Pardon me if there is another thread that answers this. I poured through the recent SDC thread only to discover it had been closed for possibly incorrect information.

This may be a mea culpa on my part. I (DM) had an S class reservation to and from LAS on a business trip. While heading out for dinner the evening before my return flight I got a message from my wife that she did not feel well and wanted me home first thing in the morning. So, I rushed into the app and went for SDC. My return had already been upgraded to First at about T-30. The app immediately offered me a First seat on the 6am flight. BUT, there was a $630 difference fee. As I was running late to a business dinner I said f*ck it and booked it as I needed the change to go through and remembering that I have SDC'd for free in the past. I do not recall seeing any option to sit in Main. I would have happily sat in Main.

After this I contacted Delta support and asked for a refund. This was denied.

Does this sound right? Was there something I missed in that process where I should have forced the change to look at Main tickets instead of First? I was in a rush and could definitely have missed something.