TomBascom

Unlike some people I don't call the CP desk 3 or 4 times a week -- even though I have a warm and cuddly phone personality just like my online personna

Mostly I make quick calls to get on the upgrade queue (since the web site can't be trusted with upgrades...). I try to make those calls during what I perceive to be slow times although I don't always succeed. If it weren't for that I'd probably hardly ever call.

I also don't have very many problems -- for some reason most of my trips go very smoothly. But when I do have trouble or when I need to make a last minute change or when I need to book a complex family trip or some such thing the CP desk is superb! They absolutely kick butt!

One improvement that I'd make if I were in charge would be to allow the CP desk to handle international directly. That would really rock.

gardener

With apologies to Vince Lombardi....

Some recent experiences:

1) Was flying with the family to MCI for a wedding on four award tix. US schedule change eliminated my nonstop PHL-MCI. They rebooked me on a connection which would have gotten us in too late Friday for a family dinner. Only connection which would have allowed us to make dinner and not have my kids miss most of the school day had only three seats in Y but plenty in F (I forget if it was the PHL-CLT leg or the CLT-MCI leg but doesn;t really matter). I was prepared to offer up another 20K points for a F award or a premium award, imagine my surprise when the CP desk rep put all four of us in F for that leg gratis!

2) Fast forward to PHL on departure day. Check in at kiosk as we have bags to check. Agent says flight to CLT has mechanicals, we will misconnect in CLT. Puts us on NW through DTW so we can make the family dinner (my understanding is they do not have to reroute you on another carrier on an award ticket). Wish I hadn't told the kids about F seats though

3) Sunday flying back from MCI - wife's map reading / navigation skills (or lack thereof) are legendary and she tells me to take wrong exit - can't recover due to closed exits due to construction - arrive at US desk 31 minutes before departure. Agent says, forget it - you are too late - besides it is oversold. I say, please, we need to be on that flight - I am CP. (I don't usually trot that out but desperate times call for desperate measures). She calls gate, says "I have 4 pax and he is CP - try to get some volunteers". Get to gate they are up to two RTFC's per pax but only two vols. They have 54 pax for a 50 seater RJ. They offer my family 8 RTFC's, hotel, and first flight in the AM. I say no good, kids have school on Monday and I have preso to four VP's at my company. They say, how about 8 RT's and we reroute you tonight on NW thru MEM? Deal.

Granted this was an exceptional weekend but I agree with the other posters who say being CP makes the difference when things go wrong.

PS We got NW miles on 10 of the 16 segments since fare basis of tix purchased by US was Y. Didn't push my luck and ask for credit on the other 6 segments.

SS255

OK...now you folks have me re-thinking my decision to re-do my bathrooms. Perhaps the $$$ would be better spent earning CP status on US. (I'll be about 30,000 miles short this year.)

PhillyFive

It's an old thread - but there is a simple answer - YES !!

NeoOfTheCRS

Sorry Jetsetter, but being CP is the difference between walking on water and being given a canoe.

UA's elite program--even the hallowed UGS status is peanuts compared to CP status. Come on, to get UGS you have to spend something north of $50k a year on UA and your uprgrades STILL clear two days after a CP's 7 day window. Add to that, not even the magical UGS's have unlimited upgrades domestically. Our freakin' Silvers have unlimited upgrades! Give me a break.

My 1K Status on UA feels something like Gold Preferred before unlimited upgrades. I have to wring my hands and worry that I have enough upgrades to cover all my trips. Remember those days (GPs and SPs) when you had stacks of paper upgrades and had to conserve them and dole them out for each trip??

My CP status has enriched my personal life (non-work travel) in ways that I could not have imagined. Being able to take multiple family members in F class domestically and Envoy internationally have made my CP status all that and more! What a great program! What a great group of people at the CP desk! ^ ^

jetsetter

I have re-written my review comparing Gold to CP based on the feebback here, as well as further reflection on my own experiences. I have further clarrified what I think are the strong and weak points siting more real world examples than before in each category. As for the weak points, I think they relate overall more to some of US's policies and the way the company is run. E.g. emphasis on ffees, and more rigid policies that affect the traveler including the CP members. I am very much convinced this is somewhat a new phenominon especially over the last 3 years. E.g. to summarize, sometimes policies are thought of as more important now than having happy customers, where as surely 5-10 years ago perhaps the opposite was somewhat true. I hope the review and posts will help people know what CP is or isn't and highlight the strenghts and weaknesses which can only serve to improve the program for existing and new CP members. and new CP members would translate in to revenue for US Airways. As it transforms, US could really revolutionize elite programs if they had the courage to do that and introduce some best-in-industry practices and benefits.

