Well, will be Gold in a few weeks after my HNL trip, will update my profile with information when I can figure out how to do it, right now it is blank. First thanks for all the previous help with my questions.

Here is my next question, since I will be gold going forward, I am wondering from anyone who is has experience with the DTW-PHX flights which one may be the best at getting the upgrade. In the months of January and February, I will be going out there and back about 2-3 times a month. When looking at the schedule, I would think the early 7AM flight would be the best since you will not be getting any connecting traffic going west except for maybe a crazy mileage runner or two coming back from the red-eye from Phoenix. This would seem to me to be a pure leisure flight, but maybe I am wrong, but I need to book my flights soon and want some input. Since this is a route in which Northwest competes with Southwest, you can book all the trips as one ways.

That 7am departure is the only practical flight for anyone who needs to be in PHX that day for business or whatever reason. This could mean a higher number of elites on that route, perhaps even people overnighting from other cities out East or from later arriving Europe flights. I concur that you probably wouldn't face much in the way of connecting passengers, though, so you're primarily looking at O/D traffic, and I've got no idea about the O/D traffic between DTW and PHX.

I've done the DTW-PHX route a few times for MRs, and don't believe I've ever not gotten an EUA (and believe that was as a Silver). But that's on the 7pm/EST out and 10pm/PST back. Very Elite light, very wheelchair heavy. But SchmutzigMSP would appear correct, I'd watch out for any west-bound plane leaving that early, for Elites trying to get in a full day (without taking the 7pm, and overnighting).

Steve B.

Late afternoon and evening Sunday DTW-PHX flights have been very bump friendly the last few months.

I have a MSP-PHX flight on saturday at 7am and then the return PHX-MSP at 10am and got my EAUs at the 5 day window easily.

We flew PHX - MSP yesterday (11/29) and they were putting NW employees up front -- same happened 11/24 -- but that's not a big travel day for elites.

PHX flights tend to start boarding a lot earlier than many others (because of the age of the passengers likely to go ?)

Bob H

For what it's worth, as a silver flying MSP-PHX for the past 10 years I have never not gotten an EUA and I travel all times of the year there.

i fly to phoenix often, through both msp and dtw

never have missed an upgrade