TTT

I am a little confused by this part of the priority:

So is it Reserved or Basic card members? And what is "Medallion peer set"? Does that include status and fare class or just status?

Does a DM Reserved on a T trump a DM no-Amex K?

Widgets

Basic cardmember = primary cardholder. You don't get the reserve tiebreaker if your spouse has the account. Reserve cardholders get priority over the same status and fare class.

jdrtravel

I believe that Amex defines "basic card member" as the primary card member of any product. So this benefit would not apply to additional cardholders. I think this is the case, though I am not 100% sure. In any case, this is confusing terminology.

jamienbaker

So, by the sound of this, coach award tickets for a Diamond would clear before a revenue ticket for a Platinum, correct?

If so, for DM's willing to gamble, doesn't this mean we can reasonably start booking coach domestic awards but now stand a very high chance of upgrading?

If so, very valuable change imo.

Jamie

yohanson

DM coach award tickets have always cleared before PM revenue tickets at least for as long as I've been flying DL. BTW, all awards I've ever booked have been coach and I've only missed an upgrade a few times.

TTT

Thank you both. That makes sense now!

I am still curious as to what Medallion Peer Group means and whether that is just status or if it is a combination of status and fare class.

Beckles

BTW, the title of this thread is basically a complete lie.

jamienbaker

Thank you for this. I think I'll stop booking F domestic awards. But companions are not eligible, right? So, keep booking F for the Mrs, but book Y for me and hope for the best?

safe travels - jamie

Widgets

No it isn't. It's very accurate. [Immediate] Y class upgrades are ending.

Beckles

LOL, sure, if you add at least one more word to it (e.g., immediate) it could be accurate, but as it exists right now, "Y Class Upgrades Discontinued April 30th" I don't know how any reasonable person could claim that is accurate.

Widgets

It's accurate because OBVIOUSLY no reasonable person takes it to mean that Y class tickets are ineligible for any upgrades. Most people know that Y class tickets are eligible for immediate upgrades, so that's the implicit adjective: immediate.

Speaking of words, you called it a "complete" lie. At best, it's a half-truth, but only if you are "completely" unfamiliar with Delta's current upgrade policy.

conde

One new tie-breaker mentions spend requirement:

"If all else is considered equal, members who have spent at least $25,000 in the current calendar year on their Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express will enjoy higher priority"

Does this mean literally "current year", such that if in January or February, Delta will have spending records for the new year, or will Delta use the previous medallion qualifying year's spend? Perhaps it should be taken literally, but it would be nice to have further clarification.

JayTeaBee

Still trying to make sure I fully understand the new rules on Y fare.

So if I (PM) am travelling on a Y fare with my non status companion we will be dragged down to the bottom of the list behind all those with status? Is that correct? Prior to 4/30 we would have had priority behind anyone using a GUC (or a DM on a Y fare). Am I getting it?

Thanks.

jdrtravel

I believe so. Y fares no longer get special treatment, they are treated like all other upgrades. Y is still the highest fare class, but a companion would would indeed put you behind everyone. However, unless you are restricted from buying first class by your employer, you can often get discounted F for cheaper than full Y.

Beckles

Are you sure you would have ever been given much priority with a non-status companion?

What route are these tickets for?

I am surprised there is a route where upgrades matter much (i.e., more than a couple hours) where you can't buy a FC fare in advance (even a refundable one) for less than a coach ticket in the Y fare class. For example, I just looked at PWM-SEA for December 23rd (Friday) to December 26th (Monday), which I would imagine are some of the most expensive FC fares around for December, and a flexible first ticket is several hundred less than a full-fare Y coach ticket.

I'm just trying to help you here, because I think you're either mistaken in what you've bought and/or making a mistake in what you're buying for what you want to accomplish (fly in first class and/or have a refundable ticket).

Also, I'm surprised at least one of your segments wouldn't have cleared already, before the rule change, if you really had a full-fare Y ticket and it wasn't dragged down by having the non-status companion.