sethb

DL is willing to overbook, so they'd still sell. (Besides, a full F fare is usually worth paying VDB for, in the worst case.)

GRALISTAIR

THIS

FlyingNat001

Maybe it could had been simultaneous changes. and if that's the case I guess money won.

Mister Nice

How long before departure does DL cut off ticket sales ? I am a bit skeptical that someone could walk up and buy F 30 mins to departure - what is the cutoff time for check-in at ATL ?

CDF

I was just going to ask the same question. When I buy a ticket well in advance of a flight there are all the standard warnings/disclaimers that all passengers must be in the boarding are or on the flight so many minutes before departure. Doesn't selling a ticket "at the last second" violate DL's own policy - especially if it's within 30 min to an hour from the flight?

GRALISTAIR

SHENA?

JulienMSP

If you are a DM and buy a full-fare last-minute F ticket--it usually has special "bump" provisions if I recall.

mridley2

In my experience delta rarely over sells First. Economy sure but First? I've never experienced it.

And in the 3 or 4 sample flights I looked at delta.dumb was not selling F seats. Only M or Y fare available at T- 30 minutes. Perhaps it's different if a passenger walks up to the counter and asks a ticket agent for a last minute flight? Maybe they can override where delta.dumb follows standard delta fare class algorithms.

GRALISTAIR

The only other reasonable explanation IMHO is a HVC360 on a last minute F .

MSPeconomist

It's not true that DL never overbooks premium cabins. Hence there could have been a last minute oversale. If someone is willing to pay full F, DL would gain from selling this ticket even if IDB compensation is required. It's similar to why full Y fares can be sold for a flight that is already full, although there's more of a cost in the FC case due to the possibility of alienating a HVC.

MSPeconomist

I think the deadline should be the check in cutoff time, which DL agents keep telling us is a hard constraint. What good does purchasing a ticket do you if you cannot check in for the flight? One answer would be if you plan to SDC (especially in FC) or SDS to a more expensive later flight, but I don't think DL would permit this (if they realize it).

I could imagine an override in IROPs or if the flight is posted as delayed.

DL would override for a "must fly" employee, but few employees would be entitled to FC in most circumstances.

Huh? Is there some new unpublished benefit of DM status to do this?

When high tier elites use the guarantee of a full fare Y ticket on any DL operated flight, the ticket must be purchased 48 or 72 hours before the scheduled departure time. At one point, there was a WBC/BE guaranteed seat seven days in advance for a full J fare, but I can't remember whether this survived the merger. IIRC it's gone now.

When I asked PMNW how this worked, I was told that someone else would be VDBed/IDBed, but I would definitely be able to take the flight.

Once PMNW did downgrade someone from WBC to coach TATL for me. They did the same thing for another elite who sat next to me on the flight. The GA remarked that since I had higher status, I got the aisle seat and the other guy got the window. The previous owners of the seats made some comment to each other when they boarded (something about how seeing us sitting there eliminated the possibility that something was wrong with the seats or that an aircraft change had eliminated their seats), but we just looked at each other and smiled.

Is this a 360 benefit?

sethb

That wouldn't have been an oversell, there was an F seat not sold.

It's also possible that someone paying F arrived early and SDCd to that flight simultaneous with the upgrade.

MSPeconomist

A couple times I watched gate upgrade lists, seat maps, and inventory on EF for amusement in an airport. It seemed to me that just as the GA started to process the gate upgrade list, EF went to F0. Essentially it looked like further sales and SDCs into FC were stopped (since the flight went to F0) just slightly before or exactly as upgrades were confirmed.

mridley2

Precisely my point. Delta dot dumb dumb shows the same thing. Y fares for sale at last minute but nothing for F. Can't check the Fare class availability anymore... Oh that's another thread.

GRALISTAIR

Don't know is the truthful answer. But if you were DL and had a 360 flying (so one of your truly high spend High Value Customer) wouldn't you allow them to book a very last minute full F fare and bump a medallion to Y - I would.