fromYXU

Been away for a few days. Today I was going to call the desk to use a coupon for an upgrade for an upcoming MSP-AMS trip. Guess what... The waitlist cleared and 30k WPM used for the upgrade. Called right away to get it reversed and use a coupon instead but no go! Would have to reissue the ticket!

Beware... if on a wait list you should get yourself off it before it is too late.

Exleftseat

Let's be realistic. These PU 503s are pretty much useless. Someone else said "that's why we got six". Exactly!

lanny19

Guess it was my lucky day. I was able to use two PU 503's for a "B" class ticket. Outbound GRB-DTW-AMS-STR, return FRA-DTW-GRB.

Pipyaz

Got my upgrades(using two PU 503's)
AZO-DTW-NRT outbound in early April
NRT-DTW-AZO return end of April
purchased fare class:M $1920 (B would of been $2300)

agent was nice/quick and fast

FlytheTail

Digging up a thread I started earlier this year... and time for a bit of ranting.

Why is DL so extremely stingy with releasing U class space availability? I've had a flight booked for months, NRT-LAX, and have checked nearly every day for U space to upgrade my M fare ticket. It's operated by a 747 and there are a total of 3 seats reserved in WBC (according the seat map, which I know is not always accurate). The flight is <2 months away and there are apparently more than 60 available WBC seats unreserved.

Come on, this is ridiculous!

GaryDD

At first I was halfway successfull on my JFK-LAX-OGG trip in Feb 2010 that I booked 2 months ago, Got the LAX-OGG and OGG-LAX upgraded but not the transcon segment on a K fare on DL.

Saw the announcement last week for new BusinessElite service between JFK and LAX. Called NW and after explaining to the agent that the inventory was Z now and not G she put me on hold and after a couple of mins came back on and said she was able to upgrade my ticket for these segments. Very pleased this saved me $1500, looking forward to the new BusinessElite server from JFK-LAX.

One interesting thing, I was looking at a JFK-CDG flight that was Air France. The NW M fare was 2600 to use a SWU, I went on the Air France website and a Business Class fare was 2600. So why wouldn't I just buy on the AF websight and use my NW number without having to use the SWU and no "inventory" issues?

So it seems hit or miss whether SWU's work or not.

mnredfox

I've already griped about the uselessness of these certs, but now I really know how worthless they are.

Finally thought I might have a chance to use them as I had to book a last minute trip with lots of hopping back and forth in Europe. Spent a lot on some B fares for Europe, but guess what, no U space available. Really want to use it on the MSP-AMS flight (J9 C9 I6 Z0) but nothing there.

Then, the agent kindly informs me that I can use them for my KLM flights. I go about having her process it when it dawns on me, that KLM intra-Europe really has no F service, their J/C "business" classes are actually "economy select." So, now I have to decide if I should use some of my worthless PMU's to get select.... Grrr....

Anyway, I'm convinced they are worthless but perhaps you guys can help me in my first experience trying to use them.

1. My B fare actually is MSP-AMS-LHR-AMS-CDG (on different days), if space existed on all flights shouldn't it only take 1 PU503 for all of the flights? Or is it essentially 1/day.

2. Would you use the PMU for economy select? I don't plan on any other international trips for the rest of the year, and I'm expecting 6 more come 1/1/10.

3. How often does U space open up? The PE agent told me that only if someone cancels, but won't NWA release some U space from JCIZ? I think mileage upgrades pull from I/Z, does U pull from the same?

4. I thought I read something about the 48 hr rule going away, is NWA/DL enforcing this strictly?

5. Is the best tool EF with their email alert other than checking fare class daily?

MSPeconomist

To answer only a few of your questions, on my first attempt I quickly and easily got all four segments at the time of ticketing, including the nonstop MSP-NRT in both directions, upgraded for a trip to Asia on a relatively reasonable M fare around Thanksgiving (although I was willing to juggle the dates by a day or so) by calling Chisholm.

I explicitly asked the platinum agent if the certificates drew the same space as upgrading with miles and, if not, which way would be easier. She told me with conviction that it didn't matter because either way needed the same category. This seems to contradict what you were told. (I've also done pretty well recently using miles to upgrade international--much better than in the past--although I've noticed more empty WBC seats on flights during the last year or two.)

However, I don't think I'm lucky. I wasn't able to take advantage of the one mile upgrades this summer.

Regarding KLM Europe Select, I probably wouldn't use the cert for that alone except for a particularly long trip (SVO, where they sometimes would sub a widebody aircraft with domestic business class seats) or during a time when I know the plane will be filled with kids. But if you can get this E+ without the extra space for free because you're upgrading TATL, it's worth altering a schedule slightly to get it. (Slightly off topic: In case you don't know, AF does one class economy only on flights within France but has a business class with good food except at breakfast and the middle seat blocked flip-down table style on their "medium haul" international flights within Europe, although I understand that this is likely to be eliminated soon. The tradeoff is connecting via CDG vs AMS compared to the middle seat guarantee and French rather than Dutch food. You might want to try AF instead of KL.) However, if the cert will otherwise expire, you may as well use it to upgrade anything at all that's eligible.

