lol....how much did you actually pay for that RUC? From your post you make it very clear that you DO NOT value your time or money. But DL loves ya for it.....all the way to the bank. I am going to trump you (and every other DM who is using a RUC) on every flight unless you buy up with FCM if I am also using a RUC. Almost a fools game isn't it?

Everything you mentioned.....you choose....and they flew you from point A to point B, just like every one that was the flights you were on. If you want to play the game.....and game the system that is great, but in the end you paid ZERO for RUC.

Suggest you read the T&C of the program as well.......

Oh, but piedmont...that would debunk most of the arguments on this board.

All I can say is that as a non-status with DL now, the airline offers zero incentive for me to consider gaining status again. With FCM, I can often fly DL up front cheaper than Y would cost me on AA. Furthermore, since Y+ is very often more than half the cost of just buying up to F, it's really a no-brainer for me. At this point, I'm pretty much just using AA, DL, and UA as a means to position to other airlines anyway, so by spreading business and avoiding being sucked into loyalty schemes, I have the freedom to choose the best product and equipment at the best price, each time.

It basically means I end up spending far less money with domestic carriers, and far less money overall, as I find better intercontinental J fares with foreign airlines typically. All in all, I'm enjoying FCM, it does nothing to help the slew of crappy F products across the board at AA, DL, and UA, but as long as what I'm paying is marginally more expensive than a discount Y fare, the product at least matches the pricing.

I think this is a pretty important point. The majors are getting much better at monetization, and much better at making it important to stick with one carrier to get miles. But as they dilute the value of those miles, and continue to narrow the benefits/value of loyalty, they are going to miss out on otherwise captive traffic that now buys exactly what they want a la carte -- and where the dollars really count, that often means with superior foreign carriers.

I agree with you. After all but one purchase in the past six months being paid F/premium cabins on foreign carriers, I see little reason to chase status and do MRs (especially with increased medallion thresholds). It's harder now that I have a wife, and will be harder still in the future. Eventually when I travel, it'll be nonrev to deadhead as a pilot, or probably paying for Y for us and the kids. However, as tempting as it is for me to think of FCMing on other carriers, DL is more often than not cheaper out of SLC, and often times can be a nonstop. Latest trip I booked, just for comparison: Y on AA and UA required connections and were at least $50 more per person (not including C+), and paying for C+ was still less than WN. But hey, I guess I'm not really complaining; if DL is cheaper and more convenient, offers decent FCM at times, I'll go with it. Then by next year I can have all the miles I need to take my wife on a big trip and then probably be done with the whole status/miles thing.

Um...I value my time and money very highly, which is why I will happily fly UA or AA when they offer a better route and schedule at a cheaper price.

All things being equal, I will certainly choose DL. But if it's a direct flight on UA for $300 vs. a connection on DL for $400, DL is going to lose every time.

You can keep claiming I paid ZERO, but I know that I got the RUCs because I flew enough miles on Delta, and I flew those miles on Delta at a cost. That is what the RUCs actually cost, no matter how many times you claim ZERO.

Being "loyal" to Delta is becoming more and more of a fool's game, yes. When enough people realize that and act on it, Delta will find out it isn't necessarily all that profitable long-term to drive customers away for small immediate profits.

Yes, I typically check every day. In my experience, every flight that I booked on Delta.com has had an upgrade offer in My Trips (either on the website or the app), except one that had no F tickets for sale. Tickets booked through my work's travel agent do not have the offer presented.

The couple times I've bought the upgrade, my ticket was reissued in G or A class (with 50% MQM bonus, etc).

Others have mentioned here on FT of getting upgrade offers at check in. I've never seen one, but from what I've gathered (and I could be wrong) these are more like an RP type upgrade with no MQM bonus.

I've been reading as much as I can (what I need right now are extra MQD) My past couple trips I've had offers in MyTrips and haven't taken advantage (usually they aren't that appealing but a couple have been...)

I've searched this thread (but, it's really long and totally possible my search terms are inadequate) as well as the Delta website - is there any way to know which offers will get you that G or A ticket (with appropriate MQDs) vs treating the money you pay to upgrade as a "fee" that doesn't count as MQD (which I've seen mentioned in a few places here, mainly in response to the upgrade at OLCI)?

Well that stratergy would not have worked too well for UA today.

been watching an upcoming trip from STL>AUS and it's been all over on the FCM offers. Started out @ $213, yesterday it was @ $354, now this AM it's @ $254. I've done this same trip, same routing the last 3 years and have been UG on all 4 legs every time......no way I'm paying, but I do find it interesting how the dollar amount jumps all over the map.

Any time that I have purchased prior to T-24, I have always been booked into G or A. That is not to say that it still couldn't happen inside of T-24; I just do not have any experience doing that.

Thanks. That does seem to be the norm for the few posts I've seen that separate out the issues of timing.

I guess I'll just have to pick a price I'd be happy with for a future flight and just do it. (not today, though. T-24 and I'm happy with C+ for free and being on the upgrade list - not holding my breath though, I don't think we've ever been upgraded on this itin to MKE)

True. But it worked just fine the three or four times I've flown UA or AA/US this year. :)

DL also had me stuck at DTW for 6+ hours last month, so...

And UA has left me stuck at Ohare for just as long and the CO part of UA left me stuck at Newark overnight and told me they couldn't fly me out until late the next day when I was able to buy a ticket for the morning of the next day on them. So what?