Missing UG's as a Plat - second & third time in 2 years!

I'm on my second full year as a Plat & I've got 2 trips planned for next week.

April 8-10/11 - DCA-DTW-SFO-(redeye on 4/10)DTW-DCA
April 12 - DCA-MSP-DEN with an April 16 return DEN-MSP-DTW-DCA

Last year, I flew about 50 upgradeable segments & only 1 was in coach for MSP-SEA.

This week, I've missed two advance upgrades - oddly, both are DCA flights (which I've never missed upgrades on, even as a Gold & Silver the past 3 years before). I didn't get UG'd on my DTW-DCA flight (a Wednesday 6:36AM flight - showing P5 F3) or my DCA-MSP (a Thursday 8:45AM flight - showing P2 F2) flight. Neither flight's remotely close to being over & both are on paid fares. I'm not so worried about the DTW flight, but I really wanted to be in F on the MSP flight.

Such is life...I'm just suprised the advance UG's didnt' go through on these routes...

That's good luck on your part. Next Monday I'm flying MSN-MSP-SMF in the back. MSP-SMF is already P0 F0. The Thursday return is already upgraded all the way through.

I don't much care about upgrades MSN-MSP or MSN-DTW (or vice-versa), but I like having them on the long segments. Oh well.

The flights haven't occurred yet, have they?

Sit tight. NW has been playing with load managements a lot lately and upgrades have been coming later than usual. I do think the thread is a bit premature.

I've already been in coach twice this year, LGA-DTW and LAS-DTW. That's double my entire total (1) for last year.

Interesting that both occurred after March 1st, when common wisdom says, "upgrades will be easier."

Count your blessings, one for five so far this year! Yes, as Plat. Tickets bought well ahead of time, OLCI 24 hour mark. I think capacities are up this year.

Well, P0Y0 means I'm SOL unless someone doesn't show up or changes flights.

I wasn't responding to your post, I was responding to bhatnasx's.

Yes, you will probably ride in the back. Bring a pillow.

I had the same thing on one of my CO flights in January, and still got upgraded at the gate. What with no shows and such, I wouldn't count myself out until the wheels were retracted.

Nope. Last Sunday DTW-LAX was P0F0 and I got the UG at the gate along with a few others. It never over till ....

Those DCA-DTW flights are really tough. I have only gotten upgraded on three as a Gold in the last year or so. (At least 15 flights). Success on a Saturday afternoon, a Wednesday afternoon, and one really random upgrade on a Friday night. According to the Worldclub, my worst waitlist position was 49th as a Gold on a K fare on a day with a lot of cancellations.

I know - but I'm just suprised that these are the routes I didn't get the UG on - DCA, for me, has always been the first one to clear with no problems. And the times that I'm flying are generally non-peak times (which is part of the reason I picked them). We'll see - I'll hopefully get UG'd at the gate (especially for the MSP flight) - I'm not complaining - I've got exit rows & bulkheads for the coach segments, so it won't be the end of the world & the extra miles for flying in coach will be welcomed as I've burned through over 500K miles in the past 3 years. Maybe I should just start blocking the rest of my flights from UGs to get some extra miles? Nah!

I'm the polar opposite - as a Silver, Gold, and Plat - the DCA-DTW flights over the past 4 years have been the guaranteed upgrades. But as a Silver, Gold, and first year as a Plat, all my travel was personal vacation & mileage runs so I'd fly out mostly during off-peak non-biz travel times...

The last 2 months have been unusual in that 25 -30% of my flights have ot been upgraded until the gate or worse. I'v been in coach 3 times in the last 2 months. That's 3 times more than all of last year.

i too have been noticing a lot of missed UG's lately...only 7 for 11 this year...and before this, i've only missed 2 in the last 3 years combined!! what is going on? can it really be that many people are flocking to NW metal on paid F??

Other Possibilities...

Fewer scheduled flights

More cancellations - I 've already had flights cancelled due to "pilot called in sick," to pilots simply walking off the plane with no explanation given.

Greater number of Platinum Elites