Most Consecutive Flights Without an Upgrade
Nov 16, 2007 | 4:21 am
#31
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Nov 16, 2007 | 4:23 am
#32
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I realize we have strayed far from the OP but the issue, to me, is not so much the number of consecutive flights I have not been upgraded but the erosion of the non-Y fare upgrade's existence.
This is my eighth year in a row as a PL and by far it is the worst year for EUAs. I am typing this from LAS where I travel to, from CLE, about four or five times a year and in the previous eight years, I only did not receive an EUA one time.
This year, this is the fourth time for no EUA and it is getting, IMHO, pretty ridiculous. What else do we have to show for as a PLAT if the "unlimited upgrades" are, in fact, pretty limited?
The consolation of an Exit Row with an almost guarantee of someone next to you in the middle seat is of little use.
I don't begrudge Continental from trying to maximize their revenue. However, I also want to maximize my comfort while flying and, at least this year, UA with Economy Plus has Continental beat hands down.
I think Continental needs to think long and hard about providing the Elites with some extra leg room in coach because if they don't, I think they are taking the short term revenue gain for a long term revenue loss.
With fewer and fewer EUAs, my dollars have walked towards UA and I am even starting to think (horrors!) that connecting through ORD on E+ is better than a non stop in coach on CO. Yikes!
This is my eighth year in a row as a PL and by far it is the worst year for EUAs. I am typing this from LAS where I travel to, from CLE, about four or five times a year and in the previous eight years, I only did not receive an EUA one time.
This year, this is the fourth time for no EUA and it is getting, IMHO, pretty ridiculous. What else do we have to show for as a PLAT if the "unlimited upgrades" are, in fact, pretty limited?
The consolation of an Exit Row with an almost guarantee of someone next to you in the middle seat is of little use.
I don't begrudge Continental from trying to maximize their revenue. However, I also want to maximize my comfort while flying and, at least this year, UA with Economy Plus has Continental beat hands down.
I think Continental needs to think long and hard about providing the Elites with some extra leg room in coach because if they don't, I think they are taking the short term revenue gain for a long term revenue loss.
With fewer and fewer EUAs, my dollars have walked towards UA and I am even starting to think (horrors!) that connecting through ORD on E+ is better than a non stop in coach on CO. Yikes!
The point is to establish the erosion of benefits and how it impacts on a very loyal customer like you.
Nov 16, 2007 | 8:53 am
#33
Join Date: Aug 2006
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And the whining continues. I don't really get it? If you're flying out of EWR and your not getting your, "entitled" upgrades then fly someone else. At what point do some of you man up and do something about your misery instead of constantly complaining. Trust me, CO is going to listen alot more clearly if you take your business to some other carrier
Incidentally, to counter some of the complaining on this thread about EWR; I've flown every week for the past 5 weeks back and forth from EWR-RDU. 100% upgrades on 735's (and an occasional 737-700).
EWR-LAS return, upgraded both ways (outbound made the 5 day window, return battlefield) and on 757 with BF seats.
MCO-EWR, 757 with BF seats.
LGA-CLE-LGA, guaranteed upgradable flights. Everytime unless I'm on an RJ.
And this is just the last few weeks.
IAH, transcons, and ORD the record is more grim. But hey, I only paid for an econ seat. I still treat upgrades as a perk rather than an entitlement.
Incidentally, to counter some of the complaining on this thread about EWR; I've flown every week for the past 5 weeks back and forth from EWR-RDU. 100% upgrades on 735's (and an occasional 737-700).
EWR-LAS return, upgraded both ways (outbound made the 5 day window, return battlefield) and on 757 with BF seats.
MCO-EWR, 757 with BF seats.
LGA-CLE-LGA, guaranteed upgradable flights. Everytime unless I'm on an RJ.
And this is just the last few weeks.
IAH, transcons, and ORD the record is more grim. But hey, I only paid for an econ seat. I still treat upgrades as a perk rather than an entitlement.
Nov 16, 2007 | 9:19 am
#34
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You have to remember that EWR is CO's main international hub. Therefore, on EWR flights you're going to find many people who are going via (as opposed to/from) EWR and are entitled to sit in F as part of their international J tickets.
These people would be on IAH flights instead if CO had a similarly extensive international network out of IAH.
These people would be on IAH flights instead if CO had a similarly extensive international network out of IAH.
Nov 16, 2007 | 9:37 am
#35
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That's also one of the main reasons why IAH-EWR upgrades are next to impossible to predict, especially since so many of the IAH-EWR flights continue with the same flight number to a European destination.
Nov 16, 2007 | 9:51 am
#36
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EWR based PLAT.
~10% upgrades in '07 vs ~50% in '06
~10% upgrades in '07 vs ~50% in '06
Nov 16, 2007 | 10:00 am
#37
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Platinum.
Lately I have been flying in J or C or whatever it is.
But when in Y, 0% upgrade on CO.
Lately I have been flying in J or C or whatever it is.
But when in Y, 0% upgrade on CO.
Nov 16, 2007 | 3:19 pm
#38
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And the whining continues. I don't really get it? If you're flying out of EWR and your not getting your, "entitled" upgrades then fly someone else. At what point do some of you man up and do something about your misery instead of constantly complaining. Trust me, CO is going to listen alot more clearly if you take your business to some other carrier
Incidentally, to counter some of the complaining on this thread about EWR; I've flown every week for the past 5 weeks back and forth from EWR-RDU. 100% upgrades on 735's (and an occasional 737-700).
EWR-LAS return, upgraded both ways (outbound made the 5 day window, return battlefield) and on 757 with BF seats.
