RichMSN

I started one of these last year to track my upgrades and others did the same. I'm finally flying my first flight this week and just got the EUA (right at the 5-day window), so time to start again. Don't know if I'll update this if things get appreciably worse with the whole DL takeover and I jump ship, but I'm curious to see if my upgrade percentage goes down this year, especially since this is one of the factors of me deciding whether to stay. My travel is a bit down lately, which is making this whole thing a lot more tolerable.

In 2008, I was 29/31 (94%) on domestic NW flights where I traveled alone and let the EUA process do its work. I didn't count times I flew with someone and split the PNR at check-in and didn't (or did) get upgraded. I also didn't count the times I made last minute changes to flights, although I did get upgraded pretty frequently in that scenario.

For 2009, my upgrade success is right here and my travel is here for 52889 miles.

--------------------------

2009 Upgrades:

Total: 47/47

NW: 43/43
DL: 4/4

Upgrades:

1/16 - MSN-MSP
1/28 - MSP-MSN
3/4 - MSN-DTW (with companion, award ticket)
3/4 - DTW-CUN (with companion, award ticket)
3/12 - CUN-MEM (with companion, award ticket)
3/26 - CVG-ATL (DL)
3/26 - ATL-AUS (DL)
3/28 - AUS-MSP
3/28 - MSP-MSN
4/5 - MSN-MSP
4/5 - MSP-LAX
4/10 - LAX-MSP
4/10 - MSP-MSN
4/12 - MSN-DTW
4/12 - DTW-MCO
4/12 - MSP-MCO (irregular ops)
4/17 - MCO-MSP
4/17 - MSP-MSN
4/25 - MSN-DTW
4/30 - PHL-DTW
4/30 - DTW-MSN
5/11 - DTW-STL
5/12 - STL-ATL (DL)
5/12 - ATL-MCI (DL)
5/14 - MCI-MSP (last minute standby, BF upgrade, declined)
5/17 - MSP-ATL (A330-300)
7/2 - MSN-MSP
7/2 - MSP-MEM
7/6 - MEM-MSP
7/6 - MSP-MSN
7/10 - MSN-DTW
7/25 - LHR-MSP (OPUP)
7/25 - MSP-MSN
8/23 - MSN-DTW
8/23 - DTW-PHL
8/26 - PHL-MEM
8/26 - MSP-MSN (scheduled and upgraded, took different routing with no F)
10/8 - PHL-MSP
10/8 - MSP-MSN
10/30 - MSN-MSP (award ticket, with companion)
10/30 - MSP/PHX (award ticket, with companion)
11/4 - PHX-MSP (award ticket, with companion)
11/4 - MSP-MSN (award ticket, with companion)
12/6 - MSN-MSP
12/6 - MSP-DFW
12/11 - DFW-DTW
12/11 - DTW-MSN

With the Riff-Raff :


CRJ200/Other Y only:

3/12 - MEM-MSN
3/26 - MSN-CVG
4/12 - MSN-MSP (irregular ops)
4/25 - DTW-PHL
5/11 - MSN-DTW
5/14 - MSP-MSN (last minute standby)
5/17 - MSN-MSP
5/20 - ATL-MSN
5/27 - MKE-EWR (YX)
5/27 - EWR-MKE (YX)
7/2 - MEM-PNS
7/6 - PNS-MEM
8/9 - ABE-DTW (W)
8/26 - MEM-MSN
12/19 - DTW-AVP (W)
12/21 - ABE-DTW (W)

INT Y:

1/16 - MSP-LHR
1/28 - LHR-MSP
7/10 - DTW-AMS
7/20 - AMS-LHR
7/25 - LHR-MSP

W (domestic award coach):

7/31 - MSN-MSP
7/31 - MSP-LGA
8/9 - DTW-MSN
12/19 - MSN-DTW
12/21 - DTW-MSN

Paid F:

10/8 - MSN-DTW
10/8 - DTW-PHL

CMHChrisO

I like this thread - I think I will keep up as well. I have my first flight this coming Thursday myself - CMH-MSP-DFW-MSP-DTW-CMH for a weekend business trip. I am happy to report that I am flying extra segments when time doesn't matter and will have an extra segment towards requalification. My goal is to become PE for the first time. I was silver my first year after concentrating on NW towards the middle of August 2008. I am four days out and don't have any automatic upgrades yet. With business travel down so much, I was only able to book V class on these trips, but we shall see.

I will report back with UG status.

Chris O.

topsgtsgirls

I have heard about the free upgrading but don't know how it works. Is there anyway that you can explain it to me please.

Thanks

GBadger

This is the wrong thread, but very basically...

Fly 25,000 miles on paid fares in a calendar year on an airline and you have a chance at free upgrades.
Fly 50,000 miles (again on paid fares) in a calendar year, and that chance improves.
Fly 75,000 miles (paid fares) in a calendar year, and your chance gets even better.

For any of this to work, you have to be a member of that airline's frequent flyer program, and you have to credit those flights to that program.
There's a bit more to it, but that should cover the basics.

racerxmas

this is the first time i've been upgraded on an international flight. i was so happy about it i can't tell you.
i was booked on M class LAX-NRT-HKG and back with the same.
i got the upgrade for LAX - NRT and then then entire return itinerary. i am currently a PE but that is about to run out unfortunately (biz cutbacks) but i will be GE. i'm sure that will be the end of the int. upgrades but it was fun while it lasted.

Jaimito Cartero

Upgraded 2/2 segments on an award. Since it's looking like I will buy no other NW/DL tickets this year, other than rewards, I probably won't be participating in this thread much.

pbd456

just made to the lowly GE on Dec 26, 2008

op-up on NRT to DTW
upgrade on DTW to YYZ. on a V ticket.

it was my first time to be on the upper deck of a 744 and first time to fly in WBC, an exciting experience.

spkg

I'm getting to a very good start.
NW 2/2
DL 0/0
and 2/2 on op-ups to WBC as well (CAN-NRT-SEA)

got eight segments booked on DL coming up looking forward to how those will turn out.


I wonder if the Flyertalk system will let us build some sort of section where we can all enter our elite level and upgrade sucesses, and have the total automaticly totaled and updated,

RichMSN

I've been updating the OP all year long and I'm scheduled to take my last flights of the year next week so it seemed time for a bump.

My travel is way down. In previous years I had 120K+ BIS miles and would've easily qualified for the new DM tier. This year, I had 51225 BIS miles and some of those were on award tickets.

With the bonuses and giveaways of EQM/MQM, I'm sitting at about 71K MQM for 2009. I contemplated a late-year trip to the coast to get back to PM status, but I doubt I'll do it. If I fly a lot next year, I'll get back to PM fairly quickly with the rollover MQM, if not it really doesn't matter. Why give DL any money for no good reason?

I consider myself 100% on upgrades this past year. I sat in Y on occasion, sure -- mainly when I switched flights at the last minute, traveled on award tix (although I got more upgrades on those than I expected) or traveled internationally. I'll miss that next year, but not if I don't travel as much as I used to.

The game isn't as much fun as it used to be.