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Quote:

Originally Posted by Spicy B (Post 15534040)

OP: Don't forget, if you start buying B & M fares, that 50% MQM Class of Service bonus would probably bump you over to DM, thus increasing your chances later of an UG from lower fares.

If OP is already buying F then they are getting the bonus already and that wouldn't increase.

Quote:

Originally Posted by avidflyer (Post 15533041)

I gotta tell ya, reading your post makes me think you are NOT a frequent flyer. "The profile" ...huh? You may not think I fit "the profile" but I fly 200+k a year and am a senior executive with a large company.

One of my best encounters was a while back on a transcon. I was in 1B and two DYKWIA's were in 2A/B blathering on about how much they spend to sit up front, how big the deal they are GOING to close is, how they cannot be productive if they are not comfy, and how free upgrades are degrading the service...blah, blah, blahditty blah. I had to have a look at these DB's because they were loud and obnoxious so coming back from the lav I did. They gave me a look as if to say "you are not in our league”. I am relatively young, I travel in nice cloths but not suits. Anyone who flies every week and is not going straight to a meeting knows that there is no reason to over dress for a flight unless you have to. That apparently was enough for them to think I do not fit “the profile”. Fast forward to the next day. I have several providers coming in to see me for the final round of an RFQ worth $25 Million USD. 6 finalists….GUESS WHO WALKS IN. They saw me, they knew it (though they pretended they did not) and they felt like crap. It was all over their faces the entire 5 HOUR meeting. As it turns out they lost based on other factors because I would never let something like that impact how I manage my companies business…but I guarantee you these guys do not “profile” anyone any longer.

There is no “profile”. There are only over active egos who think there is.

Actually I have no problem lettting how my vendors and potential employees treat others be part of the decision making process. We once chose vendor a over vendor b when the receptionist was treated like "dirt" by Vendor B. We figured if he did that then he was showing his "true" colors and the treatement we got AFTER the sale would reflect that :)

I find that if you are female in First Class you are just "suspect" I was flying SLC to ATL one Sunday night. Very casually dressed as was the woman next to me. Mr "self appointed upgrade monitor" gets on the plane, looks RIGHT at me and says "HOW DID YOU GET UPGRADED, I guess you just KNOW the gate agent!" I pointed out that I had been number one on the upgrade list so I probably had more status then he did. He then looks at the older woman next to me and says "well how did YOU get up here". Her response, "I am old and well off. I paid for this seat." I just started laughing. About that time the FA pushed her way back to the "police" and moved him along before he had the chance to question the ENTIRE cabin. (I had heard him in the SkyClub... he's a poster on here. Every "complaint" he made to the agent was directly from a thread on here!)

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtatlanta (Post 15533928)

Often I change flight date last minute on ATL-SEA and ATL-LAX. I guess my question is for example:

Normal FC ATL-SEA is $1400, B ticket is $800, if at the 5 day window I don't get an upgrade I can then just go online and change B ticket to another flight the same day as FC and pay the $600 difference. This would seem to be a way to take the risk out if I don't get an upgrade.

I guess I could also start to use some SWU if they would work.

Those last minute changes make a BIG difference.

If you buy anything less than a full Y or F ticket, you will be hit with a $150 change fee when you change. You will also lose any upgrade you may have gotten (even with full Y). Also in regards to upgrade priority, the change will cause a re-ticketing which could move you back in the upgrade list. Upgrade priorty is generally status / fare class and, as a tie breaker, the time of ticketing.

If you must sit up front, I would seek out "A" fares for domestic flights, which are discounted F and typically have fare codes like (QUP..., HUP... or even YUP). No need to play upgrade games with these fares as they book directly in F and they are typically cheaper than full Y. If you need to change at the last minute, you could still re-book into another A seat or else pay the change fees/upcharges and get full F.

If your employer will pay for full F, buy full F.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nfg05 (Post 15537710)

If your employer will pay for full F, buy full F.

Few will.

Quote:

Originally Posted by keeton (Post 15537400)

A fares are not guaranteed a seat in F if you change flights or suffer irregular operations (ie weather). If you want an F seat you need to buy an F fare.

I've been on full Ys with the upgrade where I changed flights and ended up back in coach as a result (even with F seats open at the time of change.)

If you must have F then you buy F. Everything else is a crap shoot that you might not get the class of service you want.

