marilyn35406

If you are lucky enough to get a Z upgrade using the new electronic upgrades, what exactly should you do after Delta tells you that you have it?

This thread raised my paranoia: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...show-open.html where Delta is portrayed as incompetent at best or lazy good-for-nothings at worst.

Say it ain't so!

The SA carefully took down the numbers etc of my PUs and the BE seats are assigned in my itinerary but no new tickets are issued.
Will I be able to check in on-line and get boarding passes showing the upgraded seats?
Do I need to ask for something else? If so - what?

brad9696

I am currently on a trip MSP->ATL->FRA where I used the electronic upgrade to BE. I called the Platinum line twice before I left, and asked what to do. Received 2 different answers, both of which turned out to be wrong. Giving the certificate numbers (on the E-Certs) is apparently not sufficient (as I was told). I learned of this at the MSP gate -> where they told me (15 minutes before departure) that I would need to go back out to the ticket counter to get the ticket re-issued, or surrender miles to take the flights. I gave up the miles, then had the ticket re-issued by a redcoat in ATL when I got there - now fighting to get my miles back.

Long story short...comments on getting the ticket re-issued are correct.

Several people have said that "demanding" this on the Platinum CS phone line is possible - if not - arrive early and go to the ticket counter - as they won't do it at the gate - and I was told Sky Club can't do it either.

They have royally fouled up the implementation of this. Communication internally was poor as well. I must have spoken with at least 5 people in Delta who kept insisting I needed to present / turn in the paper certificates.

okamsrazor

This is all the DL legacy policy.

DL upgrades were in the form of paper certificates. You indicate you want to upgrade with the certificate and the class of service is changed and the certificate number was put in your reservation. When you arrive at the airport you surrender the certificate and the ticket is reissued.

Mileage upgrade works in similar fashion with the ticket either being reissued 72 hours prior to the flight or at the airport.

Both are/were intended to be customer-friendly policies. Once the certificate is redeemed and ticket is issued, the certificate can't be reused. Once the mileage upgrade is processed any changes would result in a fee or the use of a platinum waiver (Diamonds are now exempt from the mileage reissue fee)

Now that the upgrade certificates are electronic the former system isn't working so well. You might want to print out the electronic document to bring to the airport until all the ticket agents are harassed or threatened or forced to read all the company memos on how to handle the transaction.

The mileage upgrade process hasn't changed. Yeah I know it's archaic compared to how NW processed the same transactions. I am guessing in a couple pf months it will be streamlined. DL wants to win the JD Powers survey and this is definitely a major hiccup in achieving that.

doglover

Any tickets upgraded in advance must be re-ticketed. Insist they queue it to be reticketed. Don't let them end the call until they've confirmed it. Then, if it hasn't reticked within 48 hours call back and pester them again.

Yes it's ugly, yes it's a waste of your time. But if you want a hassle free trip you must do this.

vgb2001

How does one know if the ticket has been re-ticketed? I just used one PMU for a return CUN/SAN in March; I gave the # on the phone and have been assigned First/Bus seats. I'm a little concerned that agent at CUN won;t really know what to do when I surrender the paper PMU...

marilyn35406

In the old days - 2009 - I would have told you to turn in your PU at SAN ie before you leave the US. Now - I don't know what to say. According to posts here, even that may not work

Is there no Delta employee here who actually knows how it is supposed to work? (Or maybe that should be "how it does work") Certainly CS has gone downhill to the extent that they cannot be trusted to give a correct answer.

marilyn35406

This horror story raises all kinds of questions.

1. Were the numbers (and "redemption Code") in your record?
2. What would they have needed to do it right?
3. Were you able to get boarding cards (with upgrade seats)on the net?

rylan

Geez, so how are they going to handle people being upgraded while on waitlist to use a SWU at the gate? Tell us we have to go back to the counter to get it reissued when it clears? Or does usable on "day of departure" mean we still have to clear into Z before we check in?

k2

LOL. I tried to do the exact same thing with many DL PM agents and one very friendly check-in agent at DTW, who when I finally had to run through security to catch my flight was still on hold on their internal line after about 20 minutes. I think it's hopeless, but good luck.

ferd57

However, are the paper ones even been mailed out this year. I just selected my DM 6 SWU. I received an e-mail which stated "To redeem your Systemwide Upgrades on either a new or existing reservation, please have your Certificate number and redemption code ready when you call the Delta Reservations phone number on the back of your Medallion membership card. " When I go online and try to print one out, the certificate number appears as 006xxxxxxxxxxxx. No numbers are showing, so I don't think I any longer have paper certificates to handout. There is no mention of certificates being mailed out.

So how the heck to I confirm before I arrive at the airport that there is nothing else I need to do. Nothing worse than arriving expecting to sit in BE for a 10 hour flight and being told there is a problem.

marilyn35406

They will send you an email with the certificate numbers and redemption codes - you can print this out.
or
Go to delta.com, click on your "Profile" then "certificates" and print the screen

You are correct that these are not actual certificates but they are evidence that you aren't making it all up.

However I have the same question as you - how do you confirm that you are not going to have a problem?

RealHJ

Check your ticket is it properly reissued and booked into BE (no way to see it online on delta.dumb, so if you are lucky to have the "Email Receipt" link then use that and wait for the e-mail). If not, then call and keep calling until you get a competent agent who can reissue your ticket. It's an easy and quick process that has worked just fine since January 31st morning in the Delta reservations systems. At least here, IT has implemented it properly (as it's a part of the WorldPerks loyalty system now used and by Jan 31st morning now it's fully integrated with the 1980's era Delta reservations systems, it seems). It just seems that Delta "forgot" to train most of their agents in it. So it's just a matter of calling and calling until you hit someone who knows, or at least cares enought to find out. But, for an agent who knows how to do it, it's a one-minute thing to quickly and easily do.

rylan

Sounds like the only way to not have a problem is to make sure your flight is reticketed in Z before you go to check in. But as I said, doesn't that screw up the whole upgrade waitlist on day of departure with SWU thing?

mllafrica

Good question...if you are standby to upgrade on day of departure at the airport, how do you handle the electronic certificate process? Does anyone think we need to always carry a copy of our certificate list with us?

uoflfan14

So I used my PMU on my roundtrip to rome and booked in M Class. First of all the print receipt will still show ur original class cause that is what you paid for but on the reservations screen when you log in it will show that you are in BE.