Platinum folks: How often are you upgraded?
Dec 20, 2010, 10:48 am
#31
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: lax
Programs: DL DM, SPG Plat
Posts: 781
GM this year, LAX based. I flew 34 segments this year, of which 24 were eligible for upgrades. I cleared on 20 of them. So only 59% overall, but 83% rate on eligible flights. The other flights were RJs with no FC or flights to Hawaii.
Dec 20, 2010, 11:29 am
#33
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 417
If you had one of those and inventory was available (Z class), it would be 15,000 for Y and 25,000 for B or M.
Dec 20, 2010, 1:09 pm
#34
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: CMH
Programs: HH Diamond, DL PM
Posts: 121
into and out of CMH (home airport) 95%
overall about 80%
Majority of my tickets are purchased within 24 hours of departure so I am often subject to the gate lottery.
When booked well in advance upgrades generally clear 5 to 6 days out.
Hardest upgrades have been west coast to ATL red eyes (most notably SEA, LAS, and LAX).
All the above has been fairly consistent over the last 3 to 4 years.
overall about 80%
Majority of my tickets are purchased within 24 hours of departure so I am often subject to the gate lottery.
When booked well in advance upgrades generally clear 5 to 6 days out.
Hardest upgrades have been west coast to ATL red eyes (most notably SEA, LAS, and LAX).
All the above has been fairly consistent over the last 3 to 4 years.
Dec 20, 2010, 1:32 pm
#35
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: BDU
Programs: DL:MM, Marriott:LTT
Posts: 8,779
I think the general theme is location, location, location. I am in RDU and with the 2x MQM promotion that DL has had for the last six months, the level of elites has sky rocketed. Last year as a FO and a GM I was upgraded about 65-75% of the time. This year since the promo, my upgrades are half that. Often I will get upgraded for my connection out of ATL, MSP, & DTW but will either clear at the gate or not at all out of or into RDU.
Dec 20, 2010, 1:32 pm
#36
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: MSP
Programs: DL-PM, Small Luxury Hotels & Proud Member of TSA Disparager-Gold
Posts: 774
I was off to a rocky start early in 2010. MSP to Caribbean mostly. I had more upgrades in 2009 as a FO than I did as PM from January to March, ran maybe 50% however my luck changed significantly and went to 100% UG for the rest of the year, including UG on TATL due to oversold Y MSP-AMS. Happy camper!
2011 will be my last year as PM as I am greatly reducing the amount of destination weddings I accept, unless TSA makes significant changes in their procedures. (I'm not holding my breath)
2011 will be my last year as PM as I am greatly reducing the amount of destination weddings I accept, unless TSA makes significant changes in their procedures. (I'm not holding my breath)
Dec 20, 2010, 2:33 pm
#37
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: CAK/CLE
Programs: Delta DM, Hilton Gold
Posts: 273
Made PM in October, since then have been 2/4 on eligible segments ( made PIT-ATL and MSP-ORD, missed CVG-SFO Monday AM after Thanksgiving and SFO-JFK redeye that Thursday ). Also got a BE UG at the gate on my first segment as a PM, MAN-ATL :-).
I do notice on the flights I missed I haven't missed by much, maybe by 6 people or so, which is much better than being 30 people back or more when I was a GM or FO.
I do notice on the flights I missed I haven't missed by much, maybe by 6 people or so, which is much better than being 30 people back or more when I was a GM or FO.
Dec 20, 2010, 2:53 pm
#38
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K (MM), DL, AA, AS, HHonors, SPG, Kimpton, Hyatt, IC PC, Marriott Titanium (LT PLT), Hertz PC
Posts: 7,231
Why is this better? You were still sitting in Y, correct? As far as I'm concerned, if it's not getting me upgraded, it's not much better!
Dec 20, 2010, 3:19 pm
#40
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: Formaldehyde Medallion DL DieMiles
Posts: 12,646
Dec 20, 2010, 3:23 pm
#41
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: Formaldehyde Medallion DL DieMiles
Posts: 12,646
I have missed a total of 3 UGs dating back to when NW and DL finally instituted reciprocal UGs (when was that, by the way?)
Two of those have been in the last month.
One of those, I actually had the upgrade but my client asked me to move the trip up one day and I lost the UG on one of the two outbound legs as a consequence.
My secret is to avoid ATL like I'd avoid the plague.
Two of those have been in the last month.
One of those, I actually had the upgrade but my client asked me to move the trip up one day and I lost the UG on one of the two outbound legs as a consequence.
My secret is to avoid ATL like I'd avoid the plague.
Dec 20, 2010, 5:16 pm
#42
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Minneapolis
Programs: DELTA
Posts: 1,599
Platinum MAY Be The New Silver
Well, before this month my UG percentage was 95% or better. I am a PM that commutes weekly between MSP & SEA. I usually travel out to SEA on Sunday nights (but sometimes on the first flight out on Monday morning) and I travel back on the Saturday morning red eye. I was very happy with my UG percentage going into this month. My last 6 flights of the year included 4 segments as part of a MR SEA-ATL-JFK-SFO-MSP (7112 Miles). Of course, at no surprise to myself, I had NO chance for an UG on the first segment (SEA-ATL). Even if I were not on a sLUT fare (which I was), I would have had NO CHANCE. No biggie. I did get UG's on the remaining segments, including into BE on the JFK-SFO segment. 
^
That being said, my last trip of the year last weekend found me in back on BOTH segments.
