Issue with phantom DC+ and F upgrades
Jul 28, 2016, 11:29 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Westchester, NY
Programs: Delta Plat; Hyatt Diamond; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Gold; Avis PreferredPlus
Posts: 9
Issue with phantom DC+ and F upgrades
Over 5 times in the past 6 weeks I have received upgrade emails from Delta, either to DC+ or F. The problem is ... I wasn't actually upgraded. This is incredibly frustrating. Most of the time the system just triggered the email (sometimes the day of the flight, sometimes days in advance). One time the system actually gave up my seat in DC+ when F was full. The system now saw me in F and wouldn't let me select a seat back in DC+. I called the Medallion desk and they spent 45 minutes trying to figure out how to get me back into DC+. In that time the DC+ seat was selected by someone and I was sent back to the main cabin. Infuriating.
This happened again yesterday when I was flying from DFW-LGA. The rep in the SkyClub was very nice and pushed me into F. BUT, he said that the problems are getting worse and not better, and that corporate doesn't seem to be 'hearing' the customer complaints.
Last week I called the Medallion desk again and they transferred me to 'corporate customer service.' The rep there answered the phone, immediately told me "I can listen to your problem, but I can't do anything about it." I responded, "You haven't heard about the problem, or even asked for my name yet!" Their service is going down the toilet.
Any suggestions?
This happened again yesterday when I was flying from DFW-LGA. The rep in the SkyClub was very nice and pushed me into F. BUT, he said that the problems are getting worse and not better, and that corporate doesn't seem to be 'hearing' the customer complaints.
Last week I called the Medallion desk again and they transferred me to 'corporate customer service.' The rep there answered the phone, immediately told me "I can listen to your problem, but I can't do anything about it." I responded, "You haven't heard about the problem, or even asked for my name yet!" Their service is going down the toilet.
Any suggestions?
Jul 28, 2016, 1:16 pm
#2
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Isn't corporate customer care supposed to be for ex post issues, I.e., you contact them for compensation or a customer service gesture after the incident?
Jul 28, 2016, 2:09 pm
#4
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Location: San Antonio
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Yes. This is who I'm dealing with now on my own issue. Last year when had issue on the outbound called in before returning and reservations handled it.
Jul 29, 2016, 12:07 am
#6
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: San Diego
Programs: IHG Spire Amb, HH Diamond, DL Diamond and 1MM
Posts: 3,612
E-Mail is the problem
Flying LAS-SLC-SAN this weekend, and got two "You've been Upgraded" for the LAS-SLC segment. Only problem the was the upgrade didn't actually show on Delta.com or the Delta app until I got the second e-mail, which was a day later than the first.
No big deal for me on this trip. My theory is that the e-mail notification is borked, not the actual upgrade process.
No big deal for me on this trip. My theory is that the e-mail notification is borked, not the actual upgrade process.
Jul 29, 2016, 12:23 am
#7
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: San Diego
Programs: IHG Spire Amb, HH Diamond, DL Diamond and 1MM
Posts: 3,612
Specific to your problem:
1. You're a Plat. I thought Plats got instant upgrades to DC+ immediately after booking. I just booked about a dozen segments for my Plat wife. Every one of them allowed me to check "Request Upgrade to DC+ (and to First Class with another check-box). Immediately afterwards, which is just after booking, I can change her seats to DC+
2. For those First Class non-upgrades, have you noticed if the First Class cabin's seats are getting filled? This is hardly definitive, but might give an indication of whether you're actually getting skipped, or ---
3. Perhaps the upgrades didn't actually clear and Delta is sending out a bunch of "false positive" e-mails saying it did. If this is the case, I'd be a whole lot less upset than actually being bypassed in the upgrade queue.
Last edited by Bowgie; Jul 29, 2016 at 12:30 am
Jul 29, 2016, 12:56 am
#8
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Budapest
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 178
Last month, I was given an upgrade to F at 24 hours out but not assigned a seat, there was a message in my reservation that said something like, "seat assigned at gate". I couldn't choose any seat - not in DC+ nor in F.
When dropping off my bag, the agent gave me sort of a strange look and started typing. She said, "Are you flying standby on this flight?"
I said, "No, this is how it was originally ticketed."
