I frequently fly into or through AMS from JFK and while recently speaking with a KLM agent, I was told that if there was a seat available in BE on either my Delta or KLM flight, I could pay an upgrade fee to get into BE.

KLM agents actually have a fare bucket list for both Delta and KLM fares that tells them what the upgrade fare is. It runs from 100Euros to 400Euros.

I recently upgraded from a T fare into BE for a 300Euro fee while on a Delta ticket and Delta metal, amazing.

So what I am curious about is, have others seen this and more importantly if KLM can upgrade me on a Delta ticket and Delta metal why can't / won't delta do it?

I recently called Delta about this issue and they indicated that upgrading from low fares was absolutely not possible and they stated KLM could also not do this.

Interested to see if others have experience with this?

Is this list referring to EC perhaps?

I know the answer to the question (in Dutch anyway):

"This is not possible"

KLM has an upsell program where you can get into upgradable booking classes and then use miles to get into C. This should only apply to KL metal, but it is interesting to hear it might apply to JV flights on DL metal as well. I'll need some more info on this ... could be interesting

Good questions, the upsell program is from Coach into Business Elite, I've done it several times. The strange thing is that this last time I was able to upgrade from an L fare on a Delta ticket and on Delta metal from coach to business elite. I specifically asked the agent if it mattered if it was Delta stock or Delta metal and they said "no". If there is a seat in business elite then they can upsell me to Business Elite.

The best part is, you can even use your Delta one way upgrade certificates to bump up so you don't loose miles.

As an example, I was on a $1,000 round trip ticket and on the return leg AMS - JFK paid 300Euro to upgrade on a T fare from Coach to Business Elite and have done this several times.

I've heard of this being offered to a fellow diamond. I should have called in about my T fare

Very interesting......

I know this is always offered in Amsterdam, however I have not tried this with KLM personnel here in the US.

However when I mention this program to Delta and ask why KLM can offer an upsell on Delta stock and Delta metal, they deny this is possible and deny KLM can upsell into Business Elite from a T fare. Then I show my boarding pass and receipt and they just stand their dumbfounded.

I just don't understand why Delta doesn't offer an upsell program at least fro Diamond or Million Milers.

On the flip side, after I did the upsell, the person sitting next to me was on a buddy pass and this was their second flight either. It amases me Delta won't do an upsell but will let someone on a buddy pass have the Business Elite seat while leaving Diamonds and Plats in the back.

What fare class does the upsell book into?

so wait can you really buy an upgrade from coach to business elite on Delta? Im flying EWR to AMS in 2 weeks on Delta 59 and im on an E fare...any chance I could upgrade?

You mentioned that this works for DL tickets on DL metal.
What does it need in order to be possible? How do I know? If KLM also markets that flight?

I was offered this BOM-AMS. DL stock, DL flight. It was a bit expensive 400 EUR plus miles, so I didn't take it.

In regards to what fare it books into is a good question, I do know I didn't get the usual 50% bump in MQM's for an M fare or higher and didn't want to push the issue with Delta since I was so happy to be able to upgrade for 300Euros.

The key is to ask the KLM agents / staff, if you ask anyone associated or working with/for Delta they will deny this upsell program exists.

When you go from EWR to AMS, go in the KLM lounge in Schiphol or to the Transfer Desk and they will look at your fare basis and see if there is inventory and tell you the fee to upgrade, also make sure to have your electronic one way system wide certificate number ready. You can do this upsell I believe starting 6 hours before the flight departs, last time I did it 1 hour before departure.

In regards to which flights / metal it works on, KLM doesn't care if you are on their stock or metal or delta stock and delta metal, they can do the upsell. I have done this upsell on delta stock and klm plane, delta stock and delta plane, klm stock and delta plane as well as klm stock / klm plane. so yu can buy the least expensive ticket for the flight you want and still do the upsell.

What I haven't done yet is find a KLM agent in JFK that can do the upsell. I find it curious they can do it in AMS all day long but here in the US it's not even acknowledged.

Let me know if anyone else has success with this.

Do you have to have a system wide certificate for this kind of upgrade or can you just pay the fee and get upgraded? I see a lot of availability in J for my flight in July so hopefully it will work. But then again, you said that no agent in the US whether KLM or DL really knows about this...so I wonder how that would work...besides there is no KLM lounge at EWR....

Last October I was offered an €300 upgrade to WBC on LAX-AMS. I had already paid €80 for EC and passed on the upgrade (Was on a cheap fare). Probably should have done it but the combined price put it over my comfort level for that trip.

There has to be more to this story. Sounds plausible enough when viewed from the point of view of the passenger paying for coach and upgrading to business. But try this hypothetical scenario:

A passenger has a paid, refundable business class ticket, ATL - AMS, Delta stock, Delta metal, fare is about $8,000. Can this passenger go to the ticket counter in AMS, purchase a one way coach ticket for the return, then upgrade it for 300 euro? Delta will be losing at least a couple of thousand $ in this case, I am having a hard time believing that they will let this situation stand.