I was the next in line for a battlefield UG MSP-SEA last Sunday - no dice (even though 6A went out empty). And I was 5th in line for 2 seats coming back on Friday mid-day (an unusual flight for me to take, but the tickets out on Saturday were in a much higher fare bucket).
The net-net, my last 6 flights of the year saw me at 50%! I cannot afford to get an AMEX Reserve card and buy non-sLUT fares for my business trips since I pay for my trips out of my own pocket.
I personally think DL should get rid of all of these fake MQM's that they hand out like candy by driving folks to one or more AMEX products.. I also think that DL should do away with the DM level all together. Instead, they should just raise the MQM and MQS requirements for each level by 10K and then call it good: Silver - 35K, Gold - 60K, Plat - 85K. They can keep rollover MQM's - so long as they are "real" MQM's vs. fake. That's how I see it, anyway.
As far as DL selling out our Medallion perks to the highest bidder - I'm not too worried about it. They're going to try to expand their pilot/proof of concept, all of their high value DM's and PM's are going to abandon them in favor of other carriers and that will be that. They'll have to strike down this idiotic program and will be right back to where they are now.
On a separate note, I think that if my UG percentage does not improve next year, I'm going to switch over to AS where I can at least make their top elite tier no problem with the miles I fly, and I know that Rick Rasmussen over there is smart enough to not run the DL playbook on the AS loyalty programs. ^
-A
^That being said, my last trip of the year last weekend found me in back on BOTH segments.
I was the next in line for a battlefield UG MSP-SEA last Sunday - no dice (even though 6A went out empty). And I was 5th in line for 2 seats coming back on Friday mid-day (an unusual flight for me to take, but the tickets out on Saturday were in a much higher fare bucket).The net-net, my last 6 flights of the year saw me at 50%! I cannot afford to get an AMEX Reserve card and buy non-sLUT fares for my business trips since I pay for my trips out of my own pocket.
I personally think DL should get rid of all of these fake MQM's that they hand out like candy by driving folks to one or more AMEX products.. I also think that DL should do away with the DM level all together. Instead, they should just raise the MQM and MQS requirements for each level by 10K and then call it good: Silver - 35K, Gold - 60K, Plat - 85K. They can keep rollover MQM's - so long as they are "real" MQM's vs. fake. That's how I see it, anyway.
As far as DL selling out our Medallion perks to the highest bidder - I'm not too worried about it. They're going to try to expand their pilot/proof of concept, all of their high value DM's and PM's are going to abandon them in favor of other carriers and that will be that. They'll have to strike down this idiotic program and will be right back to where they are now.
On a separate note, I think that if my UG percentage does not improve next year, I'm going to switch over to AS where I can at least make their top elite tier no problem with the miles I fly, and I know that Rick Rasmussen over there is smart enough to not run the DL playbook on the AS loyalty programs. ^
-A
Last edited by Poopdeck90210; Dec 20, 2010 at 5:32 pm
Dec 20, 2010, 5:26 pm
#43
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: Formaldehyde Medallion DL DieMiles
Posts: 12,646
Well, before this month my UG percentage was 95% or better. I am a PM that commutes weekly between MSP & SEA. I usually travel out to SEA on Sunday nights (but sometimes on the first flight out on Monday morning) and I travel back on the Saturday morning red eye. I was very happy with my UG percentage going into this month. My last 6 flights of the year included 4 segments as part of a MR SEA-ATL-JFK-SFO-MSP (7112 Miles). Of course, at no surprise to myself, I had NO chance for an UG on the first segment (SEA-ATL). Even if I were not on a sLUT fare (which I was), I would have had NO CHANCE. No biggie. I did get UG's on the remaining segments, including into BE on the JFK-SFO segment. ^
That being said, my last trip of the year last weekend found me in back on BOTH segments. I was the next in line for a battlefield UG MSP-SEA last Sunday - no dice (even though 6A went out empty). And I was 5th in line for 2 seats coming back on Friday mid-day (an unusual flight for me to take, but the tickets out on Saturday were in a much higher fare bucket).
The net-net, my last 6 flights of the year saw me at 50%! I cannot afford to get an AMEX Reserve card and buy non-sLUT fares for my business trips since I pay for my trips out of my own pocket. If my UG percentage does not improve next year, I'm going to switch over to AS where I can at least make their top elite tier no problem with the miles I fly.
-A
^That being said, my last trip of the year last weekend found me in back on BOTH segments.
I was the next in line for a battlefield UG MSP-SEA last Sunday - no dice (even though 6A went out empty). And I was 5th in line for 2 seats coming back on Friday mid-day (an unusual flight for me to take, but the tickets out on Saturday were in a much higher fare bucket).The net-net, my last 6 flights of the year saw me at 50%! I cannot afford to get an AMEX Reserve card and buy non-sLUT fares for my business trips since I pay for my trips out of my own pocket. If my UG percentage does not improve next year, I'm going to switch over to AS where I can at least make their top elite tier no problem with the miles I fly.
-A
Speak out, and don't let DL management UpSell our UGs.
Dec 20, 2010, 6:57 pm
#44
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: CAK/CLE
Programs: Delta DM, Hilton Gold
Posts: 273
Yes, that's true, but at least it's a bit of a consolation prize that I wasn't at the very end of the list like I was used to. That is of course me speaking as a new PM; 1 year from now and I'll bet the story will be different ;-).
Dec 20, 2010, 8:56 pm
#45
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Minneapolis
Programs: DELTA
Posts: 1,599
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