Originally Posted by
jdrtravel
No, for now the published policy is that you can use 1 GUC to upgrade from Y to J. No need to be in W to upgrade to J and no need to use 2 certs. This has been widely discussed on FT.
Also, I can imagine scenarios where someone would use a GUC to go to W: You are nearing year end and cert will expire. There is no J space but you can get into W for that 14 flight.
I would expect we will see a new upgrade certificate product rolled out with new rules once W is a firmly established product on more than a few select routes, but we are at least a couple of years away, and probably more, as this will require all A350s to be online as well as 777's to be upgraded with new interiors. DL has not announced if they will be modifying the A330 or 767 to 3 cabin a/c. I am doubtful about the 767's due to their age, but I could see it happening with the A330.
I think it would be years until DL comes out with a special W cert (if they do). It won't be a fast process adding PE and until they have enough planes equipped with it that it won't be an absolute cluster every time there is an equipment swap. I could see a situation where DL will allow RUC's to be used for Domestic F/J and W internationally.
Several years from now, 2020 or later I could see WUC's come around, but it won't be earlier than that.