First Class Monetization, or FCM: The Definitive Thread
Dec 10, 2015, 8:14 pm
#2821
Join Date: May 2015
Location: DCA
Programs: AA EXP, DL FO, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 6,712
Is this a great deal, no. Is it FCM, no idea.
Booked LAX-JFK-ROC for the weekend after Christmas. Paid $121+20k miles each for two pax. DL had been pricing the upsell to D1 between $550-625 per person, which was too rich for my blood.
I was poking around my itineraries before my flight on Saturday and noticed DL peddling an upgrade to an I fare for $324 per person. I bit.
Booked LAX-JFK-ROC for the weekend after Christmas. Paid $121+20k miles each for two pax. DL had been pricing the upsell to D1 between $550-625 per person, which was too rich for my blood.
I was poking around my itineraries before my flight on Saturday and noticed DL peddling an upgrade to an I fare for $324 per person. I bit.
Dec 10, 2015, 8:30 pm
#2822
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: MCO
Programs: Delta - PM, HH - Gold, SPG - Gold, Marriott - Plat
Posts: 1,060
Dec 14, 2015, 1:13 pm
#2823
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: LAX
Programs: UA MM | BA Silver
Posts: 7,192
Is this a great deal, no. Is it FCM, no idea.
Booked LAX-JFK-ROC for the weekend after Christmas. Paid $121+20k miles each for two pax. DL had been pricing the upsell to D1 between $550-625 per person, which was too rich for my blood.
I was poking around my itineraries before my flight on Saturday and noticed DL peddling an upgrade to an I fare for $324 per person. I bit.
Booked LAX-JFK-ROC for the weekend after Christmas. Paid $121+20k miles each for two pax. DL had been pricing the upsell to D1 between $550-625 per person, which was too rich for my blood.
I was poking around my itineraries before my flight on Saturday and noticed DL peddling an upgrade to an I fare for $324 per person. I bit.
Dec 14, 2015, 1:45 pm
#2824
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Melbourne
Programs: ►QFWP/LTG►VA WP►HyattExpl.►HiltonGold►ALL Silver
Posts: 21,990
I suspect there was one seat at $324 which exhausted that fare bucket and the second seat came out of a higher cost bucket. If that were the case sure the offer should not have occurred in the first place.
Of course, this is just conjecture.
Dec 14, 2015, 1:55 pm
#2825
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: LAX
Programs: UA MM | BA Silver
Posts: 7,192
That's what I think happened as well. I've never seen a multi passenger web upsell list two different prices.
Dec 14, 2015, 2:59 pm
#2826
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,368
Dec 14, 2015, 4:17 pm
#2827
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: So Fla & NYC
Programs: DL DM/2MM, UA MM, BV LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 23,766
When the fare class availability differs, you need to make the reservations separately in order not to fall into Delta's trap of pricing both tickets at the higher fare. 
Dec 14, 2015, 4:23 pm
#2828
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: LAX
Programs: UA MM | BA Silver
Posts: 7,192
Dec 14, 2015, 5:38 pm
#2829
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
Checked my credit card bill and noticed Delta processed the first upgrade at $324, and the second at $824 for a total of $1,148. A very nice agent and a supervisor agreed to refund the $500 difference. They said the actual price should have been $1,148, but honored the website amount of $648.
Dec 14, 2015, 8:27 pm
#2830
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,619
Upgraded 6 days in advance for EYW-ATL into F5, but still not cleared for ATL-RSW tomorrow despite F8. The upgrade processor is dyslexic or something.
Dec 16, 2015, 9:16 am
#2831
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: SAT
Programs: Delta DM, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Gold (LT), Nat EL Exec, Hertz PC
Posts: 625
Same day trip from MCI-ORD coming up, had booked it inexpensively, and at least two of the upgrades were unlikely to clear. Checking seat assignments today and found an offer to upgrade the entire itinerary for $141. I bit.
Except when I got past the payment page, I got an error with a phone number to call website support.
Website support told me the price to upgrade was $600+. Not interested.
"What were you offered?" - $141. (I took a screen shot, but didn't offer this info)
"I'm not seeing that, the best I can get is $298, let me get a supervisor to over-ride it."
Ok.
Took 19 minutes with website support, but honored the price originally quoted.
Honestly, I get that inventory is dynamic. I even get that the offer may not have been valid any longer based on bookings. I don't get, and will never understand, why there is not a record of what is offered. It has to generate from somewhere.
Anyway... I'd say this one fits the FCM name...
Added: Just received the emailed itin / receipt, and they simply rebuilt the itinerary in A class (the upgrade offer didn't specify class) and the total cost was $5 less, so lightheartedly, I guess that makes my time worth about $15/hour to Delta... (said tongue-in-cheek, based on spending 20 min to save $5.)
Except when I got past the payment page, I got an error with a phone number to call website support.
Website support told me the price to upgrade was $600+. Not interested.
"What were you offered?" - $141. (I took a screen shot, but didn't offer this info)
"I'm not seeing that, the best I can get is $298, let me get a supervisor to over-ride it."
Ok.
Took 19 minutes with website support, but honored the price originally quoted.
Honestly, I get that inventory is dynamic. I even get that the offer may not have been valid any longer based on bookings. I don't get, and will never understand, why there is not a record of what is offered. It has to generate from somewhere.
Anyway... I'd say this one fits the FCM name...
Added: Just received the emailed itin / receipt, and they simply rebuilt the itinerary in A class (the upgrade offer didn't specify class) and the total cost was $5 less, so lightheartedly, I guess that makes my time worth about $15/hour to Delta... (said tongue-in-cheek, based on spending 20 min to save $5.)
Last edited by brkandjfk; Dec 16, 2015 at 9:23 am Reason: Updated info
Dec 18, 2015, 9:54 am
#2832
Original Member and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kansas City, MO, USA
Programs: DL PM/MM, AA ExPlat, Hyatt Glob, HH Dia, National ECE, Hertz PC
Posts: 16,579
I think I'm done flying for 2015, 52 segments on DL, 28 were FCM. The only reason it's not higher is I don't like to pay on tickets I'm concerned may get cancelled by clients (I'd have to eat the FCM portion). I expect the number will be higher in 2016, I have really come to appreciate the SDC flexibility of these tickets along with the bonus MQM, bonus SkyBonus points, and ability to select seats early.
Dec 18, 2015, 10:10 am
#2833
Suspended
Join Date: May 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: DL Diamond, AAdvantage EXP, Hyatt Explorist, HHonors Diamond, Avis First
Posts: 7,344
I just took advantage of FCM for a New Years trip.....DL has some dirt cheap FC fares out there during the holidays (obviously when biz travel slows down).
Dec 18, 2015, 4:20 pm
#2834
Join Date: May 2013
Location: RMS
Programs: DL Plat, UA Gold, Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Credit Card Diamond
Posts: 8,782
I'm seeing a great offer to upgrade for
on a one-way SAT-ATL-DAY. I paid $251 all-in for my U class ticket, so I'll try my luck at the upgrade lottery.
$771.00(USD) per passenger entire trip*
*total price including taxes and fee
*total price including taxes and fee
Dec 18, 2015, 4:28 pm
#2835
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
Programs: AA, B6, DL, EK, EY, QR, SQ, UA, Amex Plat, Marriott Tit, HHonors Gold
Posts: 12,809
