Marno

Some background: I've just made 100K on United. And I'm scheduled to fly YOW-LAX every week through 2010 .

Based on what I know about Continental (which isn't much), Platinum Elites get free upgrades from even discounted economy, and they can possibly confirm an at time of purchase, if purchased well in advance??

So, this sounds nice in theory. But... what, really, are my odds of getting upgraded EWR-LAX as a Continental Platinum in a discounted (corporate fare) class? What if I book 3 months, 6 months out?

I am considering asking for a status match, and then flying YOW-EWR-LAX weekly instead of YOW-ORD-LAX or YOW-IAD-LAX. Thru EWR is a longer flight, but if EWR-LAX I had a good (say, 75% chance) of getting upgraded to F/C when booking waaaaayyyy in advance, it would be worth it.

Any thoughts? Much appreciated

cpx

for platinums, the upgrades are confirmed starting 5 days prior to flight.
full fare tekes the priority over your elite status.

upgrade confirmed at purchase is only if you pay full Y fare.

ewr-lax is rare-free-upgrade flight IMO since many poeople would purchase
F or full Y on that route.


just my 2c

J.Edward

Ascpx noted you can only get an instant upgrade if you're booked into full Y.

Upgrade on EWR-LAX? They still do those?

Okay seriously - your upgrade chances will depend on timing (chances are the Friday afternoon flight won’t be that good a shot for an upgrade) as well as fare class. But again remember, CO can't meet paid F demand on this route at peak times so if you really want that upgrade, perhaps the Tuesday red-eye is the flight for you.

The exception is if you can buy full Y fares. If so, you can grab a F seat if there's one open ('Y-UPs' are not capacity controlled).

Booking way in advance won't help you out that much. What matters are your status, fare class and overall demand on the route.

If UA runs EX-Plus to YOW from ORD/IAD take that and connect onto a widebody for the flight to LAX. Use your 500 milers or CR1's to score the upgrade. Granted UA does not have 'free and unlimited' upgrades a la CO, but even as a 1P my widebody transcon upgrades would clear on UA. I can't say the same for CO as A) they do not fly widebody on transcons and B) the only transcon upgrade which I've been able to pull of regularly is EWR-PDX... and it sounds like you don't need to be heading to the Rose City.

If you can book full Y (for the instant upgrade) than I'd suggest splitting your travel between CO and UA as it sounds like you'll fly enough to retain top tier status with both. CO has a good product both in the air (FC wise) and on the ground (PC's blow the RCC's away IMHO) but CO is the pits when it comes to Y (or E- as you UA folks know it). If you want to hear about just how *great* CO Y is, PM TWA Fan 1 - he'll be happy to clue you in. Anyway, if you're going to be on CO mainly for the EWR transcons and you can't book into full Y, remember if your upgrade fails to clear you'll be enjoy a very uncomfortable product compared to what UA offers.

channa

Anecdotally, LAX-EWR is likely the most difficult upgrade in the CO system. SFO-EWR and IAH-EWR are among the next most difficult.

btw, it tells you something when you post on a board and ask if you should switch, and the regulars tell you no, you have it better over there...

If we use the following assumptions:

- You fly YOW-IAD-LAX and return 50 times a year
- We won't worry about the YOW-IAD-YOW sectors, as they're likely RJs (YOW-EWR-YOW would be RJ on CO as well).

With this schedule, you would fly a total of 278,800 miles a year.

This would earn you approximately:

108 500-milers
56 CR-1s (54 earned + 2 bonus CR-1s as your 1K choice reward)
12 SWUs (6 annual + 2 for each 50K starting at 150K)

Of the 100 LAX-IAD or IAD-LAX sectors you will fly:
- You would use the 56 CR1s to upgrade more than half them
- You would use 105 500-milers to upgrade 21 more.
- Not that I'm recommending this, but you could use 12 SWUs to upgrade the next 12.

Total upgrades: 56 + 21 + 12 = 89 out of 100 segments (89%).

