If I'm reading this correctly, it sounds like deja vous all over again.

When I first started flying extensively in 1980, I don't think anybody had free upgrades, but I flew DL because I did get a Flying Colonel membership and thus free access to the Crown Room.

I remember many a DL flight with numerous empty seats in F, and those that were occupied were often by non-revs.

Then Eastern and Western came out with the free upgrades, so I flew them.

Then DL finally came out with upgrades, so I went back to them, and was rather consistently up front, so life was good, over the course of a few thousand flights.

Since my retirement in 2005, we've seen massive consolidation in the industry, and the new carriers generally don't even offer F class. I'm not sure what AA and UA are doing these days, but I never found their upgrade policies as accomodating as DL.

So as a businessman, I can't blame DL for no longer giving away something that the competitors don't. As a shareholder, and with many friends at DL, I hope this works out for them. But for those of you that are required to buy only a coach ticket, you have my sympathy.