ND76

I'm going through withdrawal symptoms; I haven't flown since December 17.

I've booked a $223 cheapie mental health day next Wednesday DCA-ATL-PBI and return (7 hour layover at PBI spent at the Palm Beach Kennel Club and Poker Room just across Belvedere Road from PBI). Chances look good to go at least 3 out of 4. I've also booked a cheapie the following week DCA-MSP-LAS-JFK-DCA ($308 for this beauty), which will be my swan song for DM. F class looks pretty wide open on these segments, but we'll see.

If I win $450 at the track or in Vegas, I'll re-up my SC membership.

ATOBTTR

FHad a "success" temporarily turn into a "lack there of". Flight tomorrow was downguaged from an E-175 with 12 seats to an E-170 with 9. I was one of the unlucky ones who got booted out. Called DL and a helpful agent switched to another flight with open FC seats so I got the upgrade back. Just means a shorter layover now but oh well.

Unsure why I was one of the unlucky ones. My original seat wasn't one of the seats no longer available. And FC was fairly wide open when my window upgrade cleared. Perhaps a lot of people bought a FC seat after my UG cleared? Who knows....

jer

This will go down as my all time weirdest (greatest) upgrade. Dec 31-Jan 1 ATL-AMS: Myself (PM) with my wife and mother (no status) all on the same PNR upgraded into Delta One at the gate with no comment from the GA. Just grabbed our tix when we boarded and spit out three new tix for row 8 (A330). I'm figuring no Diamonds were on board a new years eve flight, and/or they needed our three bulkhead seats for a family. Y was full, but several empty seats up front.

I never anticipated in a million years they would OpUp all three of us based on my single PM status. Made my year! Especially since we were connecting to another 13 hour flight to Jakarta.

(I'm including it here because most of the flight was Jan 1, 2016, sorry if the wrong thread)

uppereastsider

First upgrade of the year! Cleared JFK SAT 5 days in advance. Still waiting on the return, which had 3 seats open

13thandseven

Nice!

So far I'm 3/4 in 2016:
DCA-DTW Tues PM: Window
DTW-BOS Tues PM: 9/22 for 1 seat
BOS-JFK Wed PM: Window
JFK-DCA Wed PM: Window

4 more flights next week (Mon.-Thu. DCA-ATL-XXX and back), 2 already within window and no upgrades.

MinnTee

My first flight of the new year. MSP-ATL at gate. Whoo hoo! And I am just a lowly PM. Got to see someone picked up in a Porsche at ATL...too cool .

DrCordell

The girlfriend and I booked tickets to Paris for New Years during the European award flight sale back in August. EWR - CDG for 40k skypesos round trip, score!

Got upgraded at the gate for both the EWR - CDG and CDG - EWR legs. What a pleasant surprise as a Plat! My girlfriend also promised to cut me some more slack regarding my work travel schedule.

Thanks Delta! (been a while since I've said that and meant it)

mnredfox

Wonder if we'll see more culling of the ranks come Feb 1 given then higher MQD requirements?

pgh234

My first TATL trip as a DM netted both myself AND my FO wife AND my kettle father-in-law OP-UPs in both directions! Beyond my wildest dreams for sure ^

ATOBTTR

Unfortunately as PMs, even when we see the Porsche, it will always be to pick up someone else, and never us.

MinnTee

I fly mostly low mileage flights, so it is hard to get to Diamond (I have never made it) on just work trips, without throwing in some mileage runs. Someday, before I retire, I will push for diamond. By that time, I suppose the Porsche will be downgraded to a Volkswagen, haha!

KDCAflyer

Perhaps, but then again, if Delta really wanted to thin the ranks, they'd get rid of the Amex spend waiver. I wonder how much of the forum would drop to SM or FO if that were to happen...

Formulanone

I found connecting in RDU to be helpful on segments, for just a few more bones.

I'd settle for a golf cart between the regional and mainline terminals MSP and DTW.

Felixishim

it is notable that leaving from BWI sometimes for the same price on similar route, you get a higher booking class hence higher success rate?

SuperG1955

WOW, my first experience with what so many of you have to live with. I'm on an ATL-SEA flight on a Monday morning and as a DM on a V fare I'm now 23 of 61 for 2 seats. If I had to travel like that all of the time, I'd be very unhappy.

Luckily for me, it'a an MR and I don't have a schedule to adhere to. The flight's oversold (not even shown on DL.dumb for any ticket purchase) and so I'm hoping to play the VDB card. The subsequent 2 direct flights are overbooked and may go oversold as well and I can take a late in the day alternate route that has lots of available seats and gets me more MQM's. I've always found that if I have an easy alternative to propose that takes the pressure off the GA, I'm much more likely to get it. I'll find out tomorrow AM.