Josh B.

Hi all,

I have an upcoming trip on Delta in July, and I'm a Singapore Airlines Silver elite. I read online that Delta was doing status match challenges, and that they've accepted status from international airlines as well. Yesterday, I put in a request through the online form on Delta's website for a status match. I'm hoping to be matched to Delta medallion silver status. I'm aware that this status will be active for 90 days after getting the status. My trip on Delta is a one way from SEA-MCO with a layover in SLC. MY trip is in mid July. The flight from SEA leaves at 6:30, and the flight from SEA to MCO is a red eye.

Is anyone here a Singapore elite who's matched to Delta?
If I'm traveling with two companions, does that hurt my chances on the first class upgrade wait list? Would I be able to split the reservation such that I'd be separate from my two companions?
I'm looking at the seat map for my flights, the first class cabins are pretty much empty right now save for one seat on the first leg, which is operated by a 757.

I'm not yet a silver medallion. If my status match does actually come through, will the Trip Information page for my flight be updated to reflect my new silver medallion status? Will I then be able to opt in for the complimentary C+ and first upgrades?

Thank you so much for answering my questions

MSPeconomist

It's very doubtful that a Silver can get a FC upgrade or even an "upgrade" to C+ unless you're willing to accept a middle seat at the gate.

flyerCO

Yes having two companions will inhibit upgrade. You can have one companion on the record and they get your status for upgrade. I wouldn't hold out hope as a silver of getting an upgrade. In such a long route, even PM/DM will have issues upgrading. Of course depends on day of the week. However its peak summer vacation here, and SEA/MCO is once daily. MCO is both leisure and business heavy at time. Leisure year round, and business when conventions come to town.

You might get a C+ upgrade. However even that as an FO is unlikely.

Often1

The chances of a Medallion (free) upgrade on the SLC-MCO segment, which is the overnight portion of your trip, are close to zero for F and not good for C+. That is a route where there will be a good deal of paid F and indeed the entire F cabin may be sold out with no upgrades at all.

Take a look at pricing on the route and you may find that purchasing the ticket in paid discounted F costs in the range of $200 above the Y fare. I don't know if that is within your budget, but that if you look at that as the cost of an F upgrade, it is cheap.

Josh B.

Ah, ok, I see. Hypothetically, if my two companions were medallion silver as well, would we all have the same chance of receiving an upgrade?

denverhockeyguy

Yes, you will all have an equal chance of slim to none in scoring an upgrade.

DL-Don

Don't forget, in most cases, a status match is once per lifetime.

CMK10

This is not correct. I've yet to end up in a middle seat in C+ on any flight. My C+ in advance average is north of 80% and I've only had two flights in the last three years (out of 60 or so) where I missed C+ totally. Furthermore, I do also net 6-7 upgrades to First Class a year.

Josh B.

Oh ok, thanks. What routes do you usually fly where C+ and first upgrades clear?

flyerCO

Once per three years.

SJC ORD LDR

That's probably a bit overly negative. There is always a chance at an upgrade and it could be more than a slim chance depending on the day that the OP is flying.

I've had years where I was 50% upgrades as a silver (though this was before the NW merger).

MSPeconomist

"Very doubtful" allows there to be a chance of the upgrade or "upgrade" happening. I didn't say never or assign it probability zero.

BenA

I wouldn't necessarily say zero - this is often a leisure heavy route. Back when companion certificates didn't permit upgrades, I and my companion were both once the beneficiaries of a gate upgrade because every Medallion on the list had been accommodated.

As has been said, it varies based on convention traffic and day of week for sure. But it's one of the few transcon flights in the system where Silver status might actually be useful for something...

yaychemistry

As a Silver, I'd say that upgrade chances depend a LOT on route, day of week, and time of day.

In my limited experience my best upgrade chances to F are on business routes which happen at non-business flight times (middle of the week, lunch-time flights, saturdays, or around the holidays). Granted, that means I go from a 0% chance to probably a 50% chance at best.

For C+ it seems my best chances are on leisure routes. I'm usually in the top 5 for F upgrades, but these routes tend to be sold out in F weeks before the flight.

Take this with a grain of salt, because this is just from memory (probably with plenty of confirmation bias thrown in).

weaverswonders6

I'd tend to agree with you on this. I've been silver the last 2 years and while I have gotten upgraded far more than I expected with Silver (compared to Gold, Plat, etc..) it's still in the 25-50% range for F and 50-75% for C+ on the off-peak business flight times for those routes that you mentioned above.