Originally Posted by
susanc
I agree with DL2SXM's point. Jdrtravel's counterpoint is travelers with elite status have paid for many tickets therefore deserve the same treatment in an upgrade situation as a paid ticket. I disagree with the statement that most elites paid for their own tickets. True, no difference to Delta. But, it is thrown out there often from elites ,"I have paid for my status". A small point to you perhaps, but for those actual paying for J or F service to receive less than someone paying for Y it is not.
My point is that elites have driven dollars towards Delta. It may be company dollars, but in many cases the elite passenger still had a choice of airline and choose Delta. This is exactly what Delta wants and what loyalty programs are designed to award. Delta is well aware that lots of pax are not paying with their own money. The loyalty program is targeted to the actual pax, not their employer, because in many cases it is the pax who decides which airline to fly. And yes, I think that all pax that are flying in a class of service together should get the same basic treatment, regardless of the method used to get to that cabin. Elite upgrades are not free gifts. They are, in fact, a pretty expensive product.