Your perception of a caste system amount DL elites and kettles is amusing and that your are championing the cause by upselling to F.

Fact is 100% of the time you are up front and I am not I have paid much less than you, and 100% of the time I am up front and you are I have paid much less than you, and 100% the time I am up front and you are not we probably paid the same.

It is a legitimate complaint however for people who where loyal to DL in 2014 with the hollow promise by DL of the published benefit of complimentary upgrades to have DL undermine that promise with an aggressive FCM program in 2015.

I know it is your fantasy that if I am sitting in my C+ seat because you overpaid for that F seat that I am pouting and mumbling to myself why why. But I am actually chuckling and shaking my head that it is that important to you.

again...forgetting two CRITICAL words in your statement - - - SPACE AVAILABLE. Dl is just getting better at selling the space than it was. You can always buy the upsell yourself if you feel you might not get the upgrade.

That is what is called an "Escape Clause" and does not change the facts. Yes I kick myself in the head often that I didn't spend an extra $78 for a seat.

It's no longer about the incremental income.

Some DL suit made an ego-promise to the investors that DL would have 70 to 80% of FC seats as sold FC, and that will be achieved come Hell or high water. And FCM prices will drop as necessary to achieve that.

And some folks here will continue to maintain that putting a first-time flyer in FC on a $29 buy-up and displacing a multi-year DM to coach is really, really, really, really, really, smart business.

Actually, I say get over it. Delta's a for profit business, not your friend. I got over this aspect a long time ago. Loyalty isn't valued like it was.

No, my fantasy is that I purchase C+ and you ride in C- :D

or, better, G/A/P ... :D

I don't worry about it, but for you to call it whining is a weak argument.

And that is a fantasy that likely will never occur, and if you are sitting next to me in C+ again, 100% that you paid for it and I didn't.

As I have said, if that feeds your ego, go ahead but it won't keep me up at night. It's good for DL for certain, but I will spend my money on many other more tangible things that actually have value.

Now that I am starting to see more FCM "opportunities" flying out of PHL, I also note that they are putting more MDs (with the worst FC to coach ratio in the fleet) on the PHL to ATL route. Even replacing 757s with MD90s.

that was actually directed at hazelrah ... I don't give a rip about why anyone else has made whatever decision they have made to sit wherever they want to on the jet

if the flights I want are offered at what I consider a reasonable price I will click "purchase"; as PM, if I don't opt to play the WFBF game I'll certainly look for my desired seats (window, EC/C+ or exit row), but I'm not going to obsess -- or whine on FT -- about their unavailability

I understand that:

Delta's is a for profit business
the space available disclaimer
just buy a first class seat argument
EC+ is better than standard coach

But the fact remains that I and others played by Delta FF rules last year (in my case DM again!) Now, I'm lucky to see an upgrade which is one of the defined program perks of the program - I'm currently at about 20% upgrades for the year. Even when FC seats are available at T5, T3 and T1 sometime upgrades don't occur. Why, because Delta decided yet again and change the rules of the program after the fact and roll out FCM. I refuse to pay Delta for an upgrade!

For 18+ years I've played the FF game first with Northwest and now Delta and I've also tried to be a loyal customer - the results; for the first time I'm actually looking at other carriers. I know that the grass isn't always green on the other side but until Delta sees loyal customers running for the hill's it will be business as usual.

Sorry to vent - not trying to offend anybody - but Delta FCM program has driven me to post (2nd time ever)!

I'm still waiting to hear about all these DM's who have given up on Delta this year due to FCM.

As a GM my UG % is still somewhere around 50% this year (about the same as last year) but even if i never get another upgrade and EC is always full at T-72 Delta would still be my airline of choice. They have the most flights with the best schedules out of LGA/JFK, I rarely experience major delays and the staff on the phone and on the ground is helpful and efficient.

You seem to identify several of the salient points, but you should add:

Delta and its program partners reserve the right to change program rules, benefits, regulations,Travel Awards, fees, mileage Award levels, Pay with Miles terms and conditions and special offers at any time without notice.

AND......they have exercised impressive capacity and growth restrictions in an expanding economy. There are more butts sitting in fewer seats.

Unfortunately in my case, I am stuck with Delta unless I want to deal with connections.

I'm just hoping Delta doesn't doe a FCM with EC. I'm hoping with the new EC rules that I'll have better luck getting an EC aisle seat when booking and on a lot of shorter flights with no meal service, I'd rather have the bulkhead EC if the empty goes out middle with free drinks than sitting up front anyway, a lot more leg room. One change I wish Delta would have implemented with the EC change was to reserve the bulkhead EC seat they open up at t-24 to only PM's and DM's seeing FC upgrades are getting harder to get.

I take DTW/MIA a lot and I am hoping American starts matching Delta's prices. If American starts FCM on that route, I will use American on my Miami trips instead where Delta would have gotten the trip in the past. If there is a good chance I'll be sitting in the back unless I pay to sit up front, I have no reason to use Delta if American is a similar price with a better schedule.