She said, "Well, your reservation shows a confirmed seat in F but no seat assignment and also created a standby reservation for you in Y."
It took her about a minute of typing to clear out the standby reservation and force a seat assignment for me in F (the last seat, actually). She giggled and said, "Well, it does say that you've got a confirmed seat in F so I went ahead and gave it to you..."
Really no idea what happened but it seems that for a time, at least, I had 2 reservations generated on the same flight and no seat assignment for either even though I had picked something shortly after reservation.
Flight ended up going out relatively empty but had this happened on a full/oversold flight, I wonder what would have happened (and if I would had been stuck in a middle seat at the back - if able to get a seat at all!).
When dropping off my bag, the agent gave me sort of a strange look and started typing. She said, "Are you flying standby on this flight?"
I said, "No, this is how it was originally ticketed."
She said, "Well, your reservation shows a confirmed seat in F but no seat assignment and also created a standby reservation for you in Y."
It took her about a minute of typing to clear out the standby reservation and force a seat assignment for me in F (the last seat, actually). She giggled and said, "Well, it does say that you've got a confirmed seat in F so I went ahead and gave it to you..."
Really no idea what happened but it seems that for a time, at least, I had 2 reservations generated on the same flight and no seat assignment for either even though I had picked something shortly after reservation.
Flight ended up going out relatively empty but had this happened on a full/oversold flight, I wonder what would have happened (and if I would had been stuck in a middle seat at the back - if able to get a seat at all!).
Jul 29, 2016, 1:16 am
#9
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: San Diego
Programs: IHG Spire Amb, HH Diamond, DL Diamond and 1MM
Posts: 3,612
1. Take a coach seat and ask Delta afterwards for some miles for your trouble.
2. If coach is also full, ask gate agent for Involuntary Denied Boarding compensation (Gets you some $$)
3. Get reassigned in first class for the next available flight with space in F.
Glad it worked out for you, though.
Jul 29, 2016, 5:23 am
#10
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: West Chester, OH
Programs: Delta SM, Hilton Honors Diamond, Marriott Silver
Posts: 254
I haven't seen this happen before to me but will watch out for it based on this thread. I always choose a C+ seat immediately after booking but I still get the "you have been upgraded" email later on.
Jul 29, 2016, 6:41 am
#11
Join Date: Dec 2009
Programs: DL PM, Hyatt Plat, SPG Gold
Posts: 1,082
..he said that the problems are getting worse and not better, and that corporate doesn't seem to be 'hearing' the customer complaints.
Last week I called the Medallion desk again and they transferred me to 'corporate customer service.' The rep there answered the phone, immediately told me "I can listen to your problem, but I can't do anything about it." I responded, "You haven't heard about the problem, or even asked for my name yet!" Their service is going down the toilet.
Last week I called the Medallion desk again and they transferred me to 'corporate customer service.' The rep there answered the phone, immediately told me "I can listen to your problem, but I can't do anything about it." I responded, "You haven't heard about the problem, or even asked for my name yet!" Their service is going down the toilet.
Jul 29, 2016, 6:53 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
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Posts: 27,103
It can take a while for Delta to recognize and fix computer problems.
Specific to your problem:
1. You're a Plat. I thought Plats got instant upgrades to DC+ immediately after booking. I just booked about a dozen segments for my Plat wife. Every one of them allowed me to check "Request Upgrade to DC+ (and to First Class with another check-box). Immediately afterwards, which is just after booking, I can change her seats to DC+
2. For those First Class non-upgrades, have you noticed if the First Class cabin's seats are getting filled? This is hardly definitive, but might give an indication of whether you're actually getting skipped, or ---
3. Perhaps the upgrades didn't actually clear and Delta is sending out a bunch of "false positive" e-mails saying it did. If this is the case, I'd be a whole lot less upset than actually being bypassed in the upgrade queue.
