Originally Posted by
motytrah
If one feels strongly that military should get upgraded they're certainly free to companion upgrade them.
Most of the officers I know don't care to travel in uniform. The prospect of the upgrade isn't worth the extra hassle that goes along with being in uniform.
I agree with the premise that rules are rules and should be followed however I am a little torn on this issue as a former Marine and now a PM for the past 5 years. To your point of the companion upgrade, there are a few problems with that option.
Companion upgrades have to be the biggest joke when it comes to upgrade likelihood. First, the companion have to be on the exact same itinerary which presents an issue when the military member and the person requesting the companion upgrade are making different connections. Second, the upgrade status for both the companion and the medallion member requesting it is the lower of the two travelers (i.e. if the companion has no status both are put at the bottom of the list). I have tried unsuccessfully well over 20 times to get my wife a companion upgrade when we travel together so this is essentially a vapor perk for medallion members. The third problem according to "The Rules" is "Both passengers must be ticketed, and upgrades must be requested at least three hours before the scheduled departure of the flight.
Regarding the general topic of military members getting complimentary upgrades. As someone who was upgraded periodically by GA's back during the first gulf war, I have to say the feeling of appreciation for serving my country was something I'll never forget (especially on a long haul back from Hawaii). I think a good compromise on Delta's part would be to establish guidelines on service member upgrades that not only take care of those that serve but also doesn't disenfranchise those of us who keep the airlines running.
My suggestion would be that Delta incorporates 1 FC upgrade seat for military members traveling in uniform for every 3-5 Medallion members on the upgrade list. Based on the military principle of troop welfare, the lowest ranking military member traveling in uniform should have priority for those FC seats. This would provide a structured method of showing our appreciation for the sacrifices our military members are making while at the same time still providing a reasonable quantity of FC upgrade seats for medallion members.
Of course, hopefully there are many other PM members out there like me who periodically give their FC upgrade to services members as a sign of personal appreciation.