Report your Successes and Failures with the new Platinum SWUs on NW/KL
Oct 9, 2009, 7:57 am
#31
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: United Arab Emirates & Arizona, USA
Programs: UA MM/1P, EK Au, QR, TK, Marriott Life Ti, Hilton Dia, IC Dia, Hyatt Glob, Accor Pt, Shangri-La
Posts: 4,546
I have been trying to use one of these for months on either a trip from the Middle East to AMS or Europe to the U.S.
Struck out three times. I could not find any availability (by that I mean confirmed at booking) on a single flight from DOH, DXB, or anywhere else that KL flies in the Gulf to AMS over several weekends that I tried over the summer. Nor could I find any availability on any flight to the U.S. in late November. [Edited to add: I see now from another post that they're not applicable to a KL flight to the Middle East unless it's part of a trip originating from or destined to the U.S.]
Yesterday I tried to buy a trip from MXP (or AMS) to the U.S. (to/via LAX, SFO, JFK, EWR, IAD, DTW, MSP, ATL, etc.), and the agent told me that not a single trans-Atlantic flight on KL, NW, or DL showed availability on my requested dates (12/23 or 12/24). So, on dozens of flights per day, there were plenty of M/B/Y fares (and Z and other business classes, for that matter), but not one on which she could confirm an upgrade.
This was even when I was willing to pay in the $2,500-$2,800 range for an M or B fare (compared to the $1,500 range for the lowest fares). The business class fares started at around $3,500, but I had to draw the line somewhere.
Instead I booked a United flight from MXP to the west coast for less than $1,100, with both trans-Atlantic segments operated by UA, with the System-Wide Upgrades clearing for all segments immediately. Oh, well, there went my last chance to re-qualify for Platinum on NW.
Struck out three times. I could not find any availability (by that I mean confirmed at booking) on a single flight from DOH, DXB, or anywhere else that KL flies in the Gulf to AMS over several weekends that I tried over the summer. Nor could I find any availability on any flight to the U.S. in late November. [Edited to add: I see now from another post that they're not applicable to a KL flight to the Middle East unless it's part of a trip originating from or destined to the U.S.]
Yesterday I tried to buy a trip from MXP (or AMS) to the U.S. (to/via LAX, SFO, JFK, EWR, IAD, DTW, MSP, ATL, etc.), and the agent told me that not a single trans-Atlantic flight on KL, NW, or DL showed availability on my requested dates (12/23 or 12/24). So, on dozens of flights per day, there were plenty of M/B/Y fares (and Z and other business classes, for that matter), but not one on which she could confirm an upgrade.
This was even when I was willing to pay in the $2,500-$2,800 range for an M or B fare (compared to the $1,500 range for the lowest fares). The business class fares started at around $3,500, but I had to draw the line somewhere.
Instead I booked a United flight from MXP to the west coast for less than $1,100, with both trans-Atlantic segments operated by UA, with the System-Wide Upgrades clearing for all segments immediately. Oh, well, there went my last chance to re-qualify for Platinum on NW.
Oct 9, 2009, 12:04 pm
#32
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
Programs: UA GS; Former Alaska MVPG75/DL Diamond/NW Platinum/BA Gold
Posts: 953
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.