. Maybe I'm spoiled but you would think with 10 hours to plan they would put us at better hotel, especially since we paid around 6K each for the tickets.

Maybe because I'm only a lowly Silver. Why attack Silvers when there are bigger fish to fry?? I lost respect for Plats when I was bragging that I got Silver status for just under $2,000, and this guy laughed and said he had Plat status for just under $1,400

You don´t know what you´re talking about. This flight, BF EWR-LIM, is an upgradeable one. I should know, I was on it last week, and will be on it again, this week. Upgraded on sub $300 (plus tax) fare from LAX.

CO has many upgrades available on their Latin America flights. As I recall, All 737/757 flights are in this category. Widebodies are not.

Not to veer off topic, but I dont see how this is possible. Perhaps he had a comp and did some Y/H/K trips to make up his 'fly 5' requirement to keep the status, but to go from '0' to 75,000 in under $1,400? I dont see it....maybe he took advantage of some super cheap Europe fares and did some runs back and forth, but those days are gone.

It would take at least 11 transcons from the southeast to california via EWR (each r/t tc is ~7,000 EQM in sub-Z/Y/H)...so assuming he could get them for 250 each, that would run 2,750.

Perhaps that guy didn't mention he used a few ECVs along the way.

I think the root cause of the decision to deny you aboard was 1) their incentivization to depart ontime or early (my very similar case involved them closing the door 10 minutes early) and 2) the probability they'd have a seat argument to deal with if they allowed you on. Despite the comments above about 10 minutes, the troops like to obey firm simple rules when lots of things are on the line.

Laziness might have been a factor but I would not put it as the root cause. The disservice occurred when they actually made the decision that you would be denied boarding...and that happened before or as you landed. Hold them accountable for that bad decision about 9:40pm. By the time you arrived they had already dismissed you. They need a different policy from their managers that involves knowledge of the reason for the inbound delay and the expected arrival at the gate.

I still have good friends from NYC and the surrounding area. I golf with a guy from Brooklyn who is wonderfully abrasive. When the attitude makes me miss that plane...that's where it becomes personal!!

By the way, that was me sitting behind you during Larry's Q&A at "THE DO". Good meeting you.

When it is the last flight with none of the departing passengers making a connection, they should hold the flight for say 15 minutes. I have had situations at both EWR and IAH where my arrival flight was delayed, BUT I made it to the connecting flight gate (BEFORE departure time) - in the range of 2 to 10 minutes before departure and was denied boarding.

A few years back in the case of an IAH flight, 3 of us in FC arrived at the gate 5-10 minutes before departure and there were no gate agents visiable and the flight was still at the gate - with jetway against the plane. Turns out all 3 gate agents hid behind the gate door and waited for the outbound plane to pull away from the gate. All three then sheepishly came out at the same time. They all hid behind the door, so we could not board, and no one remained at the gate to tell us we missed the flight. Needless to say I sent a note to We Care on that one - but of course no response - no body cared.

At EWR I was an arriving BF customer connecting to DCA on the 7am. Concierge called the gate to say we were coming. The concierge took me to the wrong gate (IAD) and then had to call again. We arrived 2 minutes early but the flight had still closed - so no luck. The next flight to DCA from EWR at 9am turned out to sit at the gate for 3.5 hours (fully loaded) and then arrived at 1pm.

Even a direct flight is no guarantee as sometimes when the inbound is late, they switch the continuation to a different aircraft.

This would be good news, but according to co.com:

"Continental Airlines flights with a BusinessFirst cabin, including transatlantic and transpacific flights, flights to/from Central and South America, or within and between Hawaii, the Mid Pacific and Asia are not eligible for Elite upgrades. To receive a BusinessFirst upgrade, OnePass members may use miles."


AFAIK, upgrades are limited to those using miles (and $$ for sub-Y/H fares), and those will only process prior to 72 hours before departure. Within 72 hours of departure, those who get BF seats are almost always paid BF or CO employees, except in extenuating circumstances (e.g. an overbook in Y). However, for the OP to have lost his seat to an upgrade without the Y cabin being overbooked would be very unusual (unless his seat went to a CO employee, for which the rules are different).

If CO has begun EUA on BF-equipped international flights, this is news to me (and good news at that), but I have my doubts.

Bitterness is not very attractive...

-Vincent