Originally Posted by
ND76
Sometimes if there are only one or two seats left in C+ (not including the 2 seats in row 10 (row 5 on regional jets) that Delta holds back for Americans With Disabilities Act compliance) you won't get the automatic upgrade at time of booking.
Lately I've been finding that it takes the Delta system 5-10 minutes after confirmation of booking before the system upgrades me.
Also, unless you like to drink for free on the airplane, an "upgrade" to a middle seat in C+ is not necessarily an upgrade.
That said, I'm quite happy being PM; Delta still treats me well. Welcome to our ranks.
+1 on all of these things (although I have had success being cleared up to C+ at booking on international when only 1-2 seats remain so YMMV).
Would also agree that middle C+ is not always an upgrade -- unlike AA and UA, on almost every plane DL has the exit rows as preferred seats and not C+. So you lose the free drink but you also don't need the C+ upgrade to get these (and as confirmed above, you can book up to 8 companions into these preferred seats which include exit rows for no added fee). In particular I find the exit rows on the Airbus family (A220, A319, A320, A321) to be very good options for longhaul flights -- I am an aisle person and typically take exit row over C+ middle or window for TCON flights