NW711 - no upgrades
 

I'm booked on NW711 from LGA-LAS (through MSP) on 2/23... it's 6 days out and no upgrade yet. The availability shows P9 F9 (and seat map in first is wide open). Economy is packed with no open seats on the seatmap. Any ideas? Any way to check actual upgrade availability?

Thanks for any insight.

Okay, I'm going to let SchmutzigMSP answer this one. Tag, you're it!

Never trust a seatmap. Although granted, it does make you drool a bit to see the whole coach cabin blocked out, it usually is a deception.

The real arbiter for UG is the R bucket. I have not been able to find a tool to tell me what the R count is besides calling the GE line.

All the best, James

On 2/23
NW 711
LGA-MSP P5 F3 Y9 B9 M9 H9 Q9 V9 L9 T9 K9
MSP-LAS P9 F9 Y7 B7 M7 H6 Q2 V0 L0 T0 K0

So, if flying LGA-LAS the availability for you is P5F3. Likely no ugrades until the day of departure. To fly LGA-MSP-LAS you need to clear the upgrade for the whole trip, not a single leg. At the gate you probably can do something.

Also, upgrades clear 5 days out.

plat upgrades generally clear 6 days out? and they must have just gone through... just not for me on my cheap fare.

This morning the "direct flight" LGA-LAS showed: P9 F9
Now it shows: P5 F0

I guess there were lots of plats on at least the first leg of that trip...

Is there any sense in calling the Plat line to see if they can just upgrade the second leg?

no chance, only at the airport (and even this is going to be tough). Learn your lesson, don't book such flights, this is a well-known problem.

(Must. Breathe.) ;)

Let's see, where to start. First, Plat upgrades generally are only supposed to start clearing 5 days out from departure. However, it is widely known that upgrades may start clearing as early as a few weeks out (some have even cleared a month+ out!) and can come really at any time. Lightly loaded flights (either with F rev. pax or elites) may start 5-6 days out, or they could come 4 days out, 2 days out, one day out, at check-in, at the gate (battlefield) or on-board, etc. There's really no way to predict when the UG will come.

Now, you've got a couple of things going against you. One is that LGA-MSP is probably a Plat heavy route that day, and probably with Plats flying on some higher fare classes than you. That will knock you down a few rungs. Second, you're flying the "direct" flight where both flights share the same flight number. This means you need to have EUA seats available on both legs at the same time for an EUA to be processed. This is one of the biggest reasons, aside from losing mileage earning possibilities, why people should book away from "direct" flights.

Do not call NWA regarding elite upgrades. Have you ever done so in the past? From NWA.com:
http://www.nwa.com/worldperks/elite/upgrades.shtml

The EUA system works. If you're meant for an upgrade, you'll get it. I'm not talking metaphysically or "spiritually" destined for an upgrade, but I mean if there are seats available when the EUA gets to your name on the list, you'll get it. But you do have a few things working against you as pointed out above.

My guess is that you'll snag something 1-2 days out, or more likely as a battlefield UG for each of the legs.

Back to regularly scheduled programming. ;)

One further thought. The LAS flights are among the most difficult for an upgrade. My only upgrade misses last year were LAS flights. In addition, NW tends to hold back more F seats for potential last minute purchase to/from LAS.

Especially on a Friday when ct203flyer is flying.

I knew about the issues... but it was the best price option around that time.

Any other ideas on what I can do now?

You can't do anything except wait. That's how the upgrade system works.

I suppose you could cancel the ticket and book a new one, or just pay for F, but you probably don't want to do that. So, you shall just wait. And hope.

[Day of departure you could always try to standby for earlier flights if it looks better for battlefield upgrades, but you're really down to your last thread by doing that]

You don't say what seats you presently have, but if you don't have bulkhead or exit row, you might want to monitor the seat maps to see if you get a decent seat in the back

If you want the upgrade that badly rebook the LGA-MSP leg or the MSP-LAS leg to one with better availablility. Pay the change fee and ticket difference and maybe EUA will catch you in the next sweep. I did that the first and only time this happened to me and only cost me an additional $100 change fee and I sat in the front.

I am not specifically addressing the OP's flight schedule but I do never count on an upgrade to FC. Therefor, I always select my exit seat in the main cabin and now will not be disappointed in either case. With the exception of a missed meal service, if flying during the meal service times, there is nothing that will make me unhappy sitting in the rear especially for flights under three hours. Plus I get my 1000 miles.

I got a great seat in coach - will be happy to just collect 1000 miles. Question though? - if I sit in coach both segements of a direct flight, I'll only get the 1000 bonus once, right? What if I get upgraded at the gate on one of the segements - will I still get the bonus for the other?