There is no way CO could get you that kind of transcon upgrade rate on this itinerary. In fact, I'd be surprised to see you get the converse of that (11%).

entropy

UA would be the choice to go with.
If you are flying high fares (Y/B), UA will give you a FREE upgrade to First/Business.

You'll be lucky to get 1 or 2 free upgrades on EWR-LAX a year.

TonyCMH

For me, CO has a big advantage ... I can fly most places in the US out of CLE. [if NW liquidates, I hope CO can seize DTW]. I, like most flyers, hate ORD. Even though I am also a PREM with UA, I fly SW to Midway rather than UA to ORD if I am going to Chicago.

I am 6'3. Sure, E+ is better, but I don't really notice the lack of room in the back (I used to fly NW alot ...). On a transcon, it isn't that bad unless the person in front of you slams his/her seat back on my knees. That is the only time that E+ helps.

I use CO for overseas travel in business class and it, in my opinion, better than UA. But if your goal is bumps to business class, UA is certainly better.

But read the UA threads. UA is up for sale and it is unclear what the future will bring (e.g., a merger with US ... ugh!). Remember when Conan O'Brian (I believe) said about the merger of US and Amerika West (aka, Aeroflot West) ... "The nation's 5th largest and 6th largest airline have merged to form the 3rd largest sucky airline."

NYC_747

It is rare to get an upgrade to LAX. Even with F half-empty a couple of days out, somehow they SELL most if not all seats by the take off.

I fly out of EWR, so it is not as big of a deal for me, but my friends who connect frequently at EWR often miss teir connections (because of "weather" or air traffic flow control.) I understand that ORD is not much better, but I'd rather qualify for E+ rather than praying for another miracle upgrade to LAX on my next flight out.

fly co to see the yanks

wasn't the CO-UA topic discussed extensively only a week or so ago (in an existing thread)?

TonyCMH

Yes. Pretty much the same answers.

I don't mind repeat questions since the search tool is not the greatest.

PTravel

I was CO Plat in SFO. In one year, maybe a dozen flights ex-SFO, I was not upgraded a single time. I don't imagine LAX would be much different. That's why I switched to UA. If I was stuck in coach, I wanted the extra 5 inches of legroom that UA gives in E+. I've also found that I get upgraded on certs about 70%, and have even had a couple of "complimentary," i.e. free and unrequested, upgrades, as well as the odd op-up or two.

TrojanHorse

I know one (of the many) reasons I left CO was that I must buy my work tickets (sounds like all of your tix will be for work) through Amex. One of the problems I would incur is that many of the fares I'd buy which would get me 100% EQM's would only get 50% EQM's through AX. Since this was such a crappy deal for me, I bailed.

The other factor making me bail was that upgrades in general were tougher and tougher to come by as a Plat (and this was before the Free EXP u/g's on AA - I went to AA) on CO. Therefore there were more seats in Y which as others have said, a horrendous product.

Personally I'd stick with UA, I do enough of those transcons as well and if you can catch the wide body, its a pretty good ride even in Y. I'm on one Friday to LAX and E+ is pretty good for Y

CO 1E

If you can purchase full Y fares every time, split your travel between CO and UA and maintain top tier in each program. If you cannot purchase full Y fares every time, stay with UA, as others have stated. Use your 500-milers and CR-1s to upgrade your YOW-LAX travel and save your SWU's for international travel.

J.Edward

Or head over to the coupon connection to change those SWU's into CR1's if you're not planning on int'l travel.

(or you can always give them to me! )

twoaisleplane

I think saying an EWR-LAX upgrade on CO is "rare" is too generous, it's more like "never". I had been a CO Gold for many years, but after one year with 9 or 10 roundtrips EWR-LAX and not being upgraded a single time, I moved over to UA.

I would have been willing to use miles to upgrade, but it was never (and I mean never) available. Nor could I use my miles (except of course for the EasyPass option.) Try doing a seach on co.com for standard reward seats in first from EWR-LAX. They don't exist either.

channa

Are you saying that it's impossible to redeem CO miles for First Class between the New York area and Los Angeles, or are you saying the EWR-LAX non-stop is difficult to get award seats on?

I'll give you the latter, but not the former.