Are Medallion Updgrades Clearing since Opt In/Out Enhancement?

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May 25, 2017, 4:34 pm

#16

davetravels

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Quote:

Originally Posted by jsbh

That was *before* yesterday's "enhancement" however.

I don't see or understand the enhancement you're talking about. As Apodo77 says in post # 8, the opt in boxes have been there for quite a while. What do you see that's different today?

May 25, 2017, 4:39 pm

#17

Zorak

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Quote:

Originally Posted by davetravels

I don't see or understand the enhancement you're talking about. As Apodo77 says in post # 8, the opt in boxes have been there for quite a while. What do you see that's different today?

this thread

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...-upgrades.html

the feature of which is a subset of the discussion in this thread:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...purchases.html

since they were all announced in the same email ("Enjoy New Booking And Upgrade Options" -- mine arrived yesterday)

May 25, 2017, 4:50 pm

#18

jsbh

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Quote:

Originally Posted by davetravels

I don't see or understand the enhancement you're talking about. As Apodo77 says in post # 8, the opt in boxes have been there for quite a while. What do you see that's different today?

In addition to the above reply, we see a different behavior today versus before.

My upgrade cleared AT the 5 day mark almost EXACTLY as best I can tell instead of 6:30pm-ish the night before.

May 25, 2017, 5:06 pm

#19

ND76

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No upgrades for me at the 5 day window (5 pm Thursday for next Wednesday flights), even though plenty of F seats are open; I think someone got upgraded on PBI-ATL (my itinerary is DCA-JFK-PBI-ATL-DCA).

May 25, 2017, 5:07 pm

#20

matthew64832

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I have an evening flight for next Tuesday, wide open, has not cleared yet. I will see in another 3 hours whether it is clearing exactly 120 hours in advance now.

May 25, 2017, 5:12 pm

#21

Zorak

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Quote:

Originally Posted by jsbh

In addition to the above reply, we see a different behavior today versus before.

My upgrade cleared AT the 5 day mark almost EXACTLY as best I can tell instead of 6:30pm-ish the night before.

I'm not sure how strong an indicator that is though. I've had upgrades clear at T-5d instead of T-6d several times in the last year, including routes where I normally cleared at T-6d and the cabin was wide open etc. RM is as RM does.

May 25, 2017, 5:17 pm

#22

davetravels

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Zorak

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsbh

In addition to the above reply, we see a different behavior today versus before.

My upgrade cleared AT the 5 day mark almost EXACTLY as best I can tell instead of 6:30pm-ish the night before.

Ya, I saw those other posts. It's still a little foggy to me. I guess I'll hafto wait til I'm flying on an upgradable ticket <a week from Saturday> and see how it all pans out.

jsbh the fact that your UG cleared RIGHT AT the 5 day mark seems odd to me, because, before, it seemed that if it didn't clear at the 6/5 day mark, the next sweep wasn't til the 4/3 day mark for Golds and higher. I don't ever remember an UG clearing at 5 days.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zorak

I've had upgrades clear at T-5d instead of T-6d several times in the last year

I can't ever remember seeing this, but, it's certainly possible that I'm just not remembering it.

May 25, 2017, 5:26 pm

#23

Zorak

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Quote:

Originally Posted by davetravels

jsbh the fact that your UG cleared RIGHT AT the 5 day mark seems odd to me, because, before, it seemed that if it didn't clear at the 6/5 day mark, the next sweep wasn't til the 4/3 day mark for Golds and higher. I don't ever remember an UG clearing at 5 days.

I don't know that there's a sweep as such, or if there is, it's more frequent than daily. I've cleared upgrades on all days between T-6d and T-2d, and not always shortly after 5pm Eastern, sometimes it's in the middle of the night.

May 25, 2017, 5:37 pm

#24

davetravels

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Zorak

Well, SURELY, any minute now, a Delta representative will be along to clear up all of the questions we have . . . . .

