CO Gold on NW/KL
 

I'm flying CLE-DTW-AMS-TXL-AMS-DTW-CLE at the end of the month (all NW metal except intra-European segments which are KLM Cityhopper). I have a few questions about what to expect:

1) Is there anything in the way of Elite seating in coach for CO Gold Elites on the transatlantic segments or on KLM in Europe? I asked when requesting my seat assignments, but the agent said that since my companion did not have status, the computer wouldn't let her do it. Is there any way around this? Should I just call back and ask another agent?
2) What are the best coach seats in a NW DC-10-30?
3) Will there be any elite check-in privileges in Berlin for CO golds?
4) Is there courtesy pre-boarding for CO golds in AMS & TXL? My last experience in AMS and FCO on NW/KL was a mad rush to the gate as soon as boarding is announced.

Thanks for any info!

You should be able to get two seats in the Select Seating zone, even if your companion has no status, they have to be in the same booking and a better trained agent should do that.

If the european flight is operated by KL Cityhopper, I doubt, that there is a seperate boarding call or a seperate KL/NW line at TXL, but I never was to TXL on KL...
KL Cityhopper planes have one class configurations...
If it is a Fokker 70, try to get seats in row 1 or 11.

Nothing special doing at TXL for any Elites that I noticed (I am CO Plat). However, at TXL I was given extremely courteous and careful consideration in changing seats on the Cityhopper but I don;t know whether this was due to status, a C class ticket or maybe just that there are nice people at that desk.
The best seats on the Cityhopper are the bulkheads because there is a lot of room to stretch out, but no seats that I have ever been in on the Fokkers are really terrible.

Thanks for the info.

I just called NW again and they said their computer was not even showing me as CO Gold (Which apparently it is supposed to do). The agent told me to call the CO Elite line and ask them to go into the NW record and change to the elite seating. I called CO and the agent said that she cannot go into the record and make seating assignments but she could request seats from NW. I persisted and she put me on hold and called NW herself. They were able to put me and my companion into first row of coach on the 2 domestic sectors and row 22 on the DC-10's to/from AMS. How are 22A & B on the DC-10-30? Is the bulge from the door going to be a big problem? Will there be a lot of traffic there (It doesn't look like there's a lav or galley there)? I guess you can't pre-select seats on KLM, huh? Is it strictly done at check-in or is there a window in which you can call and request seats?

I'm just thrilled I won't have to crawl over someone to get up and move around and that I won't have someone's reclining head in my lap for 8 hours. Anyone else ever sit in those seats?

No preselection on KLM European flight in economy class, even for KLM elites. You can usually put in a request for an aisle or window, and elites do get to sit at the front of the cabin in general.

KLM pre-boarding seems to depend on the boarding area's layout: at gates where the boarding pass is scanned just before boarding, elites usually get a pre-boarding call. In AMS, boarding passes are scanned upon entering the waiting area at the gate, denying gate agents any means to screen passengers afterwards(they don't).

Are they really? Last year while trying to get elite seating on two NW international flights, I was told that their computers won't identify me as a CO elite. At the time I was a NW silver as well but wanted the miles in my OP account. The agents (this was over several phone calls) suggested that I assign seats based on my NW status and then have the miles credited to OP at the gate. One out of the four segments didn't get posted on time (not a bad record)