I am off to LAS from MSP in a couple of weeks and I was trying to see what my chances for an upgrade for me and a companion
Coach seems all but full except for a few premium seats on a 757, yet FC has only 2 seats taken
This is what shows on ITN.net
P9 F9 Y9 B9 M9 H9 Q8 V5 L0 T0 K0
Are my chances good

Without a specific date or flight number, how can you expect anyone to offer anything more than "P9F9 is the best you can do?"

With 9 still showing in many of the coach classes the plane is not oversold and there is still good availability . They are counting on elites moving up to fill the F seats and being able to sell more Y seats. Although the seat map may show full some seats could be blocked but not assigned.

As a Gold I think you should have a fare to good chance since there seems to be good availability and the 757 has more F seats than the other domestic planes.

Sorry - July 6th NW783

NW 783 MSP-LAS (not LAS-MSP, did you get your # right?)
7/6 P9 F9 Y9 B9 M9 H9 Q9 V6 L2 T0 K0
Most coach seats are booked. I would think that NW is trying hard to oversell this flight. Looks like 18/22 seats open in FC. I would think that things look good for you. But you never know.

Vegas Agent could probably give a little better advice, but I think on most predominantly leisure routes, LAS, MCO. That NWA traditionally does not have a lot of Elites flying that route on any given day. An exception could be a convention in town. However, due to this history, they can safely oversell the back by 15-18 people and still get everyone on the plane. All elites and companions get upgrades first, then they just randomly move people to the front. The flight goes out full, NWA sold more coach seats, the bump ups are happy they bought coach and got to fly in first, everyone wins.

I suppose another way of looking at this are what exactly are your expectations and options?

When you buy coach you will get upgraded automatically if space is available. Not much you can do about that. Space will be available for you if FC are not sold and if Platinums do not fill all the seats available.

Options are limited since it wold cost you money or miles to ensure a FC ahead of time, or switch flights to a less busy one (unlikely on that route).

I suggest that you sit back, relax and let the electrons in NWA's computer do their thing!

Hmmm... I wonder what my (family's) chances are with scoring a "bump-up" FNT-MCO this coming Thanksgiving. Our itin for reference is:

FNT-MCO NW 1546 Nov 21
MCO-FNT NW 1545 Nov 28

I'm a Plat, but neither my wife or two kids (age 4 and 6) are FF's. I "bought" these on miles and used 35K each since one of the legs was premium due to proximity to the holiday. Right now our seats are showing AF,AF,AF,AF - anyone know what preference this is showing for seat assignments in Y?

What I don't want is for one seat (me) to be upgraded while the rest of the clan sits in the back. Since my kids are so young, I want us to sit together, preferably in a pair of back-to-back A-B seats towards the front of the aircraft (they're both scheduled to be DC9's). The kids will enjoy the window seats and my wife and I can stretch out in the adjoining aisle seat.

That is, if we all can't get "bumped" to the front.

D. Mitzel

Along those same lines, I am going to start flying out Thursday afternoon CHS-DTW-DCA and back Monday mornings pretty frequently in the future.

Do you think I stand a chance of getting upgraded on these legs?

Also, how reliable is the "automatic" upgrading of ticketed itineraries based on status? (I ask this b/c as a USAirways Chairman's Preferred I usually have to call and confirm the upgrades)


Thanks

As a Plat, you have a good chance of getting these seats. I'm Gold and fly FNT-TPA almost weekly, and I have never (I mean NEVER) been denied a FC upgrade (even as a Silver) - and usually on the seatmap at checkin I see only 3-4 FC seats filled out of 16 on the DC-9s. You should be able to get you and your family in FC with very few problems (unless there's some big convention in MCO and DTW Elites try to board in FNT to get FC seats!)...

Good luck!

Seats on NWA flights are not assigned until 90 days out. At that point you can call the plat line and have your seats put together.

It sounds like one-way you have "bought" first class seats and one-way coach seats. Therefore on the flight that you "bought" the first class seats (25,000 miles + 10,000 miles one-way upgrade = 35,000 miles per seat) your entire family will be in first. In the other direction none of you will be in first if your tickets are all in one record.

Technically, the gold and plat companion upgrades are not available on WP tickets. You are eligible for an upgrade on a WP ticket, but a companion on a WP ticket is not elligible according to the rules. Not saying that it will not happen, but that is the rule.

You have several options, keep everything exactly like it is (assuming you are all booked on one record) and have the family fly first one way and coach the other. Second, spend 30,000 more miles and get the other 3 parties confirmed seats in F both ways and hope for the free upgrade for yourself on the coach leg, or spend 40,000 more miles and get everyone confirmed seats.

The gate agent might move your entire family up front, but like I stated earlier there is an exception to the companion upgrade for WP tickets. The Gate Agent has the final say, but they might move a "paying" customer up first than what they consider a "free" ticket.

If you are a Plat or Gold with NW or CO than you should have a decent chance on the flights that have first class. It looks like Pinnacle does alot of the CHS-DTW flights with CRJ's and they have no first. The mesaba flights have first and should be upgradeable. DTW-DCA is a VERY heavy elite flight especially at the times you are flying. Chances would be lower on this segment.

I don't see a NW or CO elite listed in your profile though. If you are not elite you will not get upgraded on either of these routes except in a miraculous situtation. You could try getting a comp with your US or UA status. It can take awhile, but I think they would give it to you.

[QUOTE=wldtrvlr]If you are a Plat or Gold with NW or CO than you should have a decent chance on the flights that have first class. It looks like Pinnacle does alot of the CHS-DTW flights with CRJ's and they have no first. The mesaba flights have first and should be upgradeable. DTW-DCA is a VERY heavy elite flight especially at the times you are flying. Chances would be lower on this segment.QUOTE]

Yes, I am NW Gold, based on a US comp, and am committed to flying US and NW exclusively (based in DC, it should not be difficult). I can understand the Thursday night DTW-DCA flights being harder, going thru a NW hub.
Just wary about the automatic upgrade thing.
Guess I'll see what happens next week.

I also am silver with US (from a comp) and their automated process seams to be non-existant. NW's process is very smooth. In fact a few months ago they changed the policy and the agents can no longer upgrade you over the phone. NW was the first company to come out with an automatic upgrade system and has been using it for years. Once in awhile it has a hicup, but 99% of the time it is flawless. Your best bet is to check in on-line at the 36 hour mark and see if anything is available. When you go to check in it will ask you if you want an upgrade. If one is available and you have not already been upgraded the system will upgrade you and let you know in seconds. If one is not available it will put you at the top of the list at the airport. Once you check in though, EUA will skip your reservation, so you take a chance if you are not upgraded and continue to check in that if it runs at 24 hours out it will miss you. However, the flip side to checking in early is that if they don't release the last few seats till at the gate than you are at the top of the list.

Thanks it sounds good to me!