1) I assume you meant you prefer the Z fare.
2) One last minute change / IROPS that will cause you to spend a long flight in a very expensive Y seat may change your mind (it did in my case).
3) Delta makes Z utilization a huge hassle, I is straight forward and bookable on-line.

All the above support your opening statement that Z pricing is a joke.

Happy Travels
DLP

I agree with I trumping a Z providing that you book 50 days early, can spend a full week, and can find a good value in I. Last year, I found really great I's, some better than the M - go figure.

The upgrade books into Z but the fare basis is still the original M, B or Y. For example, last spring, I wanted to book an M fare to the UK but because I was flying out on a Sunday, returning Friday, instead of an M, I got a B fare class. This worked out great because I was able to completely cancel the ticket without penalty when DL announced one of those 2x/3x MQM promos ex-NY (which I did qualify for). Had I booked out on Saturday, the M fare (about $100 less) would have been noted with a $300 change penalty.

As for IROPs or unusual circumstances, had that happen once (my own fault - passport had less than 6 months going in/out of AMS). DL agents took pity on me when they rerouted me to BRU (no 6 months clause there) in that they still gave me a BE seat. Mind you, the change of my outbound to BRU took place in JFK at check in and as such, was "day of departure" and we all know the pain of using a PMU on this special day. They forced it through saving the day.

I agree completely. They are creeping up to the point where I will NOT be selecting them as a DM threshold benefit even though I've used all 6 so far the past 3 years. This year I actually used more but rescinded some domestic G upgrades when Z became available.

FYI On some routes the minimum advance purchase for cheap I is 21 days.

As for M being more expensive than Y - says something about Delta's comitment to "lowest fare".

Well, you were lucky an they had BE seats available. In case of Wx or Tech, paid BE passnegres will be accomodated in BE (even if DL has to send them on another airline). Z passengers will be accomodated according to their Y/B/M fare basis in coach.

DLP

Nice catch! Spelling checkers are usable but useless when your misspelled word is another real word.

And, before someone reacts... I also wasn't trying to say "Un-sue-able"... certainly don't want to take this topic off in a litigious direction.

I was all set on switching to UA. Now I have to see if I should switch to CO instead.

Let's see how long it is until DL management capitulates and is coerced into providing some kind of systemwide upgrade that is better than the pretty much useless systemwide upgrades that DL issues currently and had planned on having in place next year too.

Does DL management dare to announce another modification of the systemwide upgrade terms in time to motivate more customers this year to acquire enough status miles for Platinum and/or Diamond Medallion status instead of taking maximum advantage of the rollover status miles benefit? Let's see, but even that won't be enough to build up all the trust that DL management has been destroying with its customer-unfriendly positions toward the "loyalty" program customers.

Don't hold your breath. Historically DL has so much inertia behind it that it will take 2-3 years to respond to changes in FF behavior.

I fear they still do not think there is an issue....but there is. Even the most loyal DL elite customers can not possibly look at the program as best in class at this point. Today my CO loyal colleagues were actually pushing our Travel team to adopt CO/UA as the corp airline. Using CO for international and UA code-shares domestic (as well as INT route coverage) and they heard about this from ME!

I agree though...no way DL will respond.

For CO Platinums, it's unlimited award changes period -- whether to routing, carriers, origin/destination, redeposit, etc. None of the "rationing" mumbo-jumbo like Delta Platinums go through (and I have both statuses through 02/2011, so I'm not speaking from ignorance). And CO/UA still have 2 award tiers in their FFPs - no 3 tier tax-code like mumbo-jumbo.

Personally I am not optimistic about Delta giving out true SWU. Wasn't Delta the first carrier implemented the whole LUT 50% EQM scheme? Northwest on the other hand...I truly miss them.

God bless the red tail. Still sitting on my last (2) SWU's which are valid ANYWHERE, ANY FARE, NO CAPACITY CONTROL.

Ah the PU465's. I get misty-eyed just thinking about em....

I tend to agree CO has always been harder to UPG on then NWA or DL.

Excellent points monitor and redtail

But it's not Jeff's bad luck that he's hasnt posted here in months, and SkyMilesInsider starts a sticky that hasn't been replied to by him in 45+ days. @:-)

Somewhere along the line, someone at DL determined (wrongly) that FlyerTalker = L/U/T elites and communication with them is a lower priority, meanwhile CO is communicating regularly and from what I can tell cultivating high-value and low fare customers here on FT at the same time... possibly even upselling the low's to high.