NW Charges CO Plats for seat assignments
Mar 2, 2008, 9:22 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: DTW
Programs: Priority Club Platinum (8 years), Continental OnePass Platinum (6 years), Northwest WorldPerks Gold
Posts: 11
NW Charges CO Plats for seat assignments
Maybe this has been discussed already, but I fly out of DTW and I just called NW to get seat assignment for upcoming flights and they want to CHARGE for coach seating.
Is this new? I called CO Plat desk and they confirmed that it's the new policy.
Come on now, this has to be a joke. Charging Sky Team Plus members to get a seat assignment in coach????
Is this new? I called CO Plat desk and they confirmed that it's the new policy.
Come on now, this has to be a joke. Charging Sky Team Plus members to get a seat assignment in coach????
Mar 2, 2008, 9:35 am
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: SEA
Programs: UA Silver, BA Gold, DL Gold
Posts: 9,779
This doesn't sound right to me. I have an NW flight that I booked this past week, and have been able to select Elite seating, without a problem.
And this is what the NW website says about Coach Choice seats and Elites:
link
I would just cut out the folks on the phone. Go to nwa.com and look up your reservation. You should be able to add your OP number and it should recognize your status.
And this is what the NW website says about Coach Choice seats and Elites:
Q: Are there any benefits for WorldPerks Elite members?
A: Yes. WorldPerks Elite and SkyTeam Elite members can select Coach Choice seats free of charge on nwa.com or through a Northwest Self-service Check-in Kiosk 24 hours prior to departure.
Q: Are there still Premium Select Seats for Elite members?
A: Yes. Select Seats remain available to Elite members up to 90 days prior to departure, free of charge.
Q: Will passengers traveling in the same record as an Elite member be free of charge?
A: No. Only Elite members can select Coach Choice seats free of charge.
A: Yes. WorldPerks Elite and SkyTeam Elite members can select Coach Choice seats free of charge on nwa.com or through a Northwest Self-service Check-in Kiosk 24 hours prior to departure.
Q: Are there still Premium Select Seats for Elite members?
A: Yes. Select Seats remain available to Elite members up to 90 days prior to departure, free of charge.
Q: Will passengers traveling in the same record as an Elite member be free of charge?
A: No. Only Elite members can select Coach Choice seats free of charge.
I would just cut out the folks on the phone. Go to nwa.com and look up your reservation. You should be able to add your OP number and it should recognize your status.
Mar 2, 2008, 9:41 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: DTW
Programs: Priority Club Platinum (8 years), Continental OnePass Platinum (6 years), Northwest WorldPerks Gold
Posts: 11
I got it from NWA and CO directly.
Perhaps some of it is that the flights are 90 days out (although I have 5 reservations, 3 international booked with NW).
It's been clearly stated to me multiple times now. If I want a seat assignment, I have to pay for it.
The CO rep said this is a very recent change so I assume it's across the board. She also couldn't get a grip on it but did confirm it.
Perhaps some of it is that the flights are 90 days out (although I have 5 reservations, 3 international booked with NW).
It's been clearly stated to me multiple times now. If I want a seat assignment, I have to pay for it.
The CO rep said this is a very recent change so I assume it's across the board. She also couldn't get a grip on it but did confirm it.
Mar 2, 2008, 9:46 am
#4
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: AUS
Programs: AA Exec Platinum/MM, DL Gold/MM, Hilton Diamond, Accor Platinum, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 6,976
Maybe this has been discussed already, but I fly out of DTW and I just called NW to get seat assignment for upcoming flights and they want to CHARGE for coach seating.
Is this new? I called CO Plat desk and they confirmed that it's the new policy.
Come on now, this has to be a joke. Charging Sky Team Plus members to get a seat assignment in coach????
Is this new? I called CO Plat desk and they confirmed that it's the new policy.
Come on now, this has to be a joke. Charging Sky Team Plus members to get a seat assignment in coach????
If the only seats still unassigned in Y are Coach Choice seats, you simply can't get a seat assignment right now. Make sure your CO FF number is in your NW record. You'll probably get upgraded and all of this will become irrelevant. If not, you should be able to assign yourself the Coach Choice seats during OLCI at no charge.
Mar 2, 2008, 9:50 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: DTW
Programs: Priority Club Platinum (8 years), Continental OnePass Platinum (6 years), Northwest WorldPerks Gold
Posts: 11
Well, I agree it doesn't make sense, but I'm telling you what is being directly told to me by NWA and CO.
Best,
Marc
Best,
Marc
Mar 2, 2008, 9:51 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: DTW
Programs: Priority Club Platinum (8 years), Continental OnePass Platinum (6 years), Northwest WorldPerks Gold
Posts: 11
Incidently, I've been flying at Plat for 8+ years and over 1,000 flights...so, I'm familiar with all the rules. But, this is legit albeit incredibly stupid.
Mar 2, 2008, 10:01 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL Diamond, B6 Mosaic, AS MPV Gold, UA Gold MM, Marriott Plat, SPG Plat, Nat'l Exec Elite
Posts: 16,679
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.0) BlackBerry8100/4.2.1 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)
Despite what the agents told you, have you tried pulling up the reservation on the NW website with your confirmation number, and assigning the seats there? I do this whenever I fly NW as a CO Platinum and it always has worked. I've flown NW a lot in the last 3 years and I have never called them about seats or adding my OnePass number to the reservation.
Despite what the agents told you, have you tried pulling up the reservation on the NW website with your confirmation number, and assigning the seats there? I do this whenever I fly NW as a CO Platinum and it always has worked. I've flown NW a lot in the last 3 years and I have never called them about seats or adding my OnePass number to the reservation.