May 25, 2017, 7:35 pm

#25

MSPeconomist

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Ordhater

I had similar issues with my flights for next Tuesday. No upgrades cleared last night (Wednesday 6 days before departure) when I would have expected them to, with the following availability:

BOI-SLC 12/12 FC seats available
SLC-ATL 10/20 seats available (no surprise that this one didn't clear as this flight is a very tough upgrade)
ATL-PBI 17/20 seats available

I had wondered if this was part of the new and improved (blue font) FCM, as I had an offer to upgrade all three legs for $299 this morning. But the first leg just cleared in the last hour; still nothing on the last leg.

You can't check upgrade availability by looking at seat maps. The correct inventory class, RU/OU for free elite upgrades, is needed. However, if you're logged into delta.dumb and do a dummy booking, you should be about to click on upgrade availability and see whether FC upgrades or C+ "upgrades" are available.

May 25, 2017, 7:39 pm

#26

MSPeconomist

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Quote:

Originally Posted by davetravels

I don't think there are sweeps beyond the big ones when the relevant elite window opens. Beyond that, I suspect that upgrades clear when upgrade inventory is released, which often happens in the middle of the night.

I've had upgrades clear around 3 am a day and a half after the DM window.

May 25, 2017, 7:47 pm

#27

bennos

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Quote:

Originally Posted by davetravels

What's interesting is that this page says this

Quote:

For more details on when your upgrade will clear:
For First Class upgrades, Diamond and Platinum Medallion Members will clear 5 calendar days prior to departure, Gold Medallion Members will clear 3 calendar days prior to departure and Silver Medallion Members will clear 1 calendar day prior to departure, subject to upgrade availability.
For Delta Comfort+® upgrades, Diamond and Platinum Medallion Members will be upgraded to Delta Comfort+® immediately after booking, if available. Gold Medallion Members will clear 3 calendar days prior to departure and Silver Medallion Members will clear 1 calendar day prior to departure subject to upgrade availability.

while this page says this

Quote:

WHEN AM I ELIGIBLE FOR COMPLIMENTARY MEDALLION UPGRADES?

Diamond Medallion Members
Delta Comfort+ seats shortly after ticketing and First Class seats beginning 120 hours (5 days) prior to departure with priority.

Platinum Medallion Members
Delta Comfort+ seats shortly after ticketing and First Class seats beginning 120 hours (5 days) prior to departure.

Gold Medallion Members
Delta Comfort+ and First Class seats beginning 72 hours (3 days) prior to departure.

Silver Medallion Members
Delta Comfort+ and First Class seats beginning 24 hours (1 day) prior to departure.

implying a change in upgrade timing to something like a continual sweep.

May 25, 2017, 7:56 pm

#28

jsbh

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Bennos for the win!

Thank you for validating my observations.

May 25, 2017, 8:01 pm

#29

MSPeconomist

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Quote:

Originally Posted by bennos

What's interesting is that this page says this

while this page says this

implying a change in upgrade timing to something like a continual sweep.

It's been a continual sweep after the window opens, as upgrade inventory becomes available.

However, the specification of how many hours is totally new.

May 25, 2017, 8:06 pm

#30

Zorak

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Quote:

Originally Posted by MSPeconomist

What is the distinction you are drawing between "sweeps" and "clear"? It does seem to me that upgrade inventory can be released at any time, and then clearly there is some process which upgrades eligible pax if there is upgrade inventory, as evidenced by people being upgraded even outside of the "normal" 5pm-ish time period.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsbh

Bennos for the win!

Thank you for validating my observations.

Again, I wouldn't be quick to take too literal a reading of that page. What marketing writes and what's implemented can differ in subtle ways. The upgrade language as long as I've paid attention to it has always talked about 5 days for DM/PM but upgrades have cleared at T-6d.

Also worth noting, in the first link that says specifically "5 days" if you expand the "HOW IT WORKS" at the bottom it also says "Once the upgrade window opens, the automated upgrade processing will continue to clear upgrades as availability changes, up to three hours prior to departure."

I'm not ruling anything out, maybe they actually have changed from T-6d to a strict T-5d, just saying the evidence is non-conclusive so far.

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