RobOnLI

Here are my thoughts:

1. Unless your LHR-AMS-CDG return is on the same day as your outbound AMS-LHR segment then one PMU ain't gonna cut it. This will be two PMU's. Basically, one PMU for the outbound of MSP-AMS-LHR and another for the next outbound of LHR-AMS-CDG. Your return from CDG to the States (unless you hop around Europe even more) is yet another PMU.

2. Absolutely not IMO. Europe Select is sub-par to most US domestic first class IMHO. Waste of a cert. Although, as you said, if you aren't going to use them for any other trips then why not? I would note that you started your thread with the fact that this is a last minute trip. Maybe you'll have another last minute TPac or TAtl trip to use your PMU's on?

As another note, you will not receive 6 more on 1/1/10. PMU's are distributed when the new elite year starts in March. Check your existing PMU's and you'll note they expire around June 28, 2010.

3. Never easy to say when U space will open up. Many times it does a week or so before the flight if J isn't filling up. Mileage upgrades from any fare other than Y come from "U". Y mileage upgrades come from "Z". As the poster above me noted, technically the same bucket has to be available for mileage upgrades as it does for PMU upgrades - aka "U".

4. The 48-hour rule doesn't go away until the "new" PMU's are distributed next year with the new Plat/Diamond packages from Delta. Until then, the existing PMU's still carry the 48-hour rule.

5. EF is the best tool and can alert you by email when "U" space opens. I've never tried the email alerts through EF, although I have a year-long subscription. A lot of people love them while others complain that EF doesn't email fast enough.

Hope this helps.

-RM

FlytheTail

It is 1 PMU per direction (including any stopover). For example, 1 PMU would be needed from MSP-LHR and another from LHR to CDG.

Only if you're 100% sure you couldn't use them otherwise. Note that the PMUs are only valid on KLM flights, not Air France.

I'd check 2 or 3 times a day if your flight is coming up soon. Inventory does open up but it's completely unpredictable, for me at least. The PE agent was wrong as U availability can open without someone canceling. M fare mileage upgrades require U availability -- and so this is a way you can check online if U space opens up (search fare with upgrade with miles). However, in one case, I could upgrade with miles on an M fare (U was available) but I could not use a PMU to upgrade the M fare. Go figure!

I'd keep trying even within 48 hours, doesn't hurt and someone may grant you an exception.

Good luck, and let us know your outcome.

mnredfox

Thanks all for the tips. Yeah, it's hard to know whether I should use my PMU's for ES on KLM. Given all the poor reviews to say it really isn't much, I'm not leaning to using them. Especially since all flights are less than 400 miles and even in economy, you get some food and free Amstel.

However, at the same time I realize how useless these are unless my company sends me on more last minute business trips. My international travel MIGHT increase, I just don't know. Maybe I'll blow one, then won't feel so bad.

Challenge with last minute trips is that U space isn't open unless you check check check.

Two more quick questions:

1. Outbound is actually MSP-AMS-LHR. Obviously MSP-AMS leaves on day 1, but since it's an overnight the AMS-LHR technically is on the next calendar day. What you're saying is that if space is open for both, one PMU should get me into the front, right?

2. What if there is a PE waitlist for mileage upgrades for U space? Does that mean I'm SOL on trying to use the PMU? If the WL is truly a WL, wouldn't as soon as a U seat opens up the U seat go straight to the first PE who's on the WL waiting for a mileage UG?

Thanks.

FlytheTail

Correct.

Good question. In theory, yes. Just hope there aren't any Plats in such a situation, or that more U inventory opens than there are on any waitlist.

mnredfox

FTT, thanks for the great info! I sure hope not, finger's crossed. I've been using the search for "mileage upgrade" option on NWA.com. For domestic it shows R class and that's how I check for R space (don't have EF or KVS). Does that work for U class international as well?

RobOnLI

Yes, same is true.

-RM

mnredfox

So was told last night by a PE agent that actually you can WL a PMU. She indicated that you can WL both the PMU AND for mileage UG's. However, she also informed me that the WL has temporarily been disabled until the systems are integrated (similar to AS UG's, Award UG's, Perkchoice) etc. Wonder if that is true or not.

If this is true, then when the WL is reactivated then a PE need not worry about mileage UG's going to GE/PE's first. Not sure about the WL UG priority order after elite status. Assume similar to the domestic EUA on fare class? Wonder if DL has this WL today (not sure) and what it will look like in the future (if) when they implement it.

I sure hope all of these "temporary removals" don't become permanent. I can see sneaky DL doing this.