Originally Posted by
davetravels
As a frequent Berlin flyer, I remember seeing posts here that, when they originally discontinued the JFK/TXL nonstop, it was supposedly due to not enough people purchasing J tix, being a semi-leisure route - which is why, I believe,
bgriff was optimistic about your upgrade chances. I got op-ups on it more than once, in the days before GUCs.
Yes, CONGRATS!
Yeah, it doesn't seem like there's much premium demand on the route, although Delta (as on most other routes) seems to have gotten much more aggressive about selling the business class tickets for cheap rather than offering op-ups as they did in past years. There have been a few excellent business class fare sales on this route, mostly for passengers originating in TXL, which seem to have done their job in filling up the cabin.
But the other reason I speculated the upgrade list was likely to be short is because that route also seems to attract a large number, maybe even a majority, of European-originating travelers who are heading to the US on holiday, rather than US-originating travelers, and Berlin-based travelers aren't likely to be DMs who would have GUCs.
A few years back (like 2013 era) it felt like I could count on at least a 50% chance of an op-up flying to/from Europe in the summer, even just as a GM at that time. I don't have as many data points in the past year or two but it certainly seems like op-ups are a lot less common.