They help obtain elite status for EU-based OP members faster than otherwise normally possible. There's a few posts on the topic, but probably not enough EU-based FTers here to make it in the FAQ.

FAQ post #19
 

WRT to the in-flight calling, I was recently on 777 #6, which has the new lie-flat cabin. Could not call from bf to y, the system would not accept the commands needed.

Update to FAQ "Plan B..."
 

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/6883527-post25.html

The miles (100,000) will be debited from your account and you will then be placed on a waitlist for BusinessFirst. (If you do not clear into BusinessFirst you will receive a mileage refund for the difference between BF and Y… more on this later)

1) 100,000 -> 105,000

2) "more on this later". I did not see anything about this "later" in the post.

I made updates to the FAQ going back to February (post 253) from this thread. I took most of the suggestions and skipped a couple for various reasons. If you see something that still is not correct, please post here.

I'm hoping to get something about BoB/F4S put together soon but I do not have a timeline for it as of right now.

The post about EliteAccess TSA needs and edit for PHL - says "only at E"...no longer relevant since the merged checkpoint. There is an Elite/F passenger line.

The access rule to the President's Club should be amended: a passenger holding a ticket specifically for BusinessFirst, flying alone, under the age of 21, will still be admitted to the PC. At the check-in to the lounge, they will simply escort him/her to the bar to introduce the bartender to the pax, so the bartender knows not to serve him/her because he/she's underage.

Objection, Your Honor. Relevance of post to thread.

Overruled. The name of the thread clearly implies it is meant to be used to update the existing FAQ page.

D'oh. I'm on cold meds. Thought you were just complaining.

Gotcha. No no. That is the rule, and the FAQ should reflect that. I've given up on complaining about existing rules.

Did you read the recent update? I included your text verbatim at the bottom of the post.

Platinum Elite Members in M
 

Several FAQ entries make no special mention of "Platinum Elite Members in M". If the FAQ entries are nevertheless correct, then it would be helpful to footnote that the lack of a special mention is deliberate. Otherwise, one suspects that the FAQ entries in question are wrong.

I am also certain, from multiple personal experiences, that waitlisting on a mileage upgrade affects the battlefield order. This is apparent from my positions on the waitlists, and obvious from the fact that they consider the miles to be cashed in if I get a battlefield upgrade while waitlisting a mileage upgrade. I know this in turn from having to phone in to get miles back when I don't clear. The FAQ makes no mention of this either.

What is the upgrade hierarchy for EUAs?

Upgrade Hierarchy for Battle Field Upgrades

Elite Upgrades (CO.com)
In particular, I am curious whether a Platinum on an M fare takes priority over a non-elite waitlisting miles, either for an EUA or a battlefield upgrade.

I suspect that the FAQ is wrong, in the case of an EUA, but since it fails to address M-fare Plats separately, this could be an error of omission. For a battlefield upgrade, the FAQ doesn't address waitlisting miles at all, so it doesn't take a position on this question.

On today's transcon, ten people had upgraded and yet I was still #2 on the list, waitlisting miles. This struck me as odd, a statistical outlier compared to all my recent flights (but an unusual time for me), so I asked at the Prez Club.

Mileage upgrades are ordered by fare class, before elite status. In particular, a Gold on a higher fare is #1 in front of me. This was news to me; I had imagined that as a Platinum willing to plough my miles back into upgrades, my status actually meant something.

It would be nice if any of this made it to the FAQ. I suspect that the FAQ isn't updated because, well, we really don't know.

I will update the FAQ if that turns out to be true but I think we'll need additional confirmation before I am willing to do so. I would bet that most of the 10 ahead of you were on Y/B/M fares that also show as upgrades in the system.

See this thread for more details on the waitlist order: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/conti...l#post14096749.

You're debating a second order effect, when the FAQ misses the primary effect: In some order (we're not sure what order) mileage upgrades take precedence over plain upgrades.

Upgrade Hierarchy for Battle Field Upgrades

It makes for the cleanest discussion if we debate exactly one point, and only one point, at a time. To me, the FAQ asserts that for battlefield upgrades, waitlisting miles has no effect. Do you assert that this FAQ, as now written, is correct on this one point?

I've been collecting more confirmation: Waitlisting miles helps battlefield upgrades (which is why if you've waitlisted miles, they won't give the miles back after a battlefield upgrade), and fare basis trumps elite status, for those who've waitlisted miles.

When smb12 and I have sorted out conflicting information before, it turned out that less informed agents had mislead me (as he suspected) but I got the straight scoop from the help desks within hub Prez Clubs.

This time, I'm getting confirmation from these desks. Anyone else asking?

I did see the bottom of the post. However, many people will simply read the top, see you need to be 21, and ignore the rest. Perhaps there could be an asterisk to link it to the bottom of the post.

I know of at least two instances where miles were returned after an EUA (not BF). Sequence was: waitlist expired email; OLCI; EUA upgrade. Miles were redeposited about 2 weeks later. In both cases as it happened the upgrades would have occurred via EUA (everyone on list eventually cleared).

