FlyerTalk Forums - First Class Monetization, or FCM: The Definitive Thread

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- - First Class Monetization, or FCM: The Definitive Thread (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta-air-lines-skymiles/1230437-first-class-monetization-fcm-definitive-thread.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oshkosh105 (Post 23968493)

This is the language on the buy-up page:

The advertised price is not an offer and is subject to change. When you click Complete Purchase, you agree to accept all Fare Rules for each flight, and all terms in Delta's applicable Contract of Carriage. No contract exists until you receive confirmation that payment was received and processed, and you have received a ticket number for each confirmed passenger. Upgrades may only be purchased for Delta- or Delta Connections- operated flights, must be more than 24 hours prior to departure of the initial segment of the itinerary , and are not available for Award Tickets and certain discounted and exception fares. Additional eligibility restrictions may apply in Delta's sole discretion. All passengers and segments must be upgraded to First/Business class within the confirmation number, except in instances where the aircraft has only an Economy cabin. Since the original ticket is being reissued, the prior ticket number is no longer valid and will be superseded by your new ticket number. Rules of your initial reservation will apply regardless of whether rules that would otherwise apply to the fare class of your upgraded ticket are less restrictive, i.e. changeability/refundability. Upgraded tickets are eligible for additional mileage, MQM, and MQD accruals due to the selection of First/Business class cabin and associated fare class and the increase in base fare or carrier imposed surcharges paid in connection with your upgrade. All SkyMiles program rules apply to SkyMiles program membership, miles, offers, mile accrual, mile redemption and travel benefits, respectively. To review the rules, please visit Membership Guide & Program Rules. If you purchased trip insurance when purchasing your Economy Class ticket, your benefits under the trip insurance policy are limited to those applicable under your Economy Class ticket. Prices, offers, rules, and benefits are subject to change. We reserve the right to assign or reassign your upgraded seat at any time, even after boarding of the aircraft, for operational, safety or security reasons. The final decision resides with the ground staff and the operating crew on the day of the flight. Refunds will be issued to any reassigned customer if the customer is not moved to a comparable or better seat. No refund will be provided for any previously purchased ancillary product such as Priority Boarding or Economy Comfort seating.

Thank you!

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamesteroh (Post 23969208)

Flying DTW to LAX on Friday and my plans changed and want to get on a later flight and called to see how much it would be to upgrade to FCM so I would have a lot better shot on getting on a later flight. $59 from a K fare. It's worth it for a lot better shot of SDCing on my Friday flight since it's hard to do a SDC on a K fare unless the plane is empty... .

gamer :p

seriously ... I'll be the first to admit that the "only need a seat, not the inventory bucket" rule for FC SDC has changed my purchasing habits the past few months

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrl767 (Post 23969484)

gamer :p

seriously ... I'll be the first to admit that the "only need a seat, not the inventory bucket" rule for FC SDC has changed my purchasing habits the past few months

LOL. I probably would have made the change even if I knew I wanted to stay on that flight for that cheap of a difference. No EC aisle seats were available when I booked and there is almost 1,000 bonus MQM's. When I originally booked the ticket the buy up to first was almost $800 difference RT and my upgrade cleared last night for my return Sunday afternoon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSPeconomist (Post 23969184)

Are these offers being made to people with no DL (or partner?) FF number on their record?

Do we have any evidence that these are personalized offers based on elite status or other data DL has about the individuals? For example, if two are traveling together on exactly the same fare but different PNRs, do they always get exactly the same buy-up offers?

I will say that I booked a cash ticket for my sister to join me in NYC for NYE. Since I did not have her SM number, I simply booked the ticket. She still has an offer to upgrade to business class for $597 with no SM number at all. That is the current buy-up price for her flight.

DL Assist Confirms MQDs given on a FCM Buy Up ^

Quote:

You'll get MQD's when purchasing the upgrade with funds. Upgrades purchased with miles or otherwise don't qualify

Today at T-2 hrs A332 SEA-PVG showed only 12 of 34 filled. T-1 there were 6 empty seats via seat maps. When I boarded there were 2.

How low SF Delta go to fill these seats up? I find it crazy that DL used to only allow UG's via SWU's on M+ fares, now allow UG's via GUC to DM's only, but yet will presumably fill BE with pax that might have Ug'd for cheap...

Are you sure they weren't non-revs?

On my SJC-MSP flight at check-in i saw my first buy up. $149 to move from a M fare to FC. 3 seats were open. Someone at about 14 hours before wheels up bought 1 and it went down to 2 seats, but the 149 was now gone. I was first on the upgrade list and got the upgrade without paying.

My MQD for that segment was $452,

Quote:

Originally Posted by EZEDoesIt (Post 23981415)

Are you sure they weren't non-revs?

Or coach oversell.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mnredfox (Post 23981362)

I haven't seen anything about FCM on Intl BE-equipped flights. In fact, I think it is quite the opposite - DL is happy to have it go out empty with no complimentary UG's or cheap UG's given out. DL has to protect prestige of BE/WBC product or they will lose too much in the long run.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PacificTwo (Post 23982353)

Or coach oversell.

I did see a few NRSA BP's and also think it must have been this. But wow, 20+ oversell on Y? DL made some pax really happy today.

I was on a PEKDTW last year that was -37 in back. I got an op up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mnredfox (Post 23985131)

I did see a few NRSA BP's and also think it must have been this. But wow, 20+ oversell on Y? DL made some pax really happy today.

It might be another form of revenue management. If you are T-7days or something out on a mostly tourist route (say JFK-DUB in the middle of the summer) and coach is full and business is mostly empty why not oversell coach by half the empty seats in business? It doesn't cost $400 to provide a business class meal, so it is still mostly pure profit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mnredfox (Post 23985131)

I did see a few NRSA BP's and also think it must have been this. But wow, 20+ oversell on Y? DL made some pax really happy today.

NRSAs are not supposed to sit in Biz Elite on international flights if there is an oversell situation.

As many Biz Elite seats as needed are supposed to be given to paying passengers and NRSAs can sit in the seats which are vacated by them. (I once sat in the very back row of a TLV-ATL flight on a buddy pass for exactly this reason.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrl767 (Post 23969484)

gamer :p

seriously ... I'll be the first to admit that the "only need a seat, not the inventory bucket" rule for FC SDC has changed my purchasing habits the past few months

It's a nice benefit. I had an early-afternoon flight coming up in a few weeks and recently found out I might not be able to get out of work as early as I was hoping. My flight was a V fare, so SDC wasn't likely to offer many options. I was able to upgrade the outbound only from V to G for $93. I wouldn't normally consider buying up to first for a trip with both segments <600 miles, but in this case the SDC option makes it worthwhile. Plus, I'll be on my way to a bachelor party, so having a guaranteed seat up front is a nice way to start off the trip.