Specific to your problem:
1. You're a Plat. I thought Plats got instant upgrades to DC+ immediately after booking. I just booked about a dozen segments for my Plat wife. Every one of them allowed me to check "Request Upgrade to DC+ (and to First Class with another check-box). Immediately afterwards, which is just after booking, I can change her seats to DC+
2. For those First Class non-upgrades, have you noticed if the First Class cabin's seats are getting filled? This is hardly definitive, but might give an indication of whether you're actually getting skipped, or ---
3. Perhaps the upgrades didn't actually clear and Delta is sending out a bunch of "false positive" e-mails saying it did. If this is the case, I'd be a whole lot less upset than actually being bypassed in the upgrade queue.
Jul 29, 2016, 7:02 am
#13
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
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Posts: 10,746
I used to get the upgrade emails at the window after selecting C+ at booking (as a PM), but they seem to have stopped. However, with my trip tomorrow things are even weirder.
Turns out I'm going to be on the same flight as a coworker, who also happens to be a good friend. Both tickets booked through DL.com, separate PNRs, no other companions, one-way nonstop tickets. He's on a T fare and I booked directly into W - mostly because it was only $10 and that was worth the gamble just to see if there was higher UG priority.
Friend is FO with a DL Plat Card. I am PM with a Reserve card. My PNR still shows UG to FC Requested (as it has since booking), but friend received the email at his FO window last night and has a confirmed seat in F. Call to DL results in "your UG is requested but there are no medallion UG seats available right now" line.
It's a 90 minute flight and I don't have the time to fight it all that much, but....wow, something behind the scenes is seriously messed up. Check-in is this afternoon so I'll be curious to see where I actually end up on the UG list.
Turns out I'm going to be on the same flight as a coworker, who also happens to be a good friend. Both tickets booked through DL.com, separate PNRs, no other companions, one-way nonstop tickets. He's on a T fare and I booked directly into W - mostly because it was only $10 and that was worth the gamble just to see if there was higher UG priority.
Friend is FO with a DL Plat Card. I am PM with a Reserve card. My PNR still shows UG to FC Requested (as it has since booking), but friend received the email at his FO window last night and has a confirmed seat in F. Call to DL results in "your UG is requested but there are no medallion UG seats available right now" line.
It's a 90 minute flight and I don't have the time to fight it all that much, but....wow, something behind the scenes is seriously messed up. Check-in is this afternoon so I'll be curious to see where I actually end up on the UG list.
Jul 29, 2016, 7:28 am
#14
Join Date: Nov 2013
Programs: DL PM
Posts: 1,089
I used to get the upgrade emails at the window after selecting C+ at booking (as a PM), but they seem to have stopped. However, with my trip tomorrow things are even weirder.
Turns out I'm going to be on the same flight as a coworker, who also happens to be a good friend. Both tickets booked through DL.com, separate PNRs, no other companions, one-way nonstop tickets. He's on a T fare and I booked directly into W - mostly because it was only $10 and that was worth the gamble just to see if there was higher UG priority.
Friend is FO with a DL Plat Card. I am PM with a Reserve card. My PNR still shows UG to FC Requested (as it has since booking), but friend received the email at his FO window last night and has a confirmed seat in F. Call to DL results in "your UG is requested but there are no medallion UG seats available right now" line.
It's a 90 minute flight and I don't have the time to fight it all that much, but....wow, something behind the scenes is seriously messed up. Check-in is this afternoon so I'll be curious to see where I actually end up on the UG list.
Turns out I'm going to be on the same flight as a coworker, who also happens to be a good friend. Both tickets booked through DL.com, separate PNRs, no other companions, one-way nonstop tickets. He's on a T fare and I booked directly into W - mostly because it was only $10 and that was worth the gamble just to see if there was higher UG priority.
Friend is FO with a DL Plat Card. I am PM with a Reserve card. My PNR still shows UG to FC Requested (as it has since booking), but friend received the email at his FO window last night and has a confirmed seat in F. Call to DL results in "your UG is requested but there are no medallion UG seats available right now" line.
It's a 90 minute flight and I don't have the time to fight it all that much, but....wow, something behind the scenes is seriously messed up. Check-in is this afternoon so I'll be curious to see where I actually end up on the UG list.
Jul 29, 2016, 8:34 am
#15
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: San Diego
Programs: IHG Spire Amb, HH Diamond, DL Diamond and 1MM
Posts: 3,612
For me, the pattern was Plat wife (separate PNR) would get an upgrade at the window, and mine would process only at the gate.