Originally Posted by
tom911
What kind of instrument (if any) is used for Delta domestic and international upgrades? Have to admit I know little about their program. Don't you have to buy a higher priced fare to upgrade with them?
Domestically the DL program is great - it's unlimited complimentary upgrades on all fare classes going by status and fare code with a couple exceptions (e.g., full Y tickets are at the top of the list). If you want to confirm upgrades before the window you can upgrade with miles or systemwides only on K fares and above (excludes the lowest 3 fare buckets). DL does NOT offer any free upgrades to Hawaii but you can upgrade on K fares or above.
Internationally DL will only upgrade Y/B/M fare classes.
There aren't any copays but as stated above in some cases the upgradeable fares are limited to fewer buckets than other airlines.
You can check upgrade bucket availability on expertflyer.com.