The marquee benefit for NW/CO is the unlimited domestic upgrades, without certificates. WP admits that it monitors frequency of upgrading and profitability, and will continue to adjust elite qualification to hit its own targets of customer satisfaction.

As someone who is willing to be flexible on time to get a better travel experience - I fly off peak and less crowded flights when it can be arranged - I hope that some of the other CO/NW people can share their experience and advice on the new AUG system. The old system was a "call at midnight" regime, which the airlines found tedious and not matching their goals of service.

While several people complained bitterly about the change, my experience is the reverse, it is a positive joy to reach the airport in PEK and be ticketed through with my last leg home confirmed as FC. It is a positive joy to have a full fare coach flight confirmed at purchase, and it is a positive joy to get email confirmations. Perhaps I am the "lazy elite" who got so much flack, but that is the way it should be. My productive hours should be spent making money, not playing games with FF programs.

What tactics do people use? Checking seat allocation for example, remains a mystery to me - where do people log in to find it out?

Thanks in advance.

I am extremely pleased with the automatic domestic upgrades on NW. It's a shame that DL let's the FC fly empty instead of upgrading their elites.

I don't usually worry when flying NW. As a Silver, I am 100% in upgrades both this year and last year. Most Silvers average above 80% success rate, so this is not an anomaly.

When flying CO though, I have many pet peeves and my success rate this year is a pretty poor 40%. This includes two redeyes on Y fares in coach because the CO agents refused to manually upgrade me for a same day purchase (despite availability) and I lost out to Gold companions at the gate. NW doesn't have this problem and will upgrade you manually anytime within your window.

[This message has been edited by B747-437B (edited 03-17-2001).]

When in the recent past was NW on the 'call at midnight' scheme? Upgrades on NW had been automated prior to CO's implementing their EUA. It was just in the last several months that NW implemented notification of upgrades.

I too like the new automatic upgrade system. It definitely beats "call at midnight." (As I recall call at midnight only affected Silvers last year)

I have been happy with the elite notification via e-mail. In a year and a half of flying NWA moving from Silver to Platinum I am well over 95% on upgrades (100% since becoming Gold) and have received some "operational upgrades" as well.

The only disadvantage is when I bring my kids on a business trip I get their tickets with miles and pay for mine. Then prefer to sit with them in coach and NW almost always upgrades me even if I tell them not to! ;-(

Just out of couriosity, is it harder to get upgraded on NW flights being CO Silver Elite than being NW's ?

Thanks

Harold, I think NW went to the automated upgrade system sometime in 1998... so it's about three years since the "call at midnight." I remember lots of expressed anxiety at the time of the change, but I believe it has worked out well. The only problem with it I can see is the lack of companion certificates, and, therefore, different time frames for upgrading companions.

NW did away with calling on Y fares 3 years ago for Plat/Gold, but it continues to this day for Silvers who want to hit the upgrade window a day early. This because the autoupgrade is a day before, and the confirmable is 2 days before.

In cases where there is alot of availability, it isn't an issue, for some flights however, it is.

CO only went over to autoupgrades last year.

In both cases I heard it was the end of the program as we know it. While there are some silvers who have definitely lost out because of the change, most seem to get reasonable upgrades on the less crowded runs.

Hub to hub however, is another story.



[This message has been edited by nw_with_attitude (edited 03-18-2001).]

Another hole in the upgrade system. Called in upgrades don't get email confirmation.

Yes I found out that when I chose to have voice mail that I could not also receive email confirmation also. What I do is go online to nw site and print out my itinerary. Shows my seat and all the other pertinent things when details is selected.

Unfortunately my upgrade frequency has gone down (0 for 3 on the Friday afternoons) since the new auto upgrades procedures went into place. I fly weekly from Detroit to Philly and since I buy my tickets on Q fares most of the time, I�m unable to get the upgrade when the window opens up (I�m Gold) three days before the flight. The only upgrades available at that time are P upgrades (Full Fare). I spoke with ******* (name intentionally withheld) at the WorldClub in Philly and told her that my upgrade frequency had gone done and that it seems that the P fare capacity was increased. She told me that was exactly what happened. (And you thought they were being nice, by opening the upgrade window farther). I�m not complaining about it�.It was a nice perk to get ALL THE TIME�.but since I�m not traveling on a Y fare every week, I can see why Northwest does it.

What their new policy (larger P inventory) does do however is open the window for me to fly USAir instead of Northwest. I�ll now choose the best value at the best time instead of flying NWA religiously. I�ll get status on USAir and NWA. I hope that they realize that the person on the Y fare is traveling based on schedule�not on upgrades�They�d probably ride the Concorde in the baggage compartment if they could�. As long as it will get there faster.

Just "visiting" (as a UA 1K) I was curious:
What is the success ratio in upgrading overseas flights, NorthAtlantic & Pacific?

I purchased a ticket for myself DTW-AMS-FCO and then FCO-DTW back in October 00 for travel the October 01. I was able to upgrade outbound and have tried unsuccessfully every week since to upgrade the return. From all I've heard though....It's a roll of the dice because there is no waiting list for upgrades on purchased tickets.

I have no miles on Northwest other than the trip that I took last week from DCA-MSP and back. I flew on full Y fares. I was able to upgrade each way on the day of the flight for $50 on what they called a WorldPerks upgrade. On the first leg they ended up not even charging me.

While I'm no fan of Northwest from a previous bad experience, I must say that being able to upgrade for a nominal fee was pretty nice considering my complete lack of status. In otherwords, Northwest is pretty generous with its upgrades compared to some.

Does NW allow anyone (with or without status) to upgrade a Y base fare for $50 more? This will certainly cut down the number of seats available to Elites.