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The Definitive B/E Upgrade Complaint Thread

The Definitive B/E Upgrade Complaint Thread

Old May 9, 2010, 8:02 pm
  #31  
formerly jameskwon
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: AA, DL, Bonvoy, WoH, HH
Posts: 761
As a ex-NWPM and now DM, I have to say,
Regardless wherever they are sitting, even its in the back, coach middle seat, next to the crying baby, or the worst - all together,
chances are PMs and DMs will fly Delta again.

NW wasn't giving their WBC away just for the cause. and DL is doing the same. Like the MOST other airlines does around the world.
(especially SQ, KE agents gives you worst look i've ever seen in my life if you ask for the "Free" upgrade.)

Back to the Principal, You get what you paid for.
ControlTower is offline  
Old May 9, 2010, 9:02 pm
  #32  
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Phoenix/Columbus
Programs: Delta Silver Medallion, United Gold, US Airways silver
Posts: 1,716
Originally Posted by bubbashow
^

Cheapskates that don't belong up front. Don't try to bring facts of devaluation of the product into it...they don't want to hear it. They just want us all to know how valuable they are on their T-fare elite status.
Low upgradable fares were nice on NW, and a lot of us who fly a lot miss those fares. Having said that and holding a M fare that cost me 3 X as much as one on NW in the "good old days", I am STILL on the waiting list 9 days out for and upgrade using a SWU on DL 259 that is still listed as J9 D9 S9 I0 Y9 B9 M9 H9 Q9 K9 L9 U9 T9 - as a charter Diamond Medallion. It is more than the fares - it is also the benefits of being "loyal" - or lack thereof.
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Old May 10, 2010, 7:15 pm
  #33  
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Programs: Delta DM
Posts: 49
Will dl ever equal ua with swu for dm on lower tickets

I am curious to find out what other Diamonds opinions are regarding this issue.
UA gives its 1K SWU's to upgrade from coach to use on almost any ticket. and if you read the UA board, you read very few complaints from their 1K on this issue.

For me, I have over a dozen of International flights to take yet this year and it is disappointing to know that on UA I would get some upgrades with the SWU and on the airline I have been so loyal to and have given so much business to over the years, they feel it is not worth it thanking their most loyal customers with similar SWU's.

Just for the record, this is not a bash DL Thread. Just a thread for civil comments on this topic.

Thank you.

Last edited by RSSrsvp; May 11, 2010 at 7:21 am Reason: Merged into The Definitive B/E Upgrade Complaint Thread
Scotty66 is offline  
Old May 10, 2010, 7:20 pm
  #34  
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: MA
Programs: DL DM/2MM Marriott Platinum, HH Diamond,
Posts: 8,906
The YBM fare rules for international upgrades are arbitrary rules! Some of you continue to act as if they were divinely written upon stone tablets and carried down the mountain by Moses.

DL has some kind of issue going on here... I suspect the best way for them to solve the problem of unsold BE seats is to liberalize the sale fare rules the way CO and others have done. On CO, you do not need to have a 7 day stay, just a Saturday night stay for their BF sale fares.
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Old May 10, 2010, 7:36 pm
  #35  
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
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Overall SWUs are pretty useless. Delta M fares are almost as much as Z, I can understand not having LUT, but the mid fares would be a nice compromise. I do not see it happening though as Delta overall feels route maps and schedule are more important then service.
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Old May 10, 2010, 7:42 pm
  #36  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
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As I've said before. If International Upgrades are important to you, Delta SkyMiles is not the right program for you.
AndyTLe is offline  
Old May 10, 2010, 7:43 pm
  #37  
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If you take a dozen int'l flights, why do you fly DL?

M fares USA-Asia often cost $3,000-$4,000

Average SWU upgradable fares on UA are often $1,100-$1,600

If money is no object, then fly DL.....
kb1992 is offline  
Old May 10, 2010, 7:58 pm
  #38  
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
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To answer the original question.... It is very possible that DL SWU's will soon equal or come close to UA's. After the UA/CO merger, the devaluation winds will blow over Chicago and Houston... It is only a matter of time...
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Old May 10, 2010, 8:06 pm
  #39  
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Originally Posted by Crazyhotelguy
To answer the original question.... It is very possible that DL SWU's will soon equal or come close to UA's. After the UA/CO merger, the devaluation winds will blow over Chicago and Houston... It is only a matter of time...
I am scared by this merger. We 1Ks have everything to lose and very little to gain.

