Ive just been told that Mexicana gives its Frequenta Gold members, and *A Gold members automatic upgrades to C for all domestic travel (subject to space available).

I will check this out and inform.

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Gaucho100K

Gaucho - we flew MEX to and from Los Cabos in September from LAX on cheapie coach tix. Got upgraded one way by flashing the * Gold card, and not the other, but 50% strike rate is better than 0%. Air NZ did it (upgraded free) both ways Aust-NZ in November, or REAL cheap tix, so pays to try! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

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~ Glen ~

[This message has been edited by ozstamps (edited 01-07-2001).]

That would be great if true Gaucho! I have been buying J tickets lately anyway but might save a few bucks and still fly up front. Have been on quite a few flights where the front cabin was not full.

BB-- I agree, MX seems to have very little load in front, also on their several USA-MEX routes. But, I think that the automatic upgrades is for domestic routes only, although from what Ozstamps & others have reported, they are also quite generous on international segments.


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Gaucho100K

Gaucho--any word on the upgrade situation. I am going to test it out the end of next week (be in MEX twice on Saturday the 20th).

BB-- sorry, but Ive been doing AeroMexico segments lately (booking them to my Skymiles account) and I dont have status on SkyTeam, so I cant tell you. But, my Mexican colleagues tell me that Aeromexico will automatically upgrade you to C if you have elite level in the SkyTeam alliance, also subject to space.

BB -- I already put in a good word for you. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Should be easy enough to upgrade, by request. On Friday afternoon, ORD-GDL was almost full in Y, while only 2 (of 12) seats in J were occupied. (One by me, of course.) And on GDL-SFO Friday evening I was the only person in J class (same 12 seats.)

Thanks Ken--we'll see what happens.

Well so far so good. Got the important o/n flight ORD-MEX upgraded. No problem but the flight was oversold and I was the FIRST person to get a boarding pass.

Looks like room on PVR flights but agent did not automatically give - will try at gate. Am in domestic lounge now--nobody else on these 4 computers.

Free computers? Well you CERTAINLY are not in a RCC then! " © Designed proudly by Aeorflot to United's exact specifications."

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~ Glen ~

You are right oz it is the MX domestic lounge -- much nicer than the international one, but outside security unfortunately.

Well I posted on another thread (my touchy feely Mexican Hat Dance trip report) that an MX supervisor in MEX told me that any Star Gold from any fare class could upgrade at gate (space permitting of course). That was great news. I have now been upgraded 5 of 6 times (the other 8 times I paid J class fare). The only reason I did not get upgraded on one of the legs this time (PVR-GDL-MEX--two very short flights) was due to an agent in PVR that did not understand the Star Gold connection. The flight was full from GDL so I may not have got on anyway. I don't know how long this will last but it is a great deal! If you want to guarantee J though you have to pay. Occasionally J is full with paying customers. That has to be the most liberal of all the Star carriers right now!

SQ treated me like crap last month in Singapore. ALthough I am a Star Gold (which may be a surprise to many of you who know me from another board). I had a SQ ticket all in Business NRT-SIN-KUL-HKG. As there is no Business class SIN-KUL, my ticket was full Y and I was seated in the Biz cabin. I went to the lounge and was told that I could not enter with my ticket. I produced my British Midland Gold Card which is still valid, but pre Star alliance (I have the new one but forgot it at home). The idiot woman said that BD was not a member. I pointed at some literature on her desk (which listed BD as a member). She then told me that I would have to go to another lounge at the other end of the airport. As I was now out of time, I gave up.

One thing that has slowly occurred to me over the past several months is that different airlines probably feel differently about being in a big alliance, based on some sort of perceived pecking order.

I get the distinct impression that Mexicana is self-conscious about it's standing on the world stage, much as Canada sometimes is. Perhaps due to that, there seems to be a real pride amongst MX personnel that they are part of the Star Alliance. On the other hand the attitude of many United personnel is "Yeah, so what if all these other airlines are in our alliance." On the 6 UA flights I've taken this year, barely a mention has been made about Star, either on the ground or in the air. Air Canada seems to be somewhere in the middle -- comensurate with their standing as an airline, I suppose.

The one I hear it address itself 100% -- all the time -- as 'a proud member of Star Alliance is NH, All Nippon Airways. But I think this is simply due to the fact that they cannot survive without being in an alliance.

I have heard SQ also makes that announcement quite often but out of a different reason, I suppose ... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Ansett and Air NZ both pushed Star membership greatly in their first year, but seem to have not been so big on it lately. All my UA flights in December mentioned Star in passing at the end of the flight usually eg: "As a proud member of the Star Alliance we want to thank you for flying with us today..." TG made zero mention of the alliance (and I also noticed that *NO* TG aircraft I could see at BKK had a Star logo on it!!!!!!!! They used to... hmmmmm!). SK mentioned Star briefly....


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UA 1P MEL (awaiting 1K
posting!)