Have an upcoming flight from DCA to DIA on a 757 with an upgrade list currently at 91. As a platinum I'm sitting in the low 40s. I'll admit I don't often fly international or long haul but I don't think I've ever seen an upgrade list nearly this long. I think it goes to show the airlines are merely a credit card company with some flights tacked on nowadays.

I've seen longer on a 777 from IAH to DIA. I was lowly silver at the time and 100+ on the list. I never was upgraded as a silver which wasn't unexpected.

IAH to ASE. I had silver too and was #120-30

I'm trying to think about this... so even being signed up for the top tier credit card it doesn't automatically get you Premier status, right? And I thought that you had to fly and didn't think everyday credit card spending even got you the PQP you need to get status, either.

Am I wrong about the credit card thing or Does this just mean more people are flying more?

You still have to fly but credit card helps a ton. No way I'd be platinum the past few years without credit card PQPs.

I saw 109 on a Friday flight from SFO to DFW before COVID. Flight attendants remarked to each other, they should've just boarded by row since almost the entire plane had status. This was before the creation of Platinum Pro and the separation of EP and Platinum in boarding priority.

Jock 07 said:

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You still have to fly but credit card helps a ton. No way I'd be platinum the past few years without credit card PQPs.

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Maybe I'm not familiar but does spending on the credit card earn pqp ? I thought it didn't.

It does on the club and business cards. I'm pretty sure the quest card as well. Not sure about the explorer card.

Ooh gotcha. It confused me bc I was looking at my app and some purchases earn miles and no pqp and one go the other way around. I guess I never figured out why or what the difference was.

https://kdvr.com/denver-guide/why-denver-international-airport-doesnt-call-itself-dia/

JMac03 said:

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Why do yall call it DIA? That isn't the airport code. I have to think bout it every time someone comments DIA.

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Thats what folks have called it ever since I moved to CO over a decade ago, guess I just adopted it.

They should just call it what it really is . . . the Congressional Bunker.

Yeah, IAH to DIA can be laughably long. I am 1K and sometimes can be in the 20-30 spots range for upgrades of 100+ people.

JMac03 said:

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Why do yall call it DIA? That isn't the airport code. I have to think bout it every time someone comments DIA.

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Stapleton was DEN, so locals obviously didn't called it DIA. They called it stapleton.

But now, while still DEN, the airport is literally called 'Denver International Airport', so not hard to see why people say DIA. It's an acronym for the name of the airport.

If I am using it in the context of airlines or itineraries (UAxxx DEN-IAH, looking for flights out of DEN), I always use DEN.

But in casual conversation (hey, you see that new construction out near DIA?).. totally fine, since it's now just an acronym.

Kinda like 'Hobby' may be used in conversation about the airport, not HOU. "I work out near Hobby."
Or 'Bush', etc.

Couldn't ever imagine someone saying "I work near HOU airport."

This is how it is for all of the airlines now. For AA flying out of DFW literally half of the plane is Group 1 for boarding because everyone is Executive Platinum thanks to credit card spend and other ways to get loyalty points besides flying.

No chance for standby upgrades anymore because AA now typically sells out the FC cabin beforehand with upgrade purchases, usually at relatively low prices (which I have jumped on a few times as well FWIW).

62strat said:

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JMac03 said:

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Why do yall call it DIA? That isn't the airport code. I have to think bout it every time someone comments DIA.

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Stapleton was DEN, so locals obviously didn't called it DIA. They called it stapleton.

But now, while still DEN, the airport is literally called 'Denver International Airport', so not hard to see why people say DIA. It's an acronym for the name of the airport.

If I am using it in the context of airlines or itineraries (UAxxx DEN-IAH, looking for flights out of DEN), I always use DEN.

But in casual conversation (hey, you see that new construction out near DIA?).. totally fine, since it's now just an acronym.

Kinda like 'Hobby' may be used in conversation about the airport, not HOU. "I work out near Hobby."
Or 'Bush', etc.

Couldn't ever imagine someone saying "I work near HOU airport."

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While I agree with you 100%. An immediate exception to your example I can think of is IAH. Everyone refers to it as IAH. Nobody calls it BIA or GBIA. It's simply the local vernacular. Whatever rolls off the tongue easier I suppose.

lazuras_dc said:

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62strat said:

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JMac03 said:

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Why do yall call it DIA? That isn't the airport code. I have to think bout it every time someone comments DIA.

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Stapleton was DEN, so locals obviously didn't called it DIA. They called it stapleton.

But now, while still DEN, the airport is literally called 'Denver International Airport', so not hard to see why people say DIA. It's an acronym for the name of the airport.

If I am using it in the context of airlines or itineraries (UAxxx DEN-IAH, looking for flights out of DEN), I always use DEN.

But in casual conversation (hey, you see that new construction out near DIA?).. totally fine, since it's now just an acronym.

Kinda like 'Hobby' may be used in conversation about the airport, not HOU. "I work out near Hobby."
Or 'Bush', etc.

Couldn't ever imagine someone saying "I work near HOU airport."

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While I agree with you 100%. An immediate exception to your example I can think of is IAH. Everyone refers to it as IAH. Nobody calls it BIA or GBIA. It's simply the local vernacular. Whatever rolls off the tongue easier I suppose.

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I've heard people call it bush many times over the years, including myself, parents, friends.
But no, not BIA lol.

IAH doesn't really roll off the tongue… But that airport certainly gets called both. Yet no one thinks the airport code is BUSH.

I don't know that many people necessarily think the airport here is DIA (not anyone that flies out of it semi regularly anyway.) I really think it's just an acronym thing that accidentally gets mixed in where it doesn't belong, like when people type IAH-DIA.