Mar 2, 2008, 10:06 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: IAH
Posts: 13,531
Like many others, I have never had problems getting seat assignments (within the 90 day window) as a CO Plat flying NW. I just confirmed this with an existing reservation.
Mar 2, 2008, 10:32 am
#9
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Washington, DC, Chapel Hill, NC (RDU)
Programs: DL Plat (won't hit DM again) 2MM (2.5), HH Gold, PC Gold, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 5,626
NW doesn't even load seatmaps until 90 days out, so couldn't assign the seat even if you did pay for it.
Mar 2, 2008, 2:39 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Some place in this wonderful world (usually at 39,000 ft in seat 1C)
Programs: CO Gold Elite / NW Gold Elite
Posts: 13,747
Based upon the NW 2008 Gold elite package they are starting to start a Call Center Agent Assistance fee for non-Golds/Plats (not sure if they will charge CO Elite's or not)
http://www.nwa.com/worldperks/elite/benefits.shtml
I believe this is an effort to push people to use nwa.com
http://www.nwa.com/worldperks/elite/benefits.shtml
I believe this is an effort to push people to use nwa.com
Mar 2, 2008, 5:13 pm
#11
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NRT / HND
Programs: AA EXP, NH Plat, Former UA 1K
Posts: 5,665
Based upon the NW 2008 Gold elite package they are starting to start a Call Center Agent Assistance fee for non-Golds/Plats (not sure if they will charge CO Elite's or not)
http://www.nwa.com/worldperks/elite/benefits.shtml
I believe this is an effort to push people to use nwa.com
http://www.nwa.com/worldperks/elite/benefits.shtml
I believe this is an effort to push people to use nwa.com
Even when I make reservations online with CO status I can't assign the premium seats until after I buy it because the NW system doesn't recognize my CO status until after I buy the ticket. If I go back in a few minutes later I can select any seat except the coach choice seats (which if I really wanted one I could get at OLCI for free)... needing a Coach choice seat has never been an issue since I'm always upgraded by then.
Mar 2, 2008, 9:24 pm
#12
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Atlántida, Canelones, Uruguay (MVD) and rarely GNV
Programs: AV LifeMiles, CM ConnectMiles, BA Exec Club. Former:ex-ASGold, ex-UA1K, ex-COPlat, ex-NWGold.
Posts: 2,673
It's the new Call Center fee for lower-than-NW-Golds who call to make seat assignments.
Note that you can do seat assignments for any NW-operated segments online at nwa.com. However the seat maps on nwa don't exist until 90 days out from the flight.
Also - NW and CO recognize each other's locator numbers, unlike most airline partners. So although your NW locator is not the same as your CO locator, entering your CO locator at nwa.com will bring up your NW locator.
Note that you can do seat assignments for any NW-operated segments online at nwa.com. However the seat maps on nwa don't exist until 90 days out from the flight.
Also - NW and CO recognize each other's locator numbers, unlike most airline partners. So although your NW locator is not the same as your CO locator, entering your CO locator at nwa.com will bring up your NW locator.
Mar 2, 2008, 9:36 pm
#13
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: AUS
Programs: AA Exec Platinum/MM, DL Gold/MM, Hilton Diamond, Accor Platinum, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 6,976
There might be a better page (this one is about award travel) but it describes the $15 Call Center Assistance Fee.
http://www.nwa.com/worldperks/travel...html#Ticketing
NW Plats and Golds are exempt, but, alas, this does not appear to be a reciprocal benefit to CO elites. Probably because CO does not have such a charge to be exempt from.
I'm not sure why anyone would call for seat assignments anyway, when they are so easily done on nwa.com.
http://www.nwa.com/worldperks/travel...html#Ticketing
NW Plats and Golds are exempt, but, alas, this does not appear to be a reciprocal benefit to CO elites. Probably because CO does not have such a charge to be exempt from.
I'm not sure why anyone would call for seat assignments anyway, when they are so easily done on nwa.com.
Mar 2, 2008, 10:51 pm
#14
Join Date: Feb 2008
Programs: 6 year GS, now 2MM Jeff-ugee, *wood LTPlt, SkyPeso PLT
Posts: 6,526
perhaps i'm missing something, but i flound the whole elite choice .... to be a real hassle. I used to fly NW SFO-DTW all the time (about 10-12 times per year), and then they stopped (dispite my CO Plat number) allowing me to get an isle seat. Given that I found ungrades hard to get, and that Isle seats (in fact anything before isle 89 
) to be not bookable unless I paid extra, I just said F--K this ...., and started flying UA via ORD. If NW wonders where I went, thats where. They wanted another $15 bucks, and lost my $1200 tickets.
All I can say is that NW makes UA look good.
) to be not bookable unless I paid extra, I just said F--K this ...., and started flying UA via ORD. If NW wonders where I went, thats where. They wanted another $15 bucks, and lost my $1200 tickets. All I can say is that NW makes UA look good.
Mar 3, 2008, 4:54 am
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Some place in this wonderful world (usually at 39,000 ft in seat 1C)
Programs: CO Gold Elite / NW Gold Elite
Posts: 13,747
perhaps i'm missing something, but i flound the whole elite choice .... to be a real hassle. I used to fly NW SFO-DTW all the time (about 10-12 times per year), and then they stopped (dispite my CO Plat number) allowing me to get an isle seat. Given that I found ungrades hard to get, and that Isle seats (in fact anything before isle 89 ) to be not bookable unless I paid extra, I just said F--K this ...., and started flying UA via ORD. If NW wonders where I went, thats where. They wanted another $15 bucks, and lost my $1200 tickets.
All I can say is that NW makes UA look good.
) to be not bookable unless I paid extra, I just said F--K this ...., and started flying UA via ORD. If NW wonders where I went, thats where. They wanted another $15 bucks, and lost my $1200 tickets. All I can say is that NW makes UA look good.