No Trans-Continental Upgrade
Feb 13, 2010, 4:34 pm
#31
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: DCA
Programs: DL DM, HH Diamond; SPG Gold; MR Platinum :)
Posts: 521
Upgrade space on the JFK-SFO and JFK-LAX nonstop flights is not opened in advance. It's X0 through the end of the schedule, so everyone requesting an upgrade is on the battlefield. Unless something changes, if you want a chance at an advance confirmed complimentary upgrade, you'll have to choose a different route.
Feb 13, 2010, 4:45 pm
#32
In Memoriam
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: TPA DL GM/ 2.8 MM
Posts: 1,132
Yes, technically just like all other flights, which upgrade based on availability in the "X" or "V" buckets (Bus or First). When those buckets are set to 0, though, no advance upgrades are processed for anyone. If you check a tool like ExpertFlyer, you'll see V0 on these flights to the end of the schedule, unlike most other flights.
There are certainly exceptions, where X availability is opened for whatever reason, but the norm is X0 up to departure time.
There are certainly exceptions, where X availability is opened for whatever reason, but the norm is X0 up to departure time.
Feb 13, 2010, 5:49 pm
#33
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Denver, CO, USA
Programs: Sometimes known as [ARG:6 UNDEFINED]
Posts: 26,708
Perhaps a deeper explanation was in order regarding my decision not to travel to SFO in the morning and back to NYC on the redeye.
I too own my own business. Our clients comes first as well.
My client on that trip to SF is my college roommate and he is more than a client. He is my best friend - with the exception of my wife. As a mater of fact, he and his family had stayed at my house at Lake Tahoe the week before.
I had been on the road for the better part of three weeks and when I asked him if we could take care of our business via telephone or teleconference he understood.
"If you were employed by my co," I would have some empathy for you and ask questions and try to understand the situation before I would behave rashly.
I too own my own business. Our clients comes first as well.
My client on that trip to SF is my college roommate and he is more than a client. He is my best friend - with the exception of my wife. As a mater of fact, he and his family had stayed at my house at Lake Tahoe the week before.
I had been on the road for the better part of three weeks and when I asked him if we could take care of our business via telephone or teleconference he understood.
"If you were employed by my co," I would have some empathy for you and ask questions and try to understand the situation before I would behave rashly.
Feb 14, 2010, 4:55 pm
#34
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Minneapolis
Programs: Delta Diamond Medallion, NWA "MillionAir", Marriott Gold, SPG Gold, National Emerald Executive
Posts: 10
Feb 14, 2010, 5:42 pm
#35
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Tricoastal - London, New York, Silicon Valley
Programs: DL DM/2.5MM, 20 Years Top Tier on DL, UA 1K, AC E75k, MR/SPG Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 1,309
...and please stop posting to this thread - No one cares about the grammatical errors in your post, your company, your clients, you not taking flights because you bought cheapie tickets and expect and upgrade, etc. etc.
It has been said many times.
If you want an F/C seat, buy an F/C seat . <--That is a "PERIOD!"
TFD
Feb 14, 2010, 5:51 pm
#36
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP / LT PLT / 3MM, Marriott LT Gold
Posts: 35,399
There are many ways of "buying" a seat in F: Cash, miles, a combination, or loyalty currency (complimentary domestic upgrades or SWU-based international upgrades). As an EXP on AA, I have a 100% upgrade rate on transcons and a near-100% lifetime upgrade rate. And I am far from unique. Based on my 6 years of experience, I am pretty much guaranteed a seat in F/J when I buy a ticket in Y.
Now if you want to fly on (or are stuck with) an airline which considers loyalty currency to be an inferior form of payment, then you are absolutely correct.
Feb 14, 2010, 7:32 pm
#37
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: SFO
Programs: Grounded
Posts: 669
Unfortunately this is how some airlines have conditioned people to think.
There are many ways of "buying" a seat in F: Cash, miles, a combination, or loyalty currency (complimentary domestic upgrades or SWU-based international upgrades). As an EXP on AA, I have a 100% upgrade rate on transcons and a near-100% lifetime upgrade rate. And I am far from unique. Based on my 6 years of experience, I am pretty much guaranteed a seat in F/J when I buy a ticket in Y.
Now if you want to fly on (or are stuck with) an airline which considers loyalty currency to be an inferior form of payment, then you are absolutely correct.
