Looking more and more like nwa.com each month @:-)

(nwa.com even gave you the upsell/difference when booking award tickets)

Does this fall into the be careful what you wish for category?

Does it allow to upgrade after the ticket is booked? I guess folks like me that are required to buy tickets through travel agencies are out of this program.

Yes - but I have always been of the opinion that upgrade seats should only be given out at the gate.

If this is what the "monetizing" of F really means then more power to them. I think this isn't a bad way to make it work.

Aren't a large number of corporate negotiated fares B or Y fares? This will provide a means for such customers without elite status to get into the forward cabin, whether or not the employer is willing to reimburse for the upgrade.

More First Class Monetization
 

I used Dulta.com to check some itineraries in April for MSP <-> STT. It was pricing out at around $1167.00. At the time I was not logged into my SkyPesos as a GM, but I did note some interesting observations.

First, I was presented with the option of upgrading to a fully refundable coach ticket for around a total fare of $1475.00; the presentation was fairly slick.

After clicking into flight selection, I was offered the opportunity to upgrade to first for around $617.00, again the presentation was fairly slick. While the award engine remains broken Delta has implemented the FC monetization. I guess its just priorities. ;)

As a Gold, I would definitely do this upgrade option and use miles for a FC award for my traveling companion. An additional $617.00 for First for a vacation to STT seems like a nice idea.

DL flights in the spring are crazy expensive; I priced out $1100 to STT over Memorial weekend from DCA or BWI/STT.

Two years ago, it cost us $1200 for two LUT tix, and got upgraded both ways home to boot.

Then buy the FC ticket. They are running a business and if they can get extra money upfront for a ticket, more power to them. I din't know why people don't understand this? I know I would charge my customers an additional $617 for something if I could.

No one denies that Delta is a for-profit business. I think what is frustrating is that Delta is trying to monetize seats for far less than $617 while simultaneously forgetting that their most frequent travelers regularly spend more to solely fly Delta. My case and point: I spent $600 more to go to Hawaii last week than flying United would have cost me. My routing was DTW-LAX-HNL there and OGG(Maui)-LAX-DTW on the way back. I know Delta doesn't upgrade to/from Hawaii unless you live there, but when in LAX en route to HNL they were selling gate upgrades for (don't quote me) $200 bucks and it may appear that it's a quick buck for them. What they forget is that a Diamond is sitting in Coach who spent $600 more to fly them in the first place. Similar frustration is what is rubbing some of us wrong. There are many frequent Delta flyers who think DL can do no harm, and will never cry foul. Others, like me, will at least put up a fight.

Nope. Not even for people who live there any more.

You didn't put up a fight, you paid $600 more to fly DL.

Fighting would have meant capturing screenshots of the other airline's ticket being purchased by your credit card, screenshots of the Delta ticket quote vs the other airline's ticket quote etc and sending the above to Delta to show them that you elected not to pay the money.

Furthermore, the $600 is reduced by the value of the miles.

I stand corrected. See another eroded benefit lost entirely and DL can get away with it because no one cries foul.

You're right. I flew Delta at least hoping that I would get upgraded from DTW-LAX on a Saturday and LAX-DTW on the way back on a Sunday. I didn't get either. On the way back I didn't even get a exit row and was stuck in the middle. Gone was the small (albeit better than nothing) middle seat bonus I used to occasionally get. Even the guy next to me remarked that as a Diamond Delta couldn't do better for me. I have a lot of DL travel booked this year, and depending on how 2011 plays out, I will see where I go. Being in Detroit is kind of a crappy situation as options are limited. (Spirit $9 Fare Club anyone?) I have a feeling Delta will roll back their effort to monetize first class when they rub enough people wrong. They are very subtle with it so far in comparison to other programs.

Just passing through - literally. I saw this thread on the first page of FT and it's quite frankly a joke.

FC should be there to be paid for. To be aspirational. To be for the CEO or maybe the holiday of a lifetime. The US legacy carriers have created a monster through this upgrade expectation to loyal customers (of which they appear to have in the millions).

Just think, if anyone actually paid for FC then the product might become a little more fitting for the name. A snack basket and a (plastic) glass of something fizzy is worth the square root of f-all to the majority. Start charging realistic fares and providing decent service, then back-fill with the very occasional upgrade to lure them in and you'll have a decent proposition. Otherwise just go to an all Y service. It works quite well for SWA & B6 I believe!

Well, I'm pretty sure that if UG percentage goes down noticeable then next year DL will miss a lot of top tier medallions. So far though, I only see changes that benefit casual fliers rather than frequent ones. Business model change? After all, I with my 142 segments last year only fly as much as about one 757 full of people. Not that much if turn it this way.