Sure, the rules are transparent. The processing of those rules aren't.

I totally agree, and I never ask where I am on the list if I haven't been upgraded. Granted, I do have much better luck with EUAs than many of you. I've only had one battlefield upgrade in 2006, and one EUA three hours before departure. The rest of my upgrades have been EUAs at least three days before the flight. My overall upgrade percent for the year is 65%, but all but five of those flights were as a Gold. Since June 1, I've been upgraded on 17 of 20 flights on CO with a first class cabin. As a platinum I'm currently 5/5 for upgrades at least four days before departure, and I'm already upgraded for Monday's flight. I do fly to some less busy destinations, but most of my flights are for business and at pretty busy times.

Now, because I never ask, it's quite possible I might have been hanging out the in the Presidents Club until 30 minutes before departure, and missed a battlefield upgrade when I wasn't at the gate to pick it up. But having witnessed the process in action many times, I've always seen the gate agents hold the boarding passes for those they've upgraded at the gate until they find the passenger, which sometimes is as the upgraded passenger is walking down the blue carpet to get on the plane. If an over zealous gate agent has ever cancelled an upgrade of mine because I didn't immediately pick it up, I would never know. I'd be disappointed if I found out later this had happened, but hey, what can you do. Sometimes mistakes happen, but it's not worth getting all upset over it after the fact.

The system has worked well for me, and I really could care less if CO puts up monitors like DL has at their hubs with the upgrade lists. And if I miss an upgrade, I'll sit in my exit row seat and still be reasonably comfortable, and I'll still get where I'm going at the same time I would have if I'd been sitting up front. I may be a little disappointed for a few minutes, but at the end of the day, if I got where I was wanting to go safe and sound, I'm happy.

I've stopped flying CO altogether, but am still PLAT and am less than 1000 miles away from renewing my PLAT status for 2007. I fly NW (25 of 25 for UG) and DL (bought 'A' fares instead of on CO) and AF (bought three 'D' fares for travel this fall) and VS (bought two UC fares for travel this fall). All of it will credit to my CO account, but none of my $$ goes to CO. I know they are full and don't miss my business, but I derive some pleasure out of knowing that I connect just the same (through DTW, or ATL), get an UG and bring my DVD player for inflight movies and watch what I want. Heck, I even let my PC membership expire and bought a WC membership. Of course, NW could be out of business in a few weeks, but we shall see.

As an aside, I had the opportunity to fly UA last week....LAX-BWI (am not elite). I was booked on a 'W' fare and called three days before my flight and used 15,000 miles to UG to first class. It was available. Unbelievable service and pretty comfortable first class, plus that Econ + is a nice back-up. I'm not wondering if I never get UG on CO at as a PLAT, if it's not worth the transition to UA (and Star Alliance) and use instruments and earned upgrades that are usually available?

if it's not worth the transition to UA (and Star Alliance) and use instruments and earned upgrades that are usually available?>>

UA Star Alliance is trash. They are power hungry scam artists of the highest order. This is typical at check in "Oh, Mr ___, the plane is full but I think we can get you on with your reservation" and her very next sentence was: "Would you like to upgrade to a seat with with 5 more inches of legroom for $75"??? I told her no, but I feel totally honored that I have a ticket and will be allowed to board, moron"

You must have PO'd someone. I usually get upgraded 3-5 days in advance. I just completed a flight ORD-EWR. I didn't get an e-mail update so I checked in and took by economy exit row seat when the elite boarding was called. I was sitting there while the rest of the passengers boarded, when the FA called my name and asked that I make my way to the front of the aircraft. He then gave me another boarding pass for FC. This has happened to me a couple of times in the past. Not being there when they call your name at the gate usually doesn't drop you off the list - I've found that they track you down even when you're already on the plane.

I don't ask about being upgraded, the anxiety is just too much. But what gets me going are the routes which they won't release any upgrades to FC until seconds before the plane takes off. I've experienced the EWR to Orange Co, CA several times. I even upgraded with miles and was not allowed to get my ticket and was in fact never given my FC seat. They sold it from under me and I had to call several times to get my mileage back and no excuse or apology.

The only real value FC has for me is the ability to work and open my laptop. Coach is just not a working environment 80% of the time. When the person in front of you lowers their seat your laptop is worthless.

I'm a plat 10 years + and have had enough this year. Can't wait to start flying anyone else and especially Jet Blue!

I switched to UA for the domestic, and the E+ is much better that way.
5+inch of extra leg room and you can comfortably open up your
computer and work. I find it less cramped than a CO F.

CO Insider: Please pass this comment on to Larry Kellner

Switched to jetBlue as fulltime as possible (given their route network) in Feb 2006.

Could not be happier.

Every seat is comfortable and spacious and the fares are always affordable. Have logged over 65,000 mile on B6 since them. Haven't had a single complaint about anyone of those flights.

So much better than the anxiety-inducing game of CO upgrades, which, as you have written, have become very stingy (I'm personally 1 for 26 as CO OP Gold).

In July took my family to Disneyland on jetBlue TrueBlue frequent flyer tickets; despite what I had heard, I had no trouble booking four ff tickets on our first choice itinerary. And the DirecTV is wonderful for anyone who travels with young children.

Also, no comparison with booking ff tickets on CO, which requires much effort to find any availability.

I'd love to know why the heck I haven't been upgraded as a Platinum on a H fare on my DCA-IAH flight tomorrow.

Honestly, if I don't get upgraded because all the first class seats are allocated to passengers who buy the seat or purchased a ticket in a higher fare bucket, I am comfortable with that. But situations like mine make me wonder.

More transparency is always a good thing. At a minimum, CO (and NW) should emulate DL's system of displaying upgrade and standby priority on the monitors at the gates.

If it is an afternoon flight - CO just does not release any upgrade seats out of DCA in the afternoon. They sell enough A, Z, and Y to fill it up. This the end of the holiday. If it is a 735 with 2 FAMs then only 6 seats to sell or upgrade to. Still could happen - good luck.

I've been told once or twice by a GA that they'd been paging me and were about to give away my upgrade while I was sitting in the PC. I've also had a GA come down to the plane to give me the upgrade on board. Just goes to show, YMMV.

For me it's like investing: if you find it emotional, don't do it. If you're going to get emotional as you watch your name descend on the list, don't ask. CO is perfectly transparent about the list: the more you pay, the higher up the list you go.

DCA-IAH is one of the toughest upgrades in the system and is notorious for having all seats held back from EUA. In my experience as a Gold, the only DCA-IAH flights that have even a remote shot at a normal EUA (i.e., at the upgrade window of your elite status) are the early morning flights. I've been on DCA-IAH flights that have showed A9 D9 Z9 etc. and had totally blank seat maps the morning of departure (or only FAM seats blocked and A9 D9 Z9 etc.). The GA's usually process the remaining upgrades at the podium before departure - if you get upgraded, it won't be until the airport.

With respect to what others have said regarding GA's giving away their battlefield upgrades when the passengers weren't at the gate to claim them, I wonder what CO's policy is with respect to the amount of discretion GA's have in processing upgrades? It would make sense if the policy were to wait until boarding is nearly complete and if the original upgraded passenger still hasn't arrived, to battlefield the next person on the list rather than just upgrade someone else if the original passenger is not at the gate the first time his/her name is called. GA's should not be permitted to simply call off names and skip passengers who happen not to be at the gate at the time their name is called.

I think its fine the way it is, in fact I scored a RARE companion upgrade on my EWR-LAS flight this past Thursday.