Well put! ^

Losing an u/g to a person who has paid their dues in one thing.

Losing an u/g to their non-elite companion is another thing.

I think the policy is fair. You are entitled to the u/g policy pertaining to your status. If you want a second upgrade, then you sacrifice your normal spot in the pecking order in return for a chance at 2 upgrades.

If a PM or DM wants a companion upgrade that badly (especially one who admittedly does not fly Delta much anymore), why not use a couple SWUs?

I gave up on SWUs as my choice benefit. They are useless for my desired application.

As a PM for several years and then a 'charter' DM I would like my companions to be upgraded with me. I don't fly with them often enough to bump too many other elites out of F (maybe two flights per year). They aren't much different than a paper PM or GM who got there on a single MR or CC MQMs and since they fly infrequently they have little impact to lower elites. Granting a companion 'one day' status once or twice a year would have little impact as well. However, I also recognize that non-top tier elites will have a different perspective.

Loyalty by definition is rewarded for previous activity, not current or projected activity. Someone who has flown 4MM deserves long term recognition and rewards for their loyalty regardless of their current activity.

Stopping Shena Nigans from getting upgrades then giving companion UG's at the higher elite's level would be a net improvement for all elites.

BeatCal I bow in reverence to your ability to sit on planes that much.

I think a whole new tier system of 3 or 4 jewel types should be used to devalue the lifers.

It's just like social security, nobody young will see a penny of it, and the elderly eat the young alive.

This is going to be fun to watch.

This was your choice to make, and you made it.

It seems to me, as a DM, if you want to account for companion upgrades you can:

1) Elect the SWUs and use them for that purpose.
2) Gift GM to your spouse and improve your position for u/gs
3) Take the 25k extra SMs and use those for mileage u/gs

Thus Delta provides options for those who want to upgrade companions outside the standard upgrade process. It's just a matter of whether someone values those options over others.

Agreed it was my choice. I have to give up choice benefits to make the DL FF system work for me. However my companion isn't always my spouse, I have taken one of my kids along once or twice as well. Never the whole crew, just one at a time. Last year there were 3 such trips out of 75. I used miles to 'buy' F for them.

As I evaluate the airline that gets my money, I take this into consideration. Last year I gave DL ~$35k. Not big money so I am a small fish. However DL has gotten less than $1k from me this year to date. I fly them when it is crazy not to but 90% of my money is going elsewhere. Does it make good sense for a FF program to drive a $35k per customer away in favor of keeping a $5k customer? Perhaps to DL it does.

Regardless if I use miles to put my companions up front or a better UG policy does it, they will be taking a seat in F out of the UG pool and some lower elites flies in the back. In the process they make me dislike the way their FF program works. Who is the winner here?

No Virgina (Ave), flying isn't as much fun as it used to be.

What definition is that? The frequent flyer programs are marketing programs to encourage your "loyalty" to select their airline over others. It is there to sell tickets, plain and simple.

The OP has been recognized for his past business by being granted annual platinum status and I certainly don't begrudge that. I'm closing in on my 2MM level and will be thankful for my annual GM status (until they pull the rug with some future "enhancement" )

What the OP doesn't realize is that this is not the "old Delta" with lavish perks, Flying Colonels, Royal Medallions etc. I miss it too as I was the beneficiary of companion upgrades from coworkers who were at that level 20 years ago - we had several people in our office back then that were top frequent flyers in DLs program. I also remember the 1000 mile minimum per segment, 1000 mile hotel/car rental bonuses and double bonus for F whether paid for or upgraded. All those miles counted towards MM status back then and a frequent traveler who worked the system could get MM relatively easily compared to today's MQM system. As a point of reference, I have well over 4.5MM program miles.

The realities of the business today do not support those kinds of perks. Where full Y fares for midweek travel were common when the OP was flying now finds LUT fares the norm as the legacies now comptete with LCCs who are fully entrenched in the domestic market. The perks have to be adjusted to match the revenue.

For thE first couple of years they counted bonus miles and miles transfered in, etc. For my first two million, probably did "real" 800,000

The young taste great with BBQ sauce

I can't speak to US, but I can tell you that neither UA or AA guarantee last seat available upgrades to people in advance. Both hold back some seats to sell on most flights and then distribute the unsold ones at the gate. So, there can indeed be F seats available to sell which will not be included in upgrade inventory.

There are substantial differences between the AA companion upgrade program and Delta's, but guaranteed last-seat availability in advance is not one of them.

"I like children. If they're properly cooked." -- W. C. Fields

(I will now return to my normal role as doting grandfather. )

true. But perhaps that is why people are not as loyal to it. "in the old days" while in Chicago, peers laughed at me as every trip was at least two segments and half a day while they flew AA or UA direct. We were loyal because they treated us like Gods. As a FC, every rule that could be broken, was.

Delta was known for always waiting for a passenger on the last connecting flight. The stews were great. Last week I flew back from Jamaca and the "oldhag" FA would not allow a newly wed couple in first to change seats to fly together and yelled at a passenger who offered to switch.

Now they have first seats open, but wont give them out until the airport? They may have made a couple of hundred on that seat, but they lost my 100k per year.

I'm not disagreeing with some of the stuff you said above, but as far as I know, every domestic airline does this (including UA, AA, AS, and probably US).

I think you are mistaken on this point. As a Chairman preferred flyer on US I can tell you that even if the entire first class cabin is empty there still have to be 'upgradable' seats before anyone is moved up. They don't just upgrade people because of empty seats.

There have been several occasions when the front is only half full and they still do not clear anyone on the upgrade waiting list. They are trying to sell the seats, which they are entitled to do. Usually if I don't get upgraded in advance I will end up getting called up to the podium before boarding commences.