Originally Posted by
DiverDave
PMs can already "steal" upgrades with SWUs on a K fare or above. I guess I will have to brag next year about how I stole some DM's upgrade using one of my 4 RUs.
Does everything on FT have to turn into class warfare?
If you can't read the tea leaves, Delta is reducing FC/BE seat counts and pushing hard to sell discounted FC fares. That means the future "upgrade" for most medallions going forward will be those rows of EC seats.
The miles and the ecert are attractive. After all, the ecert may be enough to bump up one or two trips via FCM.
In any case, it's a mere 4 RUs and I don't understand why it seems to be such a big deal.
Upgrades have become the new lottery, and Delta wants to keep everybody buying lottery tickets. Even lowly PMs.
David
I say the miles aren't attractive for all the reasons we complain about redeeming miles with DL, especially given that a PM is probably earning well over 150,000 RDM per year. Also, 20,000 miles aren't enough to upgrade two domestic RTs per year on most fares, so four RUs are worth more than 20,000 miles (which are nevertheless equivalent to the $200 DL ecert at one cent per mile, but the ecert doesn't require one to find award space, etc.), plus unlike miles the RUs apparently give priority for upgrades at the gate. OTOH, if one is good at finding award tickets or needs flexibility up to 72 hours, the miles can be valuable. Having a DL AmEx and access to pay with miles guarantees that the miles are worth close to $200 especially if used for FC fares which then earn miles.