New Upgrade Rules Suck
 

I am a new Platinum elite member and have already decided to switch loyalty programs for next year, after being victimized by CO's new upgrade rules. While I know that CO reserves the right to change the rules at their disgression, a little notification and leeway would be nice before the change implemented.

Apparently, on February 1, CO began upgrading based on the price of the ticket, without regard to elite status. That's OK, but I just received the information in my new Platinum Elite package and I have four more cheap trans-con tickets to use that I bought in December. Yesterday, I used a cheap ticket for the first time since the new rules went into effect and both and ticket counter and gate agents were powerless to get me on the upgrade list, although there were seats available. Apparently, it's all electronic now and the computer selects the confirmed and waitlist passengers and the airport has no power to change it. The ticket counter agent even called customer service to find out how to get me upgraded and was told "no can do" and was advised it was all electronic now. As luck would have it, there were 2 seats open in First and because of the new system and even though I am Platinum, I was forced to sit in coach from SFO-EWR. I was so angry I couldn't sleep or relax the entire flight. When I got to EWR, I complained to the gate agent there and he, too, tried to add me to the waitlist for upgrade and couldn't. Consequently, they were upgrading Silver's and Gold's! This is absurd!

I called the 1-800 WECARE number this morning and was told "that's the way it is now" and if you buy the cheapest ticket you risk even making the upgrade list, regardless of elite status, if there's more elite's (even Silver's or Gold's) that have paid higher fares.

Bottom line: Farewell, CO.

CO considers fare paid WITHIN an Elite tier. In other words, T-fare Platinums still have priority over K-fare Silvers. However, a K-fare Platinum will beat out a T-fare Platinum under the new system.

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Flew on a cheap ticket yesterday SRQ-EWR-CMH and was upgraded automatically. I had just booked it the day before (changed it from a NW ticket which was scheduled for today). I was actually surprised it was automatically upgraded on such short notice. And I'm just a NW Gold.

This is not the case at all. Platinums on any fare trump Gold or Silvers. Any gate agent could put you on a standby list day of departure. Something is being left out of the story. Were you on reward tickets?

What's with the Feb. 1 date? I was not aware of this, however we've all suspected that the upgrades were based on fares paid. In any case, if you are doing transcons, those are the hardest upgrades to get, especially from EWR to the west coast. Don't take it personally, I've been plat for three years and only have been upgraded EWR-LAX once.

Or . . . it's possible that your onepass # was missing from your flight record? It happens sometimes.

The fact that two FC seats sat open SFO-EWR is odd. There could have been some computer error working that day - wouldn't be the first time, but, as diana suggested, FC usually seems to fill up with paid F and plat.

My OnePass number was in the record. It printed on my Boarding Pass, but there was no note that I was on the standby list, which I've had before and cleared at the gate.

And CALGAL, there's nothing left out of the story. I was traveling on a PAID Q class ticket-not a reward ticket. The only thing the WECARE agent said was that since there were two seats open, the gate agent should have used common sense and put me up front anyway and should never have allowed the plane to leave the gate with empty seats in the forward cabin. There was another guy who was sitting behind me who was Gold and said he was told the same thing at check-in and didn't understand it.

Believe me, CO has one more chance to pull this idiotic trick and they will never get another dime of revenue from me.

For many of us, Continarrogant has already blown that last chance...

This is quite odd and a situation I've never heard of or seen before. If your JA entry (your address and status shows there)shows you as a platinum elite and assuming you carry the elite card ANY agent can, should, and will put you on the standby list for a flight. If you check in at an ETicket machine it will upgrade you if seats are available and even will put you on the standby list if they are not. You refer to a waitlist. Waitlists and standby list are NOT the same thing. A waitlist is only used prior to day of departure say if you wanted to use miles for upgrade. A standby list is what is used day of departure and is what is used to clear elites into first when the flight is booked to capacity. You said you are a new Platinum. Have you recieved the credentials? Did your BP have a *P after the OP#? The ONLY reason I can see that you were not upgraded is that your Platinum status could not be documented. If all your ducks were in a row there is NO EXCUSE for a Platinum on a revenue ticket to be in coach while there are empty seats in first. Sorry I can't be of more help. BTW PClub membership can aleviate a lot of gate/ticket agent problems. As a Platinum Elite it would be a very good investment for you.

I just flew SFO-IAH-PBI and changed flights 48 hours before departure. I had a Q and T fare and ended up in first even though each flight had 1 seat left in first. I am sure it was because I am PLAT.

Your situation is troubling but I can't see what went wrong, it would good to know exactly what messed it up for you.

[This message has been edited by jm0754 (edited 02-15-2003).]

If you have a problem at the airport and there is some time before departure, than do as I do. Call the elite line and see if they can help. I know they are not really an elite line, but sometimes they help. A PC membership is a great investment also. If you fly out of the same airport alot than you get to know the agents and they work wonders.

I think we saw it coming. Of course, CO is working hard to make upgrades irrelevant anyway with all the RJs.

I'm trying to get comped over to NW at gold (roundabout through comped DL gold). NW is likely to pull the same kind of thing as this but is likely better for concentrating flights because: a) fewer RJs, b) more empty seats/less demand, and c) the ancient DC9s still seem more bearable to me than the 737-800s for coach seating if I lose out.

CALGAL727-All my ducks were in a row-My OnePass number and PLATINUM printed on the boarding pass, but the upgrade standby statement didn't. I called the WECARE number again last night and got a different agent who looked at the record and couldn't find the problem initially. Then, he looked at my my other reservations for future trips and found the same problem on another record-my number was in, but didn't reflect as in queue for electronic upgrade. So, he took the number out and re-entered it and the electronic queue popped up! He said he's seen that happen before and doesn't know why. But, he advised me that if the boarding pass doesn't show that I'm on the standby list, call the elite line or have the ticket agent take the number out and re-enter it as he did.

romadaro, did you check to see that your name on your ticket matches the name on your OnePass account exactly (including or lack of a middle initial)? That's often a cause of missed UG's.

Roma--

I've had issues with somehow not making it onto the upgrade list (I'm an NW Gold) on CO on four out of six CO segements I've flown this year. (I'm not couunting the two domestic legs of CO6 and CO7 as, being a single flight number that includes international, I have sympathy for that).

Heck, I've been upgraded on one CO leg, like you described, arrived into IAH, gone to see if we processed while in flight, and then it turned out we weren't even on the list for the next flight.

It is by far the most frustrating thing about booking onto CO. I understand that you might not get upgraded every time, but I'd like to at least be on the list and know that I'm getting upgraded before silvers http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Steve