Hello from the SEA WC!

So, I'm flying in Y on an M fare SEA-AMS-BCN in about an hour and a half. Full flight, bad seat ("but it's an exit row!"), DC-10. Not exactly anticipating the experience.

I don't really have to be back in BCN until Monday so I just wandered up to the gate and asked if they needed any volunteers. Why yes, as a matter of fact they do need any volunteers!

So I get to spend an hour more in the WC, fly in F to MEM, and then have a nice-ish WBC seat on my first 767 to AMS. I wind up in BCN a few hours later, got upgraded the entire way, pick up about another 1500 miles, AND got $750 to boot.



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-alan in sitges, home of Si-Do

Hi Alan, because they bumped you did they offer you the WBC seat or did you have to specifically ask for it? +$750 cash? Oh my, Nice work!

Congrats... had a similar experience last week on a cheapo to AMS from DTW... ended up with upper deck seats on 68/67 and $500!

Uh-oh, when he gets to MEM that KLM 767 is going to look a lot like a NW DC-10

I'm jealous! I had a similar experience in AMS a couple months ago - but I was not given any compensation except the upgrade on a later flight.

You lucky lucky man. But hey, we all get lucky once in a while! Sounds like a great tradeoff (*cough* free upgrade *cough).

Just goes to show you, don't count your chickens before they depart, or something like that.

About 10 minutes after I posted, the WC paged me and told me they didn't need my seat after all. ****. BUT, since I was nice enough to volunteer they were going to give me a "better seat". I waited breathlessly as the machine spat out my new boarding pass...2J.

Then when I got to AMS, I was the only person in the ES/Elite line while 100+ waited in the steerage line. My BP was the first seat in coach, 5C, so I wasn't complaining - it was actually an old C seat. My speedy line was of little use when the boarding pass machine promtply choked on it, causing all the gate staff to come over and stare at the offending BP while scratching their various heads. After a minute, one lady said, "Ohhh! alanw! Please wait one moment." Then she handed me a new BP for a Europe Select seat 2C.

This means I got (possibly the first ever?) DOUBLE WHAMMY - two op-upgrades in a single day.

I take back most of the bad things I said about NW after the "incident" in SIN a few months ago.



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-alan in sitges, home of Si-Do

There are good apples, and there are rotten apples. Just remember that for the most part, the good apples outnumber the bad ones.

BTW, you can now print BPs online for Asia-origin travel. So, the worst thing that can happen is that your baggage may not make it with you.

- Pat

"This means I got (possibly the first ever?) DOUBLE WHAMMY - two op-upgrades in a single day."

Sorry Alan, not to brag, but the double whammy award out of SEA is mine, that is, until trumped by someone else.

January, 2003

SEA-NRT, Volunteered, told GA I would be happy to ride up front or take any routing in business. Seat not needed, she took pity on me and discussed my situation with lead GA. Issued boarding pass for "C".

Arrived in NRT

NRT-BKK Handed coach BP to GA. He looked at it and asked me if a window was OK. I said sure thinking that someone had aced me out of my exit row aisle. He printed out a BP and handed me the upper deck on the 744.

You did beat me because I got no cash for this. But then again, the ticket was less that $700.

Enjoy Spain.

OK-Fine, opushomes, steal my glory! Tell you what...you got the DOUBLE WHAMMY to Asia, and I got it to Europe. Now we can both be legends.

And, I am enjoying Spain! After about 3 days in SEA I was ready to come "home". Now I see that it's almost 10:30 and time for a nice 3-hour dinner before heading out for drinks and a late-night swim at the beach. <sigh>



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-alan in sitges, home of Si-Do