Yesterday I was in heaven. I booked two roundtrip seats on a NW flight to Europe for September 2007. Much to my amazement I was able to buy an upgradeable ticket using only 30,000 and $1400 for a lst class seat.

I layed in bed last night visualizing my outstretched body in those lst class seat up front. Arrived at work this morning and bragged about how LUCKY I was.

Well to make a happy story sad . . . at least for me . . .

My itinerary arrived from NW via email today and they had made a mistake and booked an October 5 flight instead of September 5 with return on October 8.

I had to call them and cancel my flight and they refunded my miles and money and cancelled my ticket, but I am now out a lst class seat.

Any sympathy out there for me.

nope, because I never get to fly 1st class..

That's why I thought you would be sympathic. I don't either and looks like I never will.

If it's NW that made the mistake, I won't let them off that easily by just cancelling. They should be able to honor your fare+miles on the September flight, if that's what you found and purchased in the first place.

I asked is they would honor my price and upgrade since I had already paid for it and they said they had no lst class seats available on that flight, so it was impossible.

She even checked other flights two days ahead and two days later, but nothing available.

As an airline employee, I have used all possible classes of travel. Naturally, I will not spit on the idea of traveling in 1st class, but it's really only a few hours of your time, and what really counts is where you are going, not the mincing and prancing and free booze with hypocritical smiles.

Eurogals
I would suspect that there weren't any upgrade 1st class seats left as opposed to any 1st class seats - in which case, given it was their mistake, they coudl have given you a 1st class seat

I am sympathetic, but look at the bright side: you will be in Europe, so who cares how you get there! Enjoy!

There goes my chance to sit with Prince Charles.

Sorry for getting back late to this thread. Like wombat7 says, there are definitely open World Business Class seats on a Sept 2007 flight. There's no freaking way they're sold out.

The matter is that there are no upgradeable seats available. But again, if it was THEIR mistake, then they should honor you.

I'll say that I wouldn't let NW off the hook this easily.

Get back on the phone and rag those silly jerks out big time. Keep pounding them hard until one of them coughs up a seat.

If it helps, here's a bizarre tale. From Newark to Paris we recently were upgraded at check-in to business class on Air France thanks to my wife's gazillion miles of travel for work. A wonderful wait in the Air France lounge. But on the flight, I woke up from a fair amount of rare sleep in the cushy, plenty-of-leg-room seat and was nearly crippled - in the legs. Apparently over the years my body has taken on the shape of the cheap seats!

How disappointing for you. Yes get back on to them and make a big fat fuss!
I've only ever travelled cattle class and I would LOVE to get into one of the nicer seats, even just once!

Let me put it this way: I would had say "Good for you" if you had gotten your deal, but no I don't feel sorry that you have to travel economy. The big picture is you are heading to Europe at a wonderful time of the year. Good for you! Enjoy!

Are there actually people on the other side of that curtain. As a regular cattle class passenger I have often wondered!

Last time I was in transatlantic cattle class there were four people in the whole business section (in cattle premium economy we had a perfect view of all the big, empty flatbed seats). If I were a bit more daring I'd have sneaked past the curtain for a sleep once the lights were out!

Best part of flying 1st comes at the end. As you wait for the doors to open you face the exhausted, desperate queue of economy passengers whose only thought is to get out of the plane NOW.
The attendant raises a hand to prevent them surging forward...."1st class passengers first please".The look on their faces as you are ushered past them is worth every penny your company is paying.(when I'm paying I'm one of the exhausted)

>I was able to buy an upgradeable ticket using only 30,000 and $1400 for a lst class seat. <

That's a very, very, very expensive hotel room for 2 nights.

"There goes my chance to sit with Prince Charles"

Prince Charles?? If I were having a fantasy, I'd go for William or Harry.

I just now saw the thread about Prince Charles, now I get your joke.