Upgrade order
 

A few weeks ago I suggested that upgrades were handed out based on revenue within elite tiers, and was slapped by several people who said it was all about the OLCI time -- if you check in at 23:59 on a $200 ticket as a plat, you'll get on the list ahead of another plat checking in at an hour before the flight on a $800 ticket, and you'll get the upgrae.

However, am I the only one that noticed this in the chat the other night?

Notice that time of checkin is not mentioned. Time of ticketing is, but it's the very last thing (after revenue, which is normally a clear differentiator -- very few people pay the exact same amount for their tickets)....

So what's the concensus? Is it revenue based or OLCI time based?

I am surprised by this. I have several recent trips that indicate otherwise. I am religious about the 23:59 check in, this weekend was case in point. We were in Florida on $203 SEA-RSW tickets, I'd be surprised if anyone paid less or was in a lower fare class. There were allegedly 20+ Plats on the flight back and I was #1 on the upgrade list (and in fact got one of the 2 F seats). I gave it up to sit with my wife.

I have been on 5-6 $200 transcons in the last month and used the 23:59 checkin trick and always wound up #1 on the upgrade list for legs that I didnt get an EUA. I find it hard to believe that all the other Plats on these flights (and there were other Plats below me on the waitlist) were bigger cheapskates than me!

Is it possible that Russ used incorrect terminology, saying "time of ticketing" when he meant "time of check-in"? Just a thought...

I sent him a follow-up email asking precisely this question... no response yet.

I think that it is time of check-in. On my last MR this weekend, I checked in at 23:59 for each leg and was #1 on the list for every leg I didn't get upgraded on. And I always fly the low fare classes (K, T, sometimes V).

Everytime I checkin as early as I can (22-24 hours before) I am the first to get upgraded at the gate. Works all the time.

Another case in point, flew MSN-MSP-BOS yesterday at noon and didn't have access to a computer 24 hours beforehand because I was driving to MSN. Checked-in OLCI the morning of around 9AM and was put on the waitlist for MSN-MSP, already EUA on the MSP-BOS 3 days out. Another GE woman checked-in at the airport in front of me around 11 AM flashing her GE card (the lack of use of the self-service kiosk at MSN is ridiculous, everyone was waiting for an agent).

GE woman double checked at the gate and the GA said she was on the list and she'd let her know. Neither my name nor her name was called at the gate and I didn't even bother to check where I was on the list since I hadn't done 24 hours in advance and since the flight is normally full of PE from Epic Systems. When my row was called (no elite pre-board) I handed my boarding pass to the gate agent and the sensor went off and he handed me back an upgrade to 1-C. Made my afternoon for a $279 RT T-fare.

While in most cases the upgrade order is followed well, I have been in a few situations where lower elite status individuals were upgraded prior to mine at the gate. While they may have been Y paying passengers, I doubt it. Not too much of a biggie, but I know that there has been problems with their upgrade cue.

>>>>>>>Notice that time of checkin is not mentioned.

I figured that Russ was talking about the 5, 3, and 1 day EUA priority order. (My guess is that once it's past the point of EUAing, and moves into the OLCI timeframe, that the first factor is tier, and the second factor is time of check-in.)

That's the same thing I thought when I read the OP. It makes sense and (most) examples seem to fit it. But while I don't think it currently is a factor, I do think it would make more sense for NW to use fare class as a factor in both EUA and non-EUA upgrades. I certainly take advantage often because I'm cheap but my T or K fare really should never be upgraded in front of someone who paid more.

Actually the EUA algorithm fascinates me. i am searching the NW forum and have found some informative posts from the past ( and still working on it...) using the search string "EUA" (not the best choice but works)

NWA's Protocol For Discount Ticket Elite Upgrades effective May 10, 2004

What is the upgrade order within an elite level?

EUA algorithms

Flight Availability Tool

and plenty more .....

I also posted about a hypothetical scenario here but i guess its not the right thread for it...

Bottomline good information on it exists ..... we just dont have the whole algo right infront of us...maybe someone can write it and make it a sticky because "EUA" and "upgrade" are the most common words used in the NW forum :D


Edit: themicah's post actually answers my question here

Russ's description of the upgrade order is exactly what we've all known to be the upgrade order for EUA:

1. Status tier
2. Fare class
3. Time of ticketing

Battlefields are a different story. The FT consensus (which has never been confirmed, but seems to comport with most FTers' experience according to the above-linked threads) is that NW battlefield UGs are given out according to

1. Status tier
2. Time of checkin

themicah Whats your opinion about the "LT value" factor and how often does it really come into play. How would you quantify it, what variables.

Russ hints that it actually takes precedence over time of ticketing.

Does the LT stand for "Long Term?" If so, there have been posts around here about how those who have actually flown 1MM butt-in-seat miles have that status noted somewhere (although since joining SkyTeam, the status has been replaced on BPs by STE or STE+ notation). It's possible that this is what Russ is talking about, so I guess that in the rare case where two same-status elites are competing for the same UG, the 1MM Miler on a low fare might beat out a plain ol' elite on a higher fare class.

That makes sense. i was actually thinking about these ...(i have way too much time :( )

LOL. :D This is just for fun. I believe the other three factors break the tie most all times before long term value becomes a deciding factor.