Traveller

DL won't sell first to a kettle for an additional $59 on their $420 fare.

Lackey99

I know DL's terms for UG's. I'm not saying they are cheating me.

My point is selling UG's for a $59 up charge after the UG window opens is a foolish business practice and shows a lack of loyalty to elites who don't;

1) price shop DL
2) mind connecting through somewhere when they can fly direct on another airline
3) mind running through ATL trying to make a 47 min connection and having the door close 10 minutes early and being told "too bad"
4) mind having their bags lost 1 of 6 flights
5) mind paying another XXX for a K fare and then ponying up 25k miles to upgrade
6) mind paying another XXXX (4 X's) for a M fare and 25K+ miles to upgrade
7) mind ponying up XXX,XXX for a FC international ticket

And all I ask in return is if they have an open seat in FC...5 days before the flight...that they UG me. Assuming of course all DM and PM in higher fares have been upgraded first.

Please do not say I should look elsewhere. I like DL and I'm not leaving DL unless this gets much worse.

Traveller

I'm not suggesting you change airlines but what other domestic US airline does this?

Lackey99

I know...but right now...at this minute...a kettle could buy a ticket on flight 1632 from SAT to ATL for $324 and pay $59 to upgrade to FC. (see below)

At the same time...a loyal PM who is stopping in ATL while others in my group are flying non-stop for less money (albeit in Y) is waiting for an UG after the UG window opened. Waah!!!

Economy (H)
$324.00
$334.70Total Price
More Price Options
Show DetailsHide Details OUTBOUND Flight
6:45am SAT 10:04am ATL Nonstop2h 19m DL 1632Upgrade Eligible
Aircraft | View Seats

Pay with Miles eligible| Enjoy First/Business Class for only $59.00 more than Economy.

Lackey99

None that I know of. AA does for their top elites only. If I EVER left DL it would probably be for AA. More non stop's to places I fly than DL and their FC is far superior to DL's.

Traveller

Why don't you trade your $420 ticket in for a $787.40 first class ticket? ($334.7 + 59 x 2)?





Really? AA would give away all first class seats instead of trying to sell them??

vasantn

Much as I love AA, it absolutely does NOT automatically upgrade top elites into empty seats at their window.

Lackey99

Already got the UG on the ATL-DCA segment at the 6 day mark. I thought about paying to UG SAT-ATL but not worth it for a 2hr flight. Plus, then I can't whine about it.

Don't know how AA does it. I do know I was 2 for 2 on $100 kiosk UG's last year on AA.

Traveller

vasnatn, Lackey99 thinks AA does what he wants DL to do. How do AA top elites get upgraded?

james318

No matter what DL does, not everyone is going to be happy. It's either people complaining that they aren't upgraded in advance all the time, or people complaining that they buy a ticket or change their flight after their window and don't get an upgrade while lower elites are sitting in first.

I think we have a pretty fine upgrade program around these parts as it is. Or, they can always eliminate the current schema and only apply upgrades at the gate, 5 minutes before boarding. (Something tells me that DM's and PM's may like that idea, where Silvers would loathe it. )

majorwibi

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ade-f6-j6.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...than-past.html

Two threads I found with out much difficulty searching

Looks like the grass isnt greener over in AA land

Lackey99

My bad...that is not what I meant. In glancing at AA's program in the past I was under the impression they gave unlimited UG's to EXP when seats were available. I didn't read...and it only makes sense that they have...similar fine print as DL. I waste my time reading the policies of other FF programs.

Again...I have zero plans to leave DL and I'm actually pretty happy with DL (especially compared to other airlines). My primary concern as a DL elite is that DL only allow UG's into seats that they decide are available instead of unsold seats. Fix that one issue, which, IMO, would strengthen the loyalty of their elites and I will be a happy camper.

Wouldn't you be happy if they changed their policy?

fti

I would venture to guess that 95% of high-level Delta elites feel the same way. Delta knows it. So why in the world would they change? They know that they have hub captives and others (like you) over a barrel. They don't need to compete on benefits. You will fly them anyway.

Traveller

Well sure, but I don't expect the policy to change.

I am DM and fly into SAT weekly and I've been upgraded 100% this year. ^ Will I be unhappy when my streak is broken? Yep. Do I expect it to be broken? Yep.

Lackey99

You are right...I made my choice to stick with DL two years ago and now I'm all in with them. With rollover mqm's I've got FO for next year in another month and I expect to get PM again this year.

That's great. When I look at this trip realistically I'm already 3/4 UG and will probably get the last one. Not bad for a $470 "U" ticket. Even though DL's FC product is not superb it's a heck of a lot better than the best seat in Y...especially when it's free. I'll just have to drink extra drinks on the other segments to make up for those I miss.