Quote:

Originally Posted by avidflyer (Post 15538107)

Few will.

OP said his does...

Quote:

Originally Posted by keeton (Post 15537400)

You COULD buy a fully refundable ticket which would not incur these fees. These are NOT always Y. I purchased one recently ATL to MIA and it was a B fare. It refunded fully when I didn't need to fly it in the end. You can find these by checking the refundable box on DL.com. As someone else mentioned, they may be more expensive than a more restrictive first class ticket. But, they often are not, where on routes where DL has competition.

WOW! Very emotional subject! I wish my employer would pay for F, and if they did, I wouldn't have any of the questions of OP, and none of the concerns of most of the other posters... :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by lively1nc (Post 15539182)

WOW! Very emotional subject! I wish my employer would pay for F, and if they did, I wouldn't have any of the questions of OP, and none of the concerns of most of the other posters... :D

Well for years I didn't. As I said in the initial post anyone at my company can fly first with no issue. Its a principal thing to me. Why pay for example $1500 atl-sea when there is a 50% chance of getting the same seat and paying $500 for a t fare.

Lets assume I book every ticket going forward at t fare ($500). I get upgraded 50% of the time and the other 50% I pay a $150 change fee and upgrade to FC. Assuming 2 flights a month I am still $850 ahead a month compared to now where I just buy FC. It also sounds like in all likelihood as a PM I would have a better than 50% win ratio.

To the OP:

I'm not sure what the people you spoke to meant by "buy the cheap seats and/or 'buy the upgrade'" because there are so many ways to do it. Not sure which way they suggested, or, maybe each had a different way.

I almost always "buy" the upgrade either by purchasing an F or Y fare. I buy about half my tickets inside the 14 day window, last minute, so I just pay for it in those cases. Other times, I buy a B or M and then trade miles or a PMU/SWU for the upgrade certificate. I am one of the fortunate ones who earns a lot of miles from Amex, so I don't mind spending the miles if I can. For me, i'd rather spend miles to upgrade than use them for free seats, though. I do use them for free BE seats for family/non-biz trips.

You can buy any qualifying ticket and wait for your window to see if you upgrade, but, flying out of ATL as home base is probably going to make that difficult for you. And don't forget, you may have been sitting net to someone who isn't originating out of ATL. It may be a lot easier to get a cheap upgrade originating from one location and connecting or returning via ATL. So they may have more options.

Ultimately if you want it, you should make sure you get it one way or another at the time you book it (or at least a few days before you fly) which is what I almost always do. Other people may be willing to take chances. Maybe they are willing to sit in coach 20% to 40% of the time, in return for very cheap upgrades when those opportunities arise.

Guaranteeing first class

With a non-FC ticket and as Platinum you have probably a 97% probability of upgrade with a Delta reserve card originating in a hub city with an economy fare. It would be 99.5% in a non-hub city.

As gold on Delta, I have an upgrade hit rate of around 95% helped partially by careful shopping. I tend to choose only full-sized jets rather than regional iron (ensures 16+ first class seats). Also, I tend to choose very early or very late flights since these seem to fill most slowly on the routes I fly often. Not surprisingly, the 40-60% of folks who travel an hour or more to an airport seem to choose the 9 a.m. over the 6 a.m. flight since it stinks to leave the house at 3 a.m. just to catch a plane.

Am sorry that you had such an unpleasant experience. Drunk, dumb, and disorderly is a horrific combination. Bad behavior, unfortunately, can happen on any airline, any time. Happily, it seems to be a relatively rare occurrence.

Now, if I could only find a way to avoid sitting behind the guy who immediately moves to full recline while simultaneously slamming himself backward in his seat - my poor knees are all bruised again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtatlanta (Post 15539279)

I hear you on this! If I were you I would be negotiating for some equity in your company. If you save them money ask for it in another way, stock or something. I have found that I can buy the SLUT tickets and get upgraded at least 95% of the time. I fly thru ATL almost 100% of the time so I think you would have the same success if you could book in advance. The difference is huge in cost. I don't have equity in my company, but I damn for sure want them to make money in this economy, and keep me employed!

Quote:

Originally Posted by nfg05 (Post 15538582)

OP said his does...

Majority won't, so comments from those whose companies let those by full F or Full Y aren't as applicable to the masses.