jrl767

probably closer to T-30 min than T-24 hrs

sethb

Generally, no. (And you mean MQM.)

PV_Premier

last week i bought G fares PHL-ATL-CLT and vv for $69 each way higher than the lowest available coach ($107 for Y, $176 for F). crediting to my AS FF#, i get 75% higher EQM and RDM earned than i would have with the coach ticket, not to mention the in air service and sky priority. these are the types of scenarios where i really do appreciate FCM.

MSPeconomist

Here's a somewhat weird data point.

Yesterday I purchased a domestic RT ticket departing in 7 days with one segment RJ with FC and one segment mainline in each direction. Each segment was a little under two hours, about 500 miles each. My original fare classes were K and S (ouch).

During the purchase, I was offered the upgrade at exactly the fare difference to A and P for $102 in each direction (or $204 total).

Just after the purchase, the FCM offer changed to $94 to upgrade the entire trip.

This morning, I saw a FCM offer for $70 for the entire trip. I accepted in order to pick good seats and to get the extra MQMs, plus I might decide to SDC (although I don't need to SDC and there aren't many options on this route, but I might try to SDC to a longer routing with mainline on both segments). The new underlying fare classes are T and H, which book into G and P, where the T fare now has a seven day advanced purchase requirement that wasn't on my original fares.

BTW, the seat maps made me feel (very) optimistic about getting free upgrades to FC as a DM, so I clearly accepted the FCM offer for its other benefits. Everything looks OK on the new itinerary.

Doesn't it seem odd that by taking the FCM offer, the underlying fares were for lower booking classes and even had an advanced purchase requirement that I wouldd have satisfied yesterday but not today? Even the G A P fares that I got today have the outbound now booking into G versus only A having been available yesterday. There's nothing in the seat maps to suggest that a bunch of people cancelled the flights in the intervening period.

EZEDoesIt

Thanks for the detailed report, MSP. What you saw is exactly what I've been saying all along, that the offer is not a random amount, but based on real fare bases.

I expect that they offer an upgrade price based on the difference between your current ticket and the currently available G A P. The price fluctuates since the availability in L U T X V in which they are based upon fluctuates. I've definitely seen G come and go, in correlation to the underlying bucket.

I don't for a minute by the premise that they are making random offers. It's just simple math, but since we can't see the real availability posters have arrived at these wild explanations.

MSPeconomist

The offer at the time of purchase was based on the fare difference, but not the two later and better offers. OTOH, I've seen offers at the time of purchase that were worse or better than the fare difference. You always should check the cost of searching for a FC ticket versus the cost of getting a G A P fare by checking the box just before purchasing a coach ticket.

EZEDoesIt

But you said that when you took the later offer it "downgraded" your base fare bucket, so are you sure the new price wasn't = new bucket minus original bucket plus /UP charge?

This is what lead me to conclude that things are actually working the way I suggest.

MSPeconomist

I just now (before the DM upgrade window opened) tried a dummy booking for the same flights. In coach, it gives me the same price as I paid yesterday, but with L (rather than K) and S fare classes. The FCM offer at checkout was $173.50 each way for a total of $347 (compared to the $70 I paid slightly earlier), which is exactly the fare difference. These upgrades would have booked into P in both directions.

ADDED: Two upgrades were done at the window on the RJ, none on the mainland flight. Both show as upgrade eligible (not upgrade available) now.

bubbashow

$999 at check in DtwPvg. Snapped that up in a red hot second. Ensconced in 1a instead of wedged in 36k. Flight seemed to be overbooked

MSPeconomist

You may have paid a thousand dollars for an OPUP. I'm sure your fellow DL shareholders will be very happy.

EZEDoesIt

Yeah, $1k seems pricey, but to each his own.

StayingHomeIsBetter

AANYC1981

PBI-LGA one way for $242 FC....done and done

CMK10

That's a little steep isn't it? I'd pay that for round trip but for one way that strikes me as awfully high for an 1000 mile flight.

United747

That might have been the fare to book right into F as opposed to a buy up.