Wilco_FT

I'm on CO1866 from IAH-YYZ Sunday, April 8. Monday or Tuesday, I noticed that 14F was no longer available. Interesting...I thought you could not get exit row until 24 hours before hand. I call to try to get 14A for myself (Silver) and was told that only plats can get exit row unless 24 hours before.

OK - so there must be a plat in 14F. So - if I understand upgrades correctly, they start automatically clearing plats 5 days before flight. We're now ~3 and a few hours before flight and first class has not changed.

The way I read the upgrade terms, USA-Canada travel follows the same schedule as domestic so I would have expected the plat in 14F to already be upgarded.

As a new elite, what am I missing on the upgrade process? Does Continental also limit the number of seats they allow to be upgrades (I assumed 7 out of 8 showing available would allow them to release at least a few on the 5 day schedule)?

Just trying to gauge my chances (other than zero) of getting an upgrade on this flight.

Thanks for your insight. I don't post much, but I read quite a bit.

rkkwan

They don't necessary run the automatic upgrades at the set 5-, 3- and 1-day point. In fact, most of the time they don't. That topic comes up on this board on a weekly basis, so even though your original question was different, the answer is the same.

Remember EUAs may happen at those times, but usually don't.

BTW, welcome to Flyertalk.

sbm12

They absolutely DO run the upgrade process at those times (specifically 1/3/5 days prior to the flight at both midnight Central time and at the time of the flight departure). There are not always seats in the F bucket for upgrades to move in to, even if there are revenue seats for sale in the F cabin.

Wilco_FT

Thanks both for your response. 2 cleared overnight (at the 3-day window) - I assume this because available seats in coach went up 2 and available seats in first went down 2. So either the rep was incorrect and Mr. 14F is not a plat or something else is going on as that seat still shows occupied.

jersian

Just an FYI, a plat travelling on a reward ticket could select an exit row in advance, but would not be eligible for an upgrade.

I just got an upgrade at 24 hours, however the flight has shown three exit seats (together) as filled for more than a week. This opens another possible scenario. It could be a plat flying with companions (if booked together at the same time they could select those seats even for non-elites), however without later splitting their PNR they would remain ineligible for upgrades. Plats can only do companion upgrades at the airport (I believe at the two hour mark).......... but as I won't hit plat until late summer, I have no experience on this front.

farenthold

Remember they may not yet have processed all the plats for upgrade. They start at highest fare and work down. When they release more F inventory (Most likley at 4 hour mark) the exit row may open. If I'm unhappy with my seat, I always recheck at 4 hours.

Wilco_FT

I'll recheck at 4 hour mark, but I did at least move to 14A so I have as good a coach seat as I can get. Trade-off is that I now have to rush around folks after exiting the plane so I can get to customs ahead of the (what appears to be) full plane.