Originally Posted by moonwalk
In terms of stand-by travel for leisure travel on int'l flights.. well, if you look at it from DL's standpoint: Why would you upgrade someone from a non L/T/U fare to a BE seat if you can sell that seat for $4000 .. THAT would discourage anyone from buying it for the full price.
Simple. Delta supposedly "value" their customers and show PMs that they value them by issuing PMUs.
If you don't let the PM use the PMUs, then your supposedly loyal, "valued" PM customer who used to drop $1200 - $1600 for the upgradeable M fare goes elsewhere and you sell that coach seat to somebody who doesn't mind flying the Delta Trans-Atlantic Greyhound for $500.
The PM is insulted by M fares at just below $2000 which can leave the PM sitting in coach clutching their PMU while NRSAs sit in BE!
Think of it this way. EVERY time Delta fly NRSAs in BE they have lost a revenue earning opportunity SOMEWHERE.