That's fascinating. I don't doubt your story, but CO usually doesn't run "Dutch auctions" for pricing. Insurance companies don't refund your premiums if you don't have an accident. From my experience with CO's capricious handling of upgrade miles, I'd wonder if you simply got lucky.

Putting more resources into a bid for First increases one's certainty of sitting in First. This is how it should be; CO is milking its customers' different payoff matrices for the First/Coach choice, ranging from "First would be nice, but so is an exit row, and I'd never eat the food in First on the ground" to "The horror of sitting back there with the cattle!" With different payoff matrices, different price differentials make sense, for playing the odds of sitting in first.

If a Plat pays a Y fare to sit in First, but as it turns out they would have cleared on an M fare, CO doesn't refund the fare difference. Offering miles for the upgrade is like paying a higher fare class, to reduce uncertainty. However the dice did roll, one reduced uncertainty by offering miles, so CO delivered value for those miles.

I was the lone battlefield upgrade yesterday, EWR to SFO, with 61 elites left on the upgrade waitlist. If I get my miles back, I'm going to assume it was by mistake.

Can you explain the difference please
 

I took this quote from the FAQs thread

"International Business class (but not BusinessFirst)" is eligible for an upgrade. What is the difference and how do you know if you are on an International Business Flight and not a BF flight?

Also, I read somewhere that you can get complimentary upgrades to Australia. Did I read that right?

Yes, but the flights there are only from PGUM. Maybe 3-4 hours on a B738.

Keep reading. There is a whole post in the FAQ dedicated to this specific question.

Only if you are flying on the GUM-CNS flight, which happens to be the only CO service to Oz.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/conti...ml#post6719534

International Business is the premium class on flights to Latin America, EXCLUDING flights to Brazil (which are BF).

This is not a complete answer.

Again, the answer is in the FAQ. Read it. It will tell you everything you need to know.

Info in FAQ seems to contradict CO's policy as stated on the phone
 

I hope I'm posting this in the right place.

A post in the FAQ says

I'm 63 miles away from silver, and I have an upcoming non-refundable trip booked. I called to see if they could do anything for me, and the agent refused and seemed eager to get me off the phone. Perhaps the bump policy only applies between two status tiers, rather than between non-status and silver? I haven't yet tried the calling back and talking to someone different strategy because I didn't much care for the idea of listening to another twenty minutes of recordings telling me how great the United-Continental merger will be.

You'd have to be Silver before Gold...unless your trip is crediting you more than 25,001 EQM and you're at 24,999 or less. Or something like that.

Realized I misspoke about five minutes after posting but wasn't nearby to correct. I'm 63 miles away from silver, not gold.

This is very much a 'YMMV' situation!:(

Last year, I was in the same situation (on the 'cusp' of silver), & the OPSC agent was very accommodating & 'advanced' me the status & fortunately for me, it resulted in an EUA for the flt I was taking to attain actual 'earned' SE status!^

Who did you call? You need to call or email the one pass service center. That's the only place empowered to do status changes.

I called 713.952.1630, which is listed on the Continental "Contact Us" page as "OnePass frequent flyer assistance".

Yup, that's the one. Try emailing [email protected].

International standby upg priority
 

If we are waitlisted for a flight to China for 6 months and it does not clear 24 hours prior at check-in we are then put on a Flight Standby waitlist . What is the priority order for standby upgrade on an international flight? Does time of check-in or fare class play a role in priority or is it still Status and Time of Purchase?

re-posted down 1

Found the Copa E190 seat map
http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Cop...er_ERJ-190.php
also AMA has an elite line.

That EliteAccess security list can be re-jiggered for PHL with the blended D/E checkpoint having been completed. It is also a multi-airline premium passenger line, requiring an F BP or a :-:G credential to use.

As I was walking out of the newly completed Terminal 1 in DAL I noticed an EliteAccess sign for security. When CO was sharing a single terminal with Southwest there was no special line for CO elite. This is a major improvement, though only DL and CO seem to inhabit T1.

Post #13 Should be Updated
 

Post 13 should be updated with the following information. New Continental Fare Class (For Departures on or After February 1, 2011)

Just curious, when the site says:
what does that mean? What sort of promotions? And most...does that mean there are some promotions that these fare classes are eligible for?
(yes I'm aware this was also the case before. I only just got curious seeing that I have a ticket in "S" class for after Feb 1)

The new terminal at SAT, which CO flies out of, has an elite security line. This isn’t mentioned in that q/a.

Often it isn’t necessary but it’s there. Not sure if it’s always open, but it was when I used it at 630am-ish last week.

Information on "choosing the right seat" should be updated

I remember there being a post somewhere about GG codes so I thought I would share a few I have come across:

ADD UA MILEAGE PLUS MEMBERS NOT ON STANDBY LIST
EX: 6:123-DOE/JOHN$UPG+U

ADD UA GLOBAL SERVICES/1K COMPANIONS TO STANDBY LIST
EX: 6:123-DOE/JOHN$1KC+U

ADD PREMIER EXECUTIVE COMPANIONS TO STANDBY LIST
EX: 6:123-DOE/JOHN$P1C+U