There are many ways of "buying" a seat in F: Cash, miles, a combination, or loyalty currency (complimentary domestic upgrades or SWU-based international upgrades). As an EXP on AA, I have a 100% upgrade rate on transcons and a near-100% lifetime upgrade rate. And I am far from unique. Based on my 6 years of experience, I am pretty much guaranteed a seat in F/J when I buy a ticket in Y.
Now if you want to fly on (or are stuck with) an airline which considers loyalty currency to be an inferior form of payment, then you are absolutely correct.
Even with great EXP results, the proverbial you shouldn't start pouting and raise a big stink if you happen to miss one or two flights. Stuff happens - you buy Y, you should expect Y and anything above that is gravy. Sometimes you get the gravy 90-99% of the time, but there's always that chance you don't
Feb 14, 2010, 7:37 pm
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP / LT PLT / 3MM, Marriott LT Gold
Posts: 35,399
It's an appropriate form of thought when you start to act as if you are "owed" the upgrade though.
Even with great EXP results, the proverbial you shouldn't start pouting and raise a big stink if you happen to miss one or two flights. Stuff happens - you buy Y, you should expect Y and anything above that is gravy. Sometimes you get the gravy 90-99% of the time, but there's always that chance you don't
Even with great EXP results, the proverbial you shouldn't start pouting and raise a big stink if you happen to miss one or two flights. Stuff happens - you buy Y, you should expect Y and anything above that is gravy. Sometimes you get the gravy 90-99% of the time, but there's always that chance you don't
Feb 14, 2010, 8:12 pm
#39
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 69
Feb 14, 2010, 8:29 pm
#40
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP / LT PLT / 3MM, Marriott LT Gold
Posts: 35,399
Feb 14, 2010, 8:44 pm
#41
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: SFO
Programs: Grounded
Posts: 669
No disagreement there. But the other extreme is when posters claim that the airline is doing you a favor by giving you an upgrade (it's a privilege, etc.). It is NOT a privilege. It is a published benefit, of course subject to "availability." How an airline defines such availability (which can be measured by upgrade percentages) is a good indicator of how much it values its elites.
That being said, my partner frequently does late Friday night JFK-SFO and Sunday afternoon SFO-JFK flights, and he's had very good luck getting upgrades as a platinum. As in, I think he's 100% on all of them so far. He's come close to missing a few times though, and in at least one of those cases he's CFC'd to different flights to increase his odds.
Feb 14, 2010, 9:49 pm
#42
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Oakland Park, FL
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM
Posts: 480
For the record -- I've booked a trip that I didn't take because the upgrade never came through. I was on the fence about going in the first place -- and that sealed the deal.
Feb 15, 2010, 7:47 am
#43
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM MM SC; GE; Bonvoy Titanium; IHG Diamond
Posts: 2,310
My LAX-JFK redeye a few weeks ago had a completely empty BE cabin five days out and I still didn't get the upgrade until the gate. I understand DL thinks they can sell those seats, but that was ridiculous, IMHO.
Feb 15, 2010, 8:08 am
#44
In memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2005
Location: PIT
Programs: DM life is over 2MM PM now & NW MillionAir Wyndham Rewards Plat -Hotels.com Silver -Accor Silver
Posts: 15,408
I was thinking, obviously, on these flights, they want to try to sell as many of these seats as possible, even up the very last possible second! I doubt that it's a huge amount of revenue, but, could another small factor be that if you're confirmed in advance in F, you can check 3 bags, as opposed to a BF upgrade pax in Y can only check 2. I realize, of course, that most biz travelers try not to check ANY bags!
Feb 15, 2010, 8:32 am
#45
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Long Beach, CA
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 5,292
As a NWA/Delta Platinum flyer, I Booked JFK-SFO last week and didn't get the upgrade bump - even up through the morning of the departure. It looked like there were open seats in FC, but reservations told me that the seats would most likely be released at the gate.
I opted to not take the flights without the confirmed upgrade. 7 hours each way in coach is more than I wanted to face.
I opted to not take the flights without the confirmed upgrade. 7 hours each way in coach is more than I wanted to face.
THen you should probably lose the sense of entitlement and select "FIRST/BUSINESS" at Delta.com when making your reservations. The price would have been higher than what you paid, but, you'd be getting what you paid for.