Priority waitlist.
 

We had booked PerkSaver Business Class WAS-DEL award tickets for travel in March back in August. I surprised to find 4 seats in WBC on the AMS-DEL leg, which is usually the bottleneck. The WAS-AMS sectors (both out bound and inbound were in coach). I thought I'd keep checking as there was always a chance something might become available as DoD approached, although, I was aware that finding 4 seats at the same time on the same flight may not be possible. We couldn't wait list on WAS-AMS sectors as it was a KLM flight. If one seat became available, it would do us no good and somebody else might eventually get it. NW isn't going to hold it for us until the other three seats became available.

About two months ago we also wait listed on WAS-AMS sectors and split the record two ways, as we could travel to AMS in twosomes.
Now we are 10 days from the DoD. I can find 4 WAS-DEL in WBC upto about two days before the DoD and WAS-AMS, for a few other dates after the DoD. Availability was getting tight for WAS-AMS and I was beginning to get a little worried, although it wouldn't have been the end of the world if we had to fly WAS-AMS in coach. I have no idea what's going on in AMS. Maybe it's a combination of spring break here and upcoming easter holidays, March 13th, our day of departure was the busiest, with KL 652 showing zero availability in most of the economy buckets.

I had been checking other options too, including CO's EWR-DEL nonstop. This morning, about 1:30 A.M. , I chanced upon four BF seats EWR-DEL, which I grabbed by calling NW.

Now the question. Our inbound AMS-WAS is still confirmed in coach and wait listed in WBC. Elite agents I have talked to feel there is a good chance that the wait list will clear as there are some upgradable seats (likely that some will be released for the award bucket). Ofcourse there is no gurantee. One elite agent told me that we have been moved up to Priority Waitlist. I do not recall reading anything about a Priority Waitlist. Is there such an animal? As far as I know, in general one cannot waitlist, almost never on partner segments.

Isn't the "priority waitlist" the one we as PE get on when paying
a fare that qualifies for an upgrade with miles? When an upgrade
becomes available then miles are deducted from our acounts.
I am not sure, but seem to recall I was on this type of waitlist
last year.

I thought that "waitlist" was platinums seeking mileage upgrades on qualified purchased fares, NOT for award tickets.

As usual, I did my check on nwa.com if I could find 4 Award seats for the segment on which we were still waitlisted. I couldn't even find one sedat on that day on any of the 4 flights.

But when I went to view my reservation on nwa.com, I found a note in red indicationg our waitlist had cleared. :)

So, that was the result of being on the "priority waitlist"? Seems
to apply to various scenarios. Good for you^

I suppose so. I do know that nwa.com showed no availability in WBC for that date even for one seat. I asked an elite agent, who has always been very helpful and very knowledgeable, about it today. She said when you are waitlisted, your reservation is assigned a code based on your status. The code indicates your priority. It's still not clear if priority waitlist is just descriptive word or refers to a separate waitlist.

Why could you not waitlist on the WAS-AMS sectors one time, then all of a sudden you could?!?

John

I was told that I could be waitlisted only on NW operated flights, not on any partner operated flights.