MCO-EWR, 757 with BF seats.
LGA-CLE-LGA, guaranteed upgradable flights. Everytime unless I'm on an RJ.
And this is just the last few weeks.
IAH, transcons, and ORD the record is more grim. But hey, I only paid for an econ seat. I still treat upgrades as a perk rather than an entitlement.
Incidentally, to counter some of the complaining on this thread about EWR; I've flown every week for the past 5 weeks back and forth from EWR-RDU. 100% upgrades on 735's (and an occasional 737-700).
EWR-LAS return, upgraded both ways (outbound made the 5 day window, return battlefield) and on 757 with BF seats.
MCO-EWR, 757 with BF seats.
LGA-CLE-LGA, guaranteed upgradable flights. Everytime unless I'm on an RJ.
And this is just the last few weeks.
IAH, transcons, and ORD the record is more grim. But hey, I only paid for an econ seat. I still treat upgrades as a perk rather than an entitlement.
But then again it ain't much of a perk when you never get it.
The purpose of this thread is not to whine, simply to ascertain how well or poorly elites are doing with upgrades.
In CO's defense, I have noticed that the once-ubiquitous marketing touting "free unlimited upgrades" has virtually vanished from view here in the NYC metro area...
Nov 16, 2007 | 3:33 pm
#39
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You have to remember that EWR is CO's main international hub. Therefore, on EWR flights you're going to find many people who are going via (as opposed to/from) EWR and are entitled to sit in F as part of their international J tickets.
These people would be on IAH flights instead if CO had a similarly extensive international network out of IAH.
These people would be on IAH flights instead if CO had a similarly extensive international network out of IAH.
I also think that Wall Street bonuses and their related Y-ups may play into the dearth of EUAs at EWR...there's just a boatload of Benjamins sloshing around NYC, eh guys?
Nov 16, 2007 | 3:49 pm
#40
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Nov 16, 2007 | 4:31 pm
#41
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Easily beaten that this year - 62 upgradeable CO flights, 52 upgraded. That's 84%. Only about 4 or 5 of the flights were Y-ups. I fly transcon (usually to SNA) about once a month - been upgraded on several of those - and the rest is scattered everywhere - CLE, ORD, ATL, DEN, etc. I'm amazed at how low of an upgrade % people seem to get out of EWR!
Nov 16, 2007 | 4:39 pm
#42
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Easily beaten that this year - 62 upgradeable CO flights, 52 upgraded. That's 84%. Only about 4 or 5 of the flights were Y-ups. I fly transcon (usually to SNA) about once a month - been upgraded on several of those - and the rest is scattered everywhere - CLE, ORD, ATL, DEN, etc. I'm amazed at how low of an upgrade % people seem to get out of EWR!
Question: Did you fly a lot of expensive fares? Did you go out of your way to book flights that might be inconvenient but would be likely to have better upgrade chances?
Nov 16, 2007 | 5:32 pm
#43
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Nope, don't travel at inconvenient times at all, the extent of my "optimization" is to check KVS to pick the most likely flight for an upgrade if there is a choice of a few that would work. Vast majority of travel is business-related, lots of tickets booked <7 days but still a lot of cheaper fares also.
There are some routes where I have almost 100% upgrade success - EWR-MDW/ORD being one of them. This is probably one of my most frequent routes. MDW flights are particularly good, usually upgraded 5 days out.
There are some routes where I have almost 100% upgrade success - EWR-MDW/ORD being one of them. This is probably one of my most frequent routes. MDW flights are particularly good, usually upgraded 5 days out.
Nov 16, 2007 | 8:12 pm
#44
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You must've missed my earlier post (though I know you didn't since you complained about me skewing the results with my high upgrade numbers). I'm at 90%+ this year out of EWR. I do have a couple flights from JFK-IAH, but only upgraded on half of those. And the one Copa itinerary that me and Mrs. sbm12 got upgraded on all 4 segments. But even on the straight EWR flights I'm at 90%+. I do nothing to try to book on the less full flights. If anything, I book on the 752s to Florida so I get the "better" upgrade, just in case it happens. Last year I was ~65%, but with a number of DCA flights where even a Y fare as a platinum doesn't guarantee the upgrade.
Including companion upgrades I'm well over 100%, as I've had a number of those as well.
It is possible, even without trying, though I will admit that it isn't the most common result for an EWR flier.
Including companion upgrades I'm well over 100%, as I've had a number of those as well.
It is possible, even without trying, though I will admit that it isn't the most common result for an EWR flier.
Nov 16, 2007 | 8:16 pm
#45
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You must've missed my earlier post (though I know you didn't since you complained about me skewing the results with my high upgrade numbers). I'm at 90%+ this year out of EWR. I do have a couple flights from JFK-IAH, but only upgraded on half of those. And the one Copa itinerary that me and Mrs. sbm12 got upgraded on all 4 segments. But even on the straight EWR flights I'm at 90%+. I do nothing to try to book on the less full flights. If anything, I book on the 752s to Florida so I get the "better" upgrade, just in case it happens. Last year I was ~65%, but with a number of DCA flights where even a Y fare as a platinum doesn't guarantee the upgrade.
Including companion upgrades I'm well over 100%, as I've had a number of those as well.
It is possible, even without trying, though I will admit that it isn't the most common result for an EWR flier.
Including companion upgrades I'm well over 100%, as I've had a number of those as well.
It is possible, even without trying, though I will admit that it isn't the most common result for an EWR flier.
Do you buy a lot of expensive fares?
Question: When all else is equal what determines which plat on a given fare will get upgraded first?