PGHflyer

Just to add some recent experiences. I made CP this year and was impressed the last couple of weeks

* When calling United, they saw my CP status, and even though the flight was overbooked, opened up a seat in Economy Plus for me.
* When my return flight (on United) was delayed causing me to miss my connection from ORD to PIT (on United), they quickly rebooked me on the US Airways flight. When I arrived at the US gate to get my seat assignment, they asked me if I would like a first class seat since I was CP.

Now, I can tell you that 2 years at Gold, I never had any of that kind of service.

US AIRWAYS FAN

You know I have not been a US1 that long and going from US2 to US 1 is like night and day. I have always been upgraded to first and Envoy without a doubt. I just got off the phone with the CP desk and I am going to Barcelona (again) on Sunday. I called and the CP desk said that inventory still had not released seats. But the CP desk said why just a minute I am going to change that right now. She said give me 2 minutes. She came back in about 30 seconds and said you have your Envoy seat. I told her for many years I have been US2. She said if you were US2 we would not have opened up the seat for you until either the day before or more likely the day of departure. She went on to tell me that normally you should have gotten that 7 days out without a problem.

The longest I have been on hold to get an agent has been 30 seconds. I have not yet to this day have had to wait longer than that. And there has been a few instances where the G/A or F/A has seen that I have been CP and really thanked me for my business and they were appreciative of that.

There have been a few good stories I have heard right on here on FT that truly amaze me about the CP desk. I am already shooting for next year making CP. I am already well on my way. What shocks me is that some of you get it so quickly. Some of you live on the airplanes being CP on US and other preferred levels with other airlines as well. I have to say that I am impressed with some of you and your travels.

T

kimharp

US AIRWAYS FAN's comment brings up an interesting question: What is the latest word on releasing seats 3 days out for International (Envoy) upgrades at CP level? My last attempt to get them to do this in November was unsuccessful. I did call several times and was told "we aren't allowed to do that any more." But the above post indicates that they obviously still can do it. I would be interested to see replies from other CPs about the success rate of clearing your Envoy upgrades 3 days out by asking the international desk to call inventory. Do tell!!!!

KIM

jcooke

I think technically nobody's allowed to call Inventory anymore, but there's people that still do. Iventory still takes the requests so its a matter of getting lucky with a frontline Res agent.

-JC

US AIRWAYS FAN

I think JCooke hit it right on the head. If you are told no try waiting for the next shift to come on (estimate 8 hours later) or calling back to get a different agent. Amazing what one agent can't or won't do, another will go out of there way and do for you.

T

EnvoyBoy

My impression has been that it can be the difference between getting someone on the CP desk or having your call roll over to the regular call stations. I try to avoid calling the CP desk during bad weather about such things for fear the "real" CP folk will all be tied up and my call will get re-routed.

Here's a question (probably worthy of its own thread but I'm hoping some with knowledge will come along and read and answer this): Can you call a specific CP agent? After speaking with the same agent twice one afternoon, she said I was so pleasant ( ) that I could call her anytime.

I thought it just a nice gesture for her to say so but after (of course: after!! ) I hung up, I started to wonder if there actually WAS a way to call her. I'd forgo the toll free number in a second to have someone so helpful.

jcooke

And the unfortunate thing is that even if IM tells you to call back and check X days prior, if the Res agent says no you're SOL because technically Res is correct in not calling IM.

-JC

planeluvr

I just call at the three day window and ask if my upgrade has cleared (Latest a couple of weeks ago). The INT. Desk says one moment and about two minutes later the upgrades were processed. I used my systemwide this last time and the outbound cleared 7 days out and the return at 3 days after my call.

I have never specifically asked them to call anyone but the 3 times I haven't cleared early this year they offered on their own. When I use miles I try to buy a B fare, from a cheaper starting point than CLT but I do not necessarily have to clear at time of booking. I have not missed an upgrade for a transatlantic flight yet.

longing4piedmont

Yes, just ask for their extension number and full name (there are about 6 Kathy's). When you call in on the regular number just ask for the person at the beginning of the call. You may have to wait a minute or two, but most of the time the call is transfered within a minute. On the couple of occasions when this was not true, they took my number and my angel called me back.

I have two ladies that I ask for, one on the day shift and one on the evening shift. After all they are called personal liaisons and after a while they know my likes and dislikes and to never ever suggest a Barbie Jet to me.