New CO/UA will be run by current CO CEO. CO is also stingy about benefits for top tier elites.
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Old May 10, 2010, 9:35 pm
  #40  
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: ABQ
Programs: Delta Platinum, Southwest A-List
Posts: 1,426
This is my biggest point of contention... if DL fixed these useless papers they would indeed be best in class, in my opinion... but I'm starting to not hold my breath on this!
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Old May 10, 2010, 9:40 pm
  #41  
ffI
 
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UA SWUs are on W+ which on DL is K+
DL allows K+ use of SWUs for accompanying persons
DL allows M+ use of SWUs internationally

While UA allows W+ internationally and any fare locally up to Hawaii.
As AndyTLe puts it if Intl upgrades are important to you, DL is not for you.
In many respects US should have merged with DL, NW with AA and UA with CO.
Both US and DL are very similar in their rev management ideas.
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Old May 10, 2010, 10:09 pm
  #42  
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
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Originally Posted by Crazyhotelguy
To answer the original question.... It is very possible that DL SWU's will soon equal or come close to UA's. After the UA/CO merger, the devaluation winds will blow over Chicago and Houston... It is only a matter of time...
I ain't waiting!
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Old May 10, 2010, 10:16 pm
  #43  
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
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Originally Posted by RobertS975
The YBM fare rules for international upgrades are arbitrary rules! Some of you continue to act as if they were divinely written upon stone tablets and carried down the mountain by Moses.

DL has some kind of issue going on here... I suspect the best way for them to solve the problem of unsold BE seats is to liberalize the sale fare rules the way CO and others have done. On CO, you do not need to have a 7 day stay, just a Saturday night stay for their BF sale fares.
It's what the competition (still) offers (and what NW used to offer), not divinely written on stone tablets. That's the issue.
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Old May 10, 2010, 11:15 pm
  #44  
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Finally, a fresh topic.
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Old May 10, 2010, 11:52 pm
  #45  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: TPA formerly LAX
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Posts: 94
SKYMILESINSIDER Thanks for the Sky Priority..domestic like gold..Intl. non-existent

Let me start by saying I have been closely following this board for the last two years and I am current Diamond Medallion already re-qualified through 2012 thanks to rollover miles. SKYMILESINSIDER I have a serious gripe with your Sky Priority marketing blitz. I have no complaints on the domestic side as I have missed upgrades on only a few segments and am very happy with the domestic benefits. However, on the international side Skymiles and Sky Priority is a complete laughing stock. Delta is soo far from being best in class on international travel that it’s a travesty your marketing department can get away with uttering those words.

As a DM who just returned from an LAX-SYD RT in Y both ways and witnessed on both the outbound and return flights that there was excess space in BE after accommodating all paying passengers (cash and skymiles), all NRSA employees and all buddy passes. On the return flight I confirmed with the lead purser that I was the only DM in Y on the flight and there were 2 or 3 PMs. The fact that there is not some instrument available to the top tiers to upgrade in a situation like this is from my vantage point a serious lacking in the Skymiles offering. I would have gladly exchanged 50,000 miles for one of those seats each way. Ohh and even if I had wanted to book an award ticket for the trip of course there was no low level BE awards available even though both cabins were more than half empty.

Apparently Delta fail’s to realize that 3 out of the 4 Majors (soon to be 2 of 3) both realize and value their top tier fliers enough to give them instruments that allow them to upgrade to Biz Class at substantially lower fare levels than Delta a few times a year for their loyalty.

I agree Delta runs a business and can't sustain in the long run if BE seats are just given away. But where I think Delta differs from the other airlines (i.e. United, Continental, and AA) is they fail to see the separation and difference between Business and Leisure travel. They are GREEDY and expect all their Top Tier Fliers to behave and spend as if they are on Business Travel internationally every time they fly. As I have over 1mm Skymiles and in all likelihood another 30 years of active flying, its in my best interest for Delta to right this ship. I will not remain complacent and be satisfied with the status quo that delta calls there useless SWUs and shame on those of you out there that aren’t willing to take more of a stand in order to get Delta to change their course. This hogwash that Delta feeds us about protecting the yield on their BE cabin is just that…when half the cabin is going out empty and being given to NRSA and buddy passes nothing is being protected. If last minute upgrades via miles or cash or usable SWUs were allowed the only net effect would be a few less buddy passes sitting upfront.

Case in point.. those that fly on business internationally and have travel policies that allow for the purchase of J class tickets will continue to do just that. They are not going to risk a gate a upgrade and the chance of riding in Y if they don’t have to b/c they are spending OPM (Other People’s Money). In addition, those high rollers out there to which money flows freely will also not change their purchasing decisions and risk sitting in back. The majority of international flights that Delta is operating today have room to accommodate all types of passengers to maximize yield including full J, Discounted I, Award Tickets, NRSA, buddy passes, and SWU’s on all fares if not just mid and up on a space available basis.

Let me leave the flyertalk community with this..if you just paid a full fare J ticket for BE on a long-haul which seat mate would would make u feel more slighted by Delta’s system? A kid on a buddy pass that paid a few hundred dollars in taxes? Or a Diamond Medallion who paid $800 for a T-fare and upgraded using one of his SWUs (hypothetically speaking) after flying 125,000 miles domestically? Wake up Delta some of us out there would actually like being treated like a DM internationally and be given more options than paying $800 for Y or $3,000 for M and that’s it.

As I’m sure I’ll be flamed for this, please note that I’m moving all the remainder of my international travel this year to UA. Delta needs to realize they are a global airline and needs to treat their top tiers in-line with the other major carriers when we choose to fly internationally a couple times a year on leisure.

-LAXHOUND

Last edited by RSSrsvp; May 11, 2010 at 7:16 am Reason: Merged into the B/E upgrade master thread
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