UpGrade rules
 

I have lifetime platinum - but have not flown Delta for many years. This week i am flying them to Reno from Atlanta, Four days before departure I check to see if I have been upgraded. There are four seats left open in first, but no "upgradable" seats. I fly US Air now and get upgraded if there are ANY seats in first. Delta used to be that way many moons ago. When did they change?

Also if I fly with a family member (or friend in same reservation), they get upgraded with me 5 days before flight on US and old Delta. Now, I understand that they lowere you to 24 hours. Is this true? If so, what benefits do you get from being loyal to them?

If you're flying with a friend, your upgrade is processed at their medallion level. So if they have no status, you have no status. If they are silver, you are silver.

Delta reserves the right to try to sell those 4 seats left in first class. They may open them up at some point prior to the flight.

Currently Delta is working on hanging on to the customers who are currently loyal to them.

If you earned PM then you get those perks, but suggesting they should upgrade anyone who travels with you, 5 days out, forever.....DYKWIA

That's a little harsh on the OP. He/she said he/she hasn't flown on Delta in a while. The rules have changed since they last flew on them, and he/she just wanted to know what the rules were now.

BeatCal, welcome back to DL! The way Medallion upgrades work now is this (it really helps if you have an ExpertFlyer subscription, and maybe KVS will work too?): out of the # of F seats DL is selling, they will make a certain number available for upgrades by putting them in V inventory. At the T-5 day mark, all DMs and PMs are upgraded, until V runs out or no more DMs/PMs are seated in coach (exception being those with non-DM/PM companions). If V is left, the process is repeated at T-3 for GMs, and then T-1 for FOs followed by Medallions with non-status companions. Anyone left over gets to wait for a gate upgrade.

It's quite normal to see FOs not getting upgraded at the window, and GMs are seeing that more commonly as well. One of the highly-discussed topics on the DL forum is whether the revenue management department at DL is correctly holding back the right number of F seats to sell, versus being released for upgrades.

I hope that clears things up, and happy travels!

fully agree ^

Not to sound too snarky but if you have not flown DL in many years, you are not being loyal (present tense) to them. If you are 4 million miles, you are awarded annual platinum (they took the word lifetime out several years ago) for having been loyal. You need to give the young(er) bucks a chance, who are now giving DL their regular business.

DL only allows a limited number of seats in the F cabin for advance upgrade and always has in my almost 15 years as a medallion flyer. With the current SM program medallion benefits, all remaining F seats will be given out at the gate based on medallion level/fare paid. Your companion does, however, poision your platinum status for upgrade priority.

Unless you have DL split the record. If you are on a record separate from the others you are traveling with then your status will be preserved for the upgrades. Have DL link your records for the purpose of getting companion upgrades and your companion will hold your status for getting upgraded within the 24 hour priors to departure.

It shouldn't matter how the OP receives their PM status (as we know they give out Medallion status to people who have flown far less than the OP).

In any case, it is likely that the companion on your reservation caused you to not clear at your window. As was mentioned before a non-status companion on the same reservation will move you to clear at the 24 hour mark not the 5 day mark as you would with a PM. You could have split your record so that you cleared at the 5 day window why your companion cleared at 24 hours. This would have allowed at least one of you a better chance at sitting in F.

Delta has two different inventories for first, F and V. F is the total number of seats available while V is the upgrade seats. Generally F > V as Delta does not like to give the whole F cabin away until they have had every opportunity to sell those F seats to a last minute passenger. Also by saving a few for the gate it gives those Medallions who have changed flights or experience IROPs a chance at a gate upgrade.

Those who qualified for a lifetime status before DL management changed the policy are grandfathered under their lifetime status.

At least that is the current interpretation documented in an e-mail from DL.

Of course, "lifetime" is an ephemeral concept for DL management, as the Flying Colonels who were awarded "lifetime" Crown Room membership can attest.

nope Mine still says lifetime and i still get "called" "Colonel". Totally feel bad for the young bucks (not really) - Keeton, when you have the 4 million, you let me know,

Really miss the old days when as #4 one million miler in 1982, #3 - double million 1983 and #2 - 3 and 4 million (1987 and 1990) and Flying Colonel always upgraded and could upgrade as many people with me as there were seats. Got invited to CE Woolen's funeral with plane picking me up and Beebe flew to Chicago and gave me bottle of Crystal and upgrade to first on honeymoon to Europe. The Crown Rooms then were private rooms only for the FCs and invitees of local station. I think Shreveport had the last of them. Some guy sued American for not letting him in their VIT rooms and that started the FF and programs we know today.

However back to the present>

Note I said I was flying by self but asked about companion "if" They have lost my loyal business now. US Air and United and American all upgrade one based on level and one companion if there are ANY seats available - and the upgrade comes at MY level. When I travel for work, I usually buy a first ticket. When I fly on vacation with my wife or daughters, I do expect both to be upgraded.

Why would someone stay loyal to Delta when the other airlines treat their most frequent flyers better?

Thanks CMM
Stayinghome, you are correct on the "lifetime".

Those were fun days. Delta was "fun to fly". Still get referred to as FC, but AmEx card takes care of Crown Room or whatever they call it now.

one more history lesson
 

In the original CRs from Western (eg SLC), you could not use a computer or do "work". There was often (ie always) a poker or hearts game going.

A million miles in less than two years...that doesn't sound fun.

1) you are sounding snarky

2) the OP paid his dues. Too bad if it means you/I lose out on an UG or two. Maybe DL wouldn't even be around today if he and others didn't give DL the business they did back in the day.

Well, I know for sure UA doesn't upgrade at the particular upgrade window if NF or NC (which roughly correspond to DL's V inventory) are 0. Also, AA only gives unlimited upgrades to ExPlat members, which requires 100k EQM annually (I may be a little off on my understandings of their program). So, to be honest, it's not quite as rosy at the other airlines as you might think.

Also, you might want to consider quality of service rendered. From what I've seen on FT, the airlines with the most generous upgrade policies (DL and US) tend to have the worse FC offerings, speaking in terms of hard product. I've repeatedly heard that AA's FC is one of the better domestic cabins--particularly in terms of food, since they don't do "free" upgrades for many people. Of course, your opinion of each airline's cabin may differ, but it might be something to think about.

I'm a DL platinum, and I like it just fine. Yes, I do get upgraded pretty consistently (of course, that may change). But I also enjoy the other benefits like SkyPriority, free award redeposits (that has saved me several hundred dollars and given me great flexibility), the baggage allowance, almost guaranteed exit rows in case my upgrade doesn't clear, and quick customer service (although sometimes you have to work a little with them).

I'm not trying to be a DL apologist. They certainly have their issues, especially with mileage redemption. But I do find a lot of things that work for me, so I continue to fly Delta. I hope you find the place that works for you, and happy travels!

I think non elite companion should not be upgraded ahead of elites.