Originally Posted by
ethernal
The biggest devaluation is that it is not confirmable at booking.
Why would I gamble and pay $2000 for Premium Select and hope to get D1 (Premium Select isn't worth the money to me) when I can book a somewhat comparable itinerary on a competitor and actually book into J for only $500 more?
I already paid a huge main cabin premium being a hub captive in the past. Now I need to pay a massive Premium Select premium (yes, there are good deals, but generally not for hub captives). All for a potential upgrade. No thanks.
GUCs were definitely a huge psychological motivation factor for me to make Diamond. That is now gone. PS is not worth anything to me, and day of upgrades are the cause of more stress than anything (if I'm not guaranteed a lie flat, it means I can't plan to do anything meaningful upon arrival in Europe because I won't have slept).
I think this is a strategic mistake for Delta. They already had 100% control of what gets upgraded. It costs them virtually nothing. Why would they get rid of something that costs them virtually nothing when it was hailed as the biggest benefit of being a DM?
With COVID, my mental status treadmill math had already shifted. It seems so odd that they would want to change the game (for the worse) when so many are in a mindset shift to begin with. Not to be melodramatic but this is truly the nail in the coffin for me in terms of status chasing.
I totally agree with you. Out of JFK, I can usually get a $2000 round trip J fare on either AA, UA or Delta. I bouk the discount J from Delta when available and coach with GUC when not available (this is for personal trips for work I am paid J). Now Delta is forcing me to fly paid J on another alliance. Why do this? Two questions:
1) Can one at least wait until 24 hours and waitlist from Y to J or will we automatically be pushed to Delta Select and then be on another list. If I arrive at the gate and ask the agent, hey can I use my GUC to go to J from Y, I could at least deal with that. But not a forced use it or lose it to Delta Select. Anyone know?
2) When I buy economy, I tend to get offered a Premium select buy up of $150 each way (to EU and much cheaper then buying it at booking). If I buy up to Premium select for $150, can I then use my GUC to J?
Net net I hate this change Delta did. I could even accept, very limited Y to J upgrades and more avails from PS - J. But this is a huge devalue added to the fact that J awards to EU are now 640,000 miles or what ever.