DLCorpTeam

Glad that you seem to be liking the technology and program enhancement that we launched in the early morning hours today. Addtional details are also available online this morning at delta.com/whatsahead and the SkyMiles Medallion benefits chart.

This is one more item from the list of many that we have promised to deliver. Enjoy!

DLdweeb

Ditto. I feel paid tix should clear first before award. And I do understand that miles are like currency, but to me it doesn't seem fair.

mnredfox

Looks like it's official. SMI, ^ for the updates and for the implementation.

While many GM's/SM's I'm sure will howl unfair, I like this benefit as it brings the FFP closer to where NWA's award program was (re BF UG's).

I personally like the change.

MikeMpls

From what I've read, the changes are very interesting -- much of NW & the WorldPerks program has gradually been restored or reconstructed.

But you still have one enormous problem: Award availability

Interesting suggestion -- gives each level a reasonable priority.

Silvers get squished no matter what.

Juanefny

For whatever it's worth, here's another perspective. Whenever I redeem miles for myself (rarely b/c I don't want to miss out on MQMs) I always book in first because I didn't want to risk going in coach for a long flight. Therefore, in the flights that I mention above, the FO would have still not gotten that upgrade... just my .02
PS. Again... I don't see DM, PM and GMs going and booking award tickets en masse, because again... I think most of us care too much about the MQMs.

DiverDave

SMs and above are going to have a lot more miles than the general public. I would bet that the percentage of award tickets who are GM or above is higher than your estimate.

This will eat into the advance upgrade inventory, which as has been established in other threads, has not been all that great recently.

I guess if you get hit with 40K miles for a medium domestic redemption and get upgraded, then you save 5K miles.

I would have thought that doing award upgrades 12-24 hours out would have been sufficiently generous.

OTOH, this costs Delta zero dollars and seemingly has bought some goodwill as zero cost. This doesn't bode well (in my estimation) of our hopes that Delta will ease up on award availability, as that would cost Delta some actual revenue.

Yep. And I'm not betting on much change in that area.

David

RobOnLI

For all of you complaining that this award upgrade program will limit upgrades for FO and GM elites (and to a degree PM's), I would have to say I disagree for the most part.

You're all making one big assumption that there are a lot of award tickets on a particular flight for *single* travelers. I would say it's a safe bet that most elites who book award tickets do it as a group and therefore are ineligible for an upgrade. That's why there are a lot of posts in this thread about people missing the "Request upgrade" button on domestic flights...it's because they have non-DM/PM/GM companions in the reservation.

This is no different than a revenue ticket being booked with a companion. How many threads do we see on this board about "should I split my reservation?" Lots. Those that do split their reservation are also hurting the upgrade chances of every elite lower than the level of that person who is splitting. Why isn't that bashed with the emphasis that the award upgrade program has been?

I, for one, support the award ticket upgrade program as it has been implemented today. Thank you to Delta for making a :-: Best In Class :-: enhancement.

-RM

cltsig

Just got off the phone with a rep and here is the deal. I'm PM and have an award ticket booked with my wife on the same itinerary. The rep said I cannot upgrade because she is on the itinerary and has no status. So she brings me down, not me bringing her up. Rep split the reservations so I'm now eligible for an upgrade and she still isn't. Luckily I put her in exit rows before splitting.

Although this policy isn't spelled out here, it would be nice to know this. Had I not called I would have been upset not knowing about this "feature" while knowing I was (or should have been) eligible to be upgraded.

jfulcher

I agree, but I think they should be cleared before FOs. I mean DL has removed or reduced every other benefit of an FO.

RobOnLI

It is very clearly pointed out on the URL you posted:

"Companion Upgrades are not available for travel on Award Tickets or Pay with Miles."

-RM

rylan

Nice to see this at least from the Delta site.. so award tickets do clear after T.
I wonder how the priority works after revs are cleared... based on booking date? How about Amex Reserve factor?

cltsig

I understand companion upgrades are not available for upgrades but was referring to the fact that I (PM) cannot be upgraded while traveling with a no-status companion on the same itinerary.

DaChief

Agree, I cannot think of one time over the years where I have booked an award trip as a single traveler. I don't see that this enhancement has any real benefit for me, but I don't really see it hurting my upgrade chances on revenue tickets much either. A DM on award travel by themselves is it.

DaChief

Good for you. Hope you plan to let her sit up front if you clear and you take the exit seat.

pokeable

Agreed. Excluding baggage and a 25% SkyPeso bonus, FO is a general member.

For those saying award upgrades at Medallion level won't effect FO upgrade %...huh?

In three years as a FO, I've received +2+ upgrades at the 24 hour window. The rest were battlefields. Of those battlefields, more than 50%, I was the last one who got the upgrade (how do I know this? my wife, also a FO, did not clear, and thus she sat in F while I sat in coach).