Before I write an angry letter to Gordon et al at Continental, please let me know if you think I'm crazy:

For what I think is the third time in the past 12-18 months, I was separated from my fiancee on an EWR-LAX flight by the EUA system. I am Silver Elite and was upgraded, while my fiancee was left behind in a middle seat in coach (8B). I realized this about 2.5 hrs before my flight was scheduled to leave, and asked CO to give me back my original seat (8A) - I was told the flight was sold out and that they could move me back to coach but that I'd be separated from my fiancee. I had to go through about 5 people just to get Seat 8A back. Now you'd think this would be a simple fix, right? No. Here's why. The redcoats refused to simply move the person they had given 8A to into First Class - instead, they moved 8A to the back of the plane (a middle seat, I believe), and gave the person off the top of the waiting list my first class seat. And the switch didn't get done until we got on the plane, as soon after I sat down, there was another person with an 8A boarding pass.

So, yes, it all got worked out. But only after about 2.5 hours of begging and 2.5 hours of attitude from CO employees who couldn't seem to believe that I'd rather sit with my fiancee in coach than CO's relatively unimpressive first class. One even had the nerve to tell me that I should not have entered my OnePass number when I bought the ticket if I didn't want the upgrade - have you ever heard a more ridiculous suggestion?

Anyway, as to CO agents seemed to think I was nuts, please let me know if you agree with my assessment: I booked 8A, I should have been entitled to keep 8A without having to go through all the rigmarole. I look forward to your thoughts.

If you and your fiance were on the same record, you should not have been upgraded. EUA is not supposed to upgrade if a non-elite member is on the same record as an elite member.

If your fiance was not on the same record, what did you expect to happen? It is EliteUpgrade[/b]A[/b]utomation. The upgrade occurs automatically. If you were on different records, then yes, you should not have entered your Onepass number.

As for giving the person in 8A your F/C seat, the agents were correct in not doing that. If you gave up your upgrade, it should have gone to the next elite member on the U/G list.

Instead of pleading with the agents, it would have been much easier if you had waited until you were aboard the plane and just offered your F/C seat to the person in 8A yourself. That eliminates the G/A's from the equation.

Bottom line is that you only have reason to be upset with CO if you two were on the same record. If that is the case, then yes a letter is warranted. If not, then you just learned a lesson on EUA.

Giving the FC seat to the person in 8A was not the correct thing for a gate agent to do, but it is certainly easy for two people to agree to exchange seats.

Just a couple of words of advice to elites traveling with non elite companions:

Always see to it that you, not your companion is assigned the middle seat, that way if you do get split up your companion isn't stuck in a middle seat.

Alternatively If you can get a window and aisle seat assignment, and the middle seat is occupied it usually isn't a problem to exchange seats.

I wouldn't ***** to Gordon. Sounds like everything that was supposed to happen happened.

Learn your lesson and plan better next time.

Yeah. EUA is perfect, and if you complain to CO, you must be the problem. That's how it's supposed to be with a customer in Gordo the Liar and his company's eyes. IF there's any problem, it's that you had unrealistic expectations of retaining your assigned seats and sitting next to your traveling mate.

Oh brother! I hope you get the chance to fly another airline and see how much BS this is.

Just this situation has happened to me, and the above suggestion doesn't always work. I was in seat B, and my companion in seat C. I was EUA'd, and my companion remained in C. Seats A and B were given to a husband and wife. So, even with an offer of a seat in FC, neither husband nor wife wanted to sit apart. The flight was full and door was closing, so there was no option other than to take assigned seats and sit apart. My companion originated in another city so a single record was not possible. The only option offered by CO was for me to not put my OnePass number on the record. I think they should at least have a way for a passenger to request ahead of time that they don't want an upgrade.

David...you are a piece of work.

What action would you have suggested to CO if YOU were given the coach seat jonhoram wanted to re-claim before the flight and then AFTER he discovered he was upgraded and decided he wanted his seat back be forced by men in red coats to move from an window to the back of the plane in a middle seat? I'm sure you would have claimed it to be the crime of the century and we would all be responding to your post on the incident.

It sounds like EUA did the right thing this time.

Of course EUA is not perfect, but this glass half-empty perspective you have is out of hand.

Get a grip.

-DR

Steve M,

In the situation you describe, not putting your OnePass number in at time of ticketing is the way to go. This type of scenario is a rarity, so I would not expect CO (or any company for that matter) to spend IT time developing an opt-out system.

All you have to do is ask the Check-In agent to put in your OnePass number.

I have personal experience that this does not always work. The one-pass number is "sticky" on the purchasing website, and taking it out is problematic.

The IT time should have been spent creating an Opt-In system in the first place, and as I've said till I'm blue in the face, a single, consolidated, constantly updating FC waiting list for each flight from time of ticket purchase to closing of the gate.

Instead they fobbed-off a broken system on us (with no notice or warning, contrary to their own One-Pass Rules requiring notice)that turned out to be maybe 65% accurate, and then they ridicule and chide the folks that the system fails.

My problem wasn't with being upgraded. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by the upgrade (and a bit shocked to be upgraded as a Silver on T-Giving weekend) and thanked the agent accordingly. My issue was with not being able to get seat 8A back. I think that "accomodating" a frequent flier by actually giving him the seat he was originally assigned is not a monumental request - one that should have been easily resolved. Instead, I was basically mocked for giving up an FC seat. Yet another example of declining service from CO.

Oh please -- once your seat (8A) was given away (not the agent's fault) the agent couldn't easily get it back without inconveniencing other pax. If you refuse the seat they basically have to give it to the next person on the FC list. They can't just assign the person who now is in 8A to your FC seat. What you should have done was to simply ask the person in 8A to sit in FC. That usually does the trick, particularly when your companion is in 8B -- it means 8A is less likely to be traveling with someone else.

Complaining about not being able to easily downgrade as an example of "declining service" is absurd. CO gave you a wonderful trading card in the form of a FC seat.

As far as telling CO in advance that you do NOT want an upgrade, that's a different story. I agree with the others who posted that there should be some way to allow this.

When I was Silver and my girlfriend had no status, I used to book her in the Aisle and myself in the center, specifically for this reason. If the upgrade came through, we would then decide who got to use it. Whomever got left behind kept the up-front aisle.

Now we're both Silver, and this is a non-issue.

I had a similiar (and disimilar) experience this weekend. I had asked 4 times prior to my date of departure NOT to be upgraded. Each Customer Service representative told me it could be done but each had a different answer (1 said remove OP#, 2 said add a remark and the other said there is a "switch" in the system)). I got to the airport to check in at the kiosk and I had been upgraded. Shocking.

I went to the PC and luckily was able to get a companion upgrade (EWR to IAH at 6pm on Thanksgiving eve - miracles do happen...).

I'd like to simply not get upgraded unless I can get a companion upgrade at the airport (we're not married yet, we still like to sit together). Now I read on this post that it can't be done unless they remove your OP number...

What gives?

BTW - I considered flying UA next year for mileage consolidation reasons, etc. Looked at their program. Each person here should thanks their lucky stars they have CO's upgrade policy (IMHO)...Life's not that bad.

yeah, i was told to not put my OnePass number in if i don't want to be separated from a traveling companion.

but, what about the return flight? if i enter my number for the outbound flight and bring a friend using the platinum companion, i will have a problem on the return, right?

So is that how Silver Elites get upgraded? Next time I'm travelling with my boyfriend whose only elite status is with me.

Of course then when I'm upgraded and he's not---I wonder how long that special, personal elite status will last?