A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,463
Most airlines view SWUs as a special privilege that they offer to their top tier elites. To let anyone buy them with miles would make SWUs even less valuable to those of us who have earned them. Similarly, given the restrictions on the use of SWUs that DL imposes, it would be inappropriate to erode them further by putting miles upgrades (for anyone) and SWU upgrades into the same category for the gate standby list. If someone wants SWU-type upgrade privileges, they should fly more and get enough MQMs to earn those SWUs and then pick them over other choice benefits.