I used a couple of PMU's for TPAC flights this month. I called and spoke to the Plat line, couple of keystrokes and I am up front. Here is my question: I read on the DL board about how hard PMU's are to redeem and you can stand at the ticket counter for a half hour waiting for them to process the upgrade. Do the NW PMU's have any additional steps to redeeming? Am I good to go and just OLCI and head for the gate or do I need to go to the ticket counter?

While they say they are working on simplifying the use of these, the biggest difference is that the NW ones are electronic and the DL ones are paper. Seems DL IT can't handle them the way NW can. Surprise, surprise.

I think it also depends who you get on the phone - I booked DTW-SIN the other day and mentioned I wanted to use my certs for an upgrade and the guy on the elite line was perfect he selected a few alternate flights that had availability and it was painless. I fear if I would not have gotten him it could have been an ordeal.

IIRC, you should be good to go to OLCI so long as the ticket has been reissued with the correct designator (when you look at the ETKT receipt on nwa.com under Manage My Reservations, the fare class should read MXXXX/PU503, MXXX being a placeholder for whatever fare basis you're booked in). If the ticket is not reissued, then it usually locks you out of OLCI but you shouldn't have a problem with airport check-in. If OLCI is important to you, call back and ask them to reissue the ticket with the electronic upgrade certificate processed.

It looks like receprocity with DL will take place in a few weeks, so now the NW PMUs will be useable on DL metal. It's being discussed on the DL board, but the text of the announcement makes it clear that NW FFs will benefit too http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...northwest.html

Just checked on my upcoming TPAC trip where I used PMU upgrades. The receipt showing MXXX under fare class and nothing else. Seats showing WBC seat assignments. Check on the PMUs in my WP account, all 6 still showing "Open" under status. Should I call them back to reissue the tickets? OLCI is not that important to me, but I just want to make sure the upgrade won't get messed up the last minute.

When are the PMUs in the account actually showing being used? after the ticket reissue or after the trip?

thx

As soon as the ticket is reissued with the PU upgrade certificate, the upgrade will show used under the "NWA Extras" section on nwa.com. Now the one question that has always got me with the PU464 certs (HI Resident certs) is what happens when the ticket isn't reissued with the cert and therefore still shows open on nwa.com. Can the cert still be reused? Not sure.

What happens when the ticket is reissued with the PU cert is not only that the PU503 is attached to the fare designator but the PU503 certificate number (the actual 012 number found on the cert) becomes your ticket number on the reservation. So in effect, the ticket is being reissued as the PU503 ticket.

So bottom line: you may be able to reuse the cert if it's never closed if the agent forgets to reissue. But if you do this, you risk perhaps having an issue when you check in at the airport or at least a minor inconvenience while the agent reissues the ticket. Or you can call, make sure that the ticket is issued properly with the PU cert, but have the cert marked as Closed.

Fantastic. I just looked and the Certs are showing "Used"and the new ticket # is also showing up so I think I am OK.

350zrx330 you may want to call. Exactly what Slippahs said is what happened in my case.

Yea, so unless you're SSSS'd or another issue comes up, you should be okay with respect to OLCI.

Thanks everyone. I called NW last night to reissue the ticket. this morning the ticket is showing MXXX/PU503 and couple of PMUs showing "Used".

Correct. Although the PU certs are stored electronically, it is still a manual process for NW to reticket the itinerary using them. It takes a few hours minimum. During that time, you can cancel the trip and the certs stay available for future use. But once the ticket is re-issued the certs are gone forever, even if you can get a full refund on the cash fare.

It sounds like the agent who processes the upgrade for you has to explicitly set the ticket up to be reissued. Apparently that didn't happen in 350zrx330's case.

Is there somewhere online to access these PMU numbers? I have my upgrade cert # email at home

On the home page of nwa.com, there is a "My Electronic Credit Vouchers" link. Click that, then click "View your Electronic Credit Vouchers (ECV's)".