I know I'm going slightly off-topic here, so let me first reiterate what many have already said in response to MRJ: upgrades should be status-based and the relevant policies should be clearly communicated to customers, reservation clerks and gate agents. Still, it's impossible not to run into d***heads in any service role, for which MRJ and others on the frontlines have my heartfelt sympathies.

Having said that, I must relate a fabulous experience I had this past week, on a RNO-AUS-RNO trip. NW coupon, CO metal, IAH cnxn. A major screw-up with my record meant that despite being NW Plat AND despite being told twice on the phone that I had been upgraded, I got to the airport to find out it hadn't "gone through"... don't ask! Not only did CO gate agents upgrade my wife and me at the airport, on 3 of the 4 legs they also upgraded my mom!

On the way back, the Austin gate agent couldn't upgrade all of us on the IAH-RNO leg right away. I told her, no problem, figuring I'd try again when we reached IAH. But she came on board just before the doors closed and handed me the two upgraded boarding cards for my mom and my wife! I nearly fell out of the plush leather seat :-)

In general, my experience is similar to Vulcan's - CO staff seems to have no problem doing stuff like reseating wait-listed flyers that have already taken their assigned coach seats. NW staff, on the other hand, usually seem too frazzled and short-handed to go the extra inch.

Combined with other excellent experiences in the recent past, a superior product (better first-class seats, better food, better entertainment, heck, even better magazines) and more competent and friendlier service, I've decided to focus future travel on CO metal and CO coupons in preference to NW. NW continues to offer a better ex-RNO schedule, but I plan to vote with my dollars (ok, my company's dollars!) whenever possible.

-Pushpak

Last weekend, I (Gold) was able to upgrade my wife who was traveling with me. There seemed to be plenty of open first class seats, but they all got filled by others who were also waiting for an upgrade (some were employees).

Guess I haven't been elite long enough, six or seven years both Gold and Silver depending upon the year. My wife is 5 year silver. Have never understood how standby upgrades worked, because it has been my understanding that Plat, then Gold, then Silver are placed on the standby list if FC seats are not confirmed and because of the timing of that placement Plat comes first, then gold, then silver. BUT, if we don't make the list we can ask to standby at the gate and all should be equal. Always understood that it was 1st come, 1st served and color of the WP card didn't matter and it seems to work that way in practice.

Last spring we were returning from CDG and were told that Station CDG could not place us on the upgrade list. By the way that is a frequent statement from NW agents in Europe. They told me that I should immediately upon arrival in DTW get my name and my wife's on the standby list which I did. A standby cleared in my name and we claimed it. None other cleared and we all boarded. After the flight had closed, the gate agent came on board and paged my wife to claim a seat in first. Note: this occurred in DTW where NW is not known for being super friendly. So NW can and does move people into first without standing at the podium (although they insist that we do). This happened to a fellow passenger on a PDX-DTW flight the month previous to this incident. I commented to him when he got up that he must be platinum or perhaps an employee to rate such service. He said, no he was silver and had called reservations early that morning to be placed on the airport standby list (something I thought we could not due because airport standby by NW's own words would be futile under the automatic upgrade system).

So what really is NW's policy or does it have one?

Way back when I was making my way up the ranks the CO OnePass Elite hierarchy, I was anxiously awaiting a gate upgrade to happen for a LAX-EWR flight.

I was Silver Elite at the time, and I was told, "You're first on the list, hopefully it'll work out," by the check-in agent.

As it got closer to boarding time, I checked again with the gate counter. "Doesn't look good, Mr. ETOPS," was the reply. "Have all the full-fare first passengers shown up?," I asked. "Nope," said the agent, "but you're still let's see... four... five... six... seventh on the list, and there's three seats still open."

"What? I was told a little earlier, a lot earlier, actually, that I was first on the list! Why am I now seventh?!," I asked, incredulous, but curious and courteous.

"Platinums and Golds," came back the succinct reply.

IT ALL MADE SENSE! Fair enough!

Why have the differentiation of tiers, otherwise?

I'm with most of the other posters on understanding that the level of status counts. I'm a recent silver and usually book my trips in advance. I also use E-ticketing and E-checkin most of the time. I'm upgraded through EUA with no problems so far.

My guess is that no matter how well you explain something, someone somewhere will misunderstand. And somewhere an exception will be made that causes someone to think this is the way it's always done. But my read as a silver is that my possibility for an upgrade comes after Platinum and Gold, period. Since I usually book in advance, I figure I'll know midnight the night before if I'm getting an upgrade. I'd guess if people are waitlisted at the airport due to walkup purchases, etc., perhaps the member guide could be explicit that status counts there too. But I guess I just always understood it to be so.

How does it work with walkup purchases if say you're a platinum wanting to make a trip and I purchased a 14 day advance fare as a silver and already got upgraded via EUA? Should I be bumped back to coach? Or is EUA separate from walkup purchases and airport waitlists?

The policy is the EUA will only place so many names on the waitlist, but gate agents can put any number of names on it.

CO's on-time departures are only at 77% vs. NW's 87%+. What's wrong with hanging around the gate area a few extra minutes to make sure you get your upgrade rather than delaying a plane full of people while an agent goes onboard and starts re-seating everyone?

What month are you looking at?!? According to the DOT, in June 2001 NW's on-time performance was 78.0%, same figure as for the 12 months ending in 06/2001. CO's numbers for the same periods?: 76% and 80%.

To say nothing of the fact that implying these alleged differences are only due to the upgrade policy is a big stretch...

btw, nice to see you back so soon MRJ...


[This message has been edited by SMessier (edited 09-06-2001).]

On Northwest this past Tuesday, I was re-seated in an empty First Class seat after taking my seat in coach (by the gate agent).

My theory on staying in the gate area for the upgrade:

If you need overhead bin space, don't wait.

As a CO Gold or Silver, even when flying HP, I've had an agent come back to coach and escort me up to F before the door closed. That's never happened on NW.

As for connection upgrades... on HP... for awhile there earlier this year I was only CO Silver, flying IAH-PHX-SEA a lot, and found that the HP agent at IAH would regularly nail down my upgrade for PHX-SEA and hand me an F BP, even though we were still three or four hours from that flight's departure and the "list" could theoretically change a lot in that time, esp. with PHX being Misconnect City.