Originally Posted by
dean1121
If I purchase an M fare LAX-SYD and there are seats available when if ever will DL allow me to upgrade using SWU/miles?? I am PM and don't want to make the trip in coach but is buying the M fare is a gamble??
Think I read about day of departure YBM upgrades, when does that start??
I feel like I should know how this works but I have always been able to PMU/SWU's when I need them.
Thanks.
Book and call immediately after booking to do the upgrade using your PU503 "Platinum System Wide Upgrade Cert" (you can see your upgrade certs, expiry date for each, terms, status of each (Open = available, or Closed = used) and redemption codes for each at
www.nwa.com under My ECVs). If it's not available ask DL to cancel the ticket (as online it does not work). If you are like me, they'll tell you that you can't cancel it, that "yes, on our site it says that you can cancel all US originating flights within 24 hours, but it doesn't really work that way and the system is telling me that this is non-cancellable," and that even with an override they can't cancel it and refund. BUT, they can change the dates and waive the change fee (as they couldn't cancel it). So then you can get the dates changed to ones where the upgrade is available and the upgrade applied at the same time and voila - you're set and confirmed in class Z (BusinessElite).
Not easy, no... but DL is never about making things easy, we all know that.
P.S. Check for "U" fares for your flight on seatcounter.com. While not the Z class upgrade fares, I've found that usually if U is available so is Z (9 out of 10 times). So, I book when U is available and then can almost always get the upgrade.