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First Class Monetization, or FCM: The Definitive Thread

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First Class Monetization, or FCM: The Definitive Thread

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Old Nov 11, 2016, 2:12 pm
  #3331  
 
Join Date: May 2004
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On a round trip SDF-EWR next week... the FCM pricing at booking was $7.50 per segment. Even though I would likely get the upgrade anyway, $30 was the right price to protect me from Shena!
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Old Nov 11, 2016, 3:46 pm
  #3332  
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I still don't fully understand when and why DL offers FCMs.

Example: I was flying PHX - SLC - RDU earlier this week on wide open flights. Our corporate contract gets us free "preferred seats" and onto the upgrade list for C+. Meanwhile via Crossover Rewards (SPG Plat) I get on the F upgrade list (though at the very bottom).

PHX - SLC was pretty full from the elite side so I didn't waitlist for either list since I didn't want to lose my exit row aisle (with no one in the middle seat).

However, for SLC - RDU, I was 4/5 on the upgrade list with 5 seats open and virtually no one in C+ (I was on the C+ waitlist too and it went out with 14 empty seats I believe on an A320). I would've happily paid $50-60 (not much but actual ancillary revenue) to guarantee the F seat given my low priority and the fact that it was a 4 hour flight instead of getting the battlefield upgrade (somehow).
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Old Nov 20, 2016, 10:07 am
  #3333  
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I completed a trip for which I had purchased FCM, but the 150% MQM only posted on 3 of the 4 segments. (I did a SDC on the return trip, and it was one of the return segments that did not post. The fare class for both of these changed to F, making me think that whoever input the SDC probably did something wrong.)

The original purchase of FCM in October booked into A class for the outbound and P class for the return. I confirmed this by looking at the receipt, which stated FIRST (A) and FIRST (P) respectively.

I called in today about the discrepancy and was told by a front line agent in Cincinnati, and then a supervisor in Salt Lake, that what I had purchased is not an actual first class ticket, but rather a complimentary upgrade on my coach fare. According to him, Delta chose to honor my L-class ticket in first class as a complimentary upgrade because prices were comparable. However, since I flew L class and not P class, this is not eligible for 150% MQM. There was no explanation of course of why the 3 other segments posted at 150%.

I HUCA'd and that representative said that the department that needs to fix that is only open on Monday-Friday. So I guess I'm stuck waiting until tomorrow.

I thought I read that the whole "FCM is really a coach fare with a complimentary upgrade" stuff went away several months ago, but I can't find the post just now.

I will obviously need to call in again to try to get this fixed. Are there any magic words or other advice I should be using to be successful here? Or am I misinformed about this?
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Old Nov 20, 2016, 10:23 am
  #3334  
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Emphasis is mine (this is the fine print on the FCM order screen as of this morning):

The advertised price is not an offer and is subject to change. When you click Complete Purchase, you agree to accept all Fare Rulesopens in a new window for each flight, and all terms in Delta's applicable Contract of Carriageopens in a new window. No contract exists until you receive confirmation that payment was received and processed, and you have received a ticket number for each confirmed passenger. Upgrades may only be purchased for Delta- or Delta Connections- operated flights, must be more than 24 hours prior to departure of the initial segment of the itinerary, and are not available for Award Tickets and certain discounted and exception fares. Additional eligibility restrictions may apply in Delta's sole discretion. All passengers and segments must be upgraded to First/Business class within the confirmation number, except in instances where the aircraft has only a Main Cabin. Since the original ticket is being reissued , the prior ticket number is no longer valid and will be superseded by your new ticket number. Rules of your initial reservation will apply regardless of whether rules that would otherwise apply to the fare class of your upgraded ticket are less restrictive, i.e. changeability/refundabilityopens in a new window Upgraded tickets are eligible for additional mileage, MQM, and MQD accruals due to the selection of First/Business class cabin and associated fare class and the increase in base fare or carrier imposed surcharges paid in connection with your upgrade. All SkyMiles program rules apply to SkyMiles program membership, miles, offers, mile accrual, mile redemption and travel benefits, respectively. To review the rules, please visit Membership Guide & Program Rules.opens in a new window If you purchased trip insurance when purchasing your Main Cabin ticket, your benefits under the trip insurance policy are limited to those applicable under your Main Cabin ticket. Prices, offers, rules, and benefits are subject to change. We reserve the right to assign or reassign your upgraded seat at any time, even after boarding of the aircraft, for operational, safety or security reasons. The final decision resides with the ground staff and the operating crew on the day of the flight. Refunds will be issued to any reassigned customer if the customer is not moved to a comparable or better seat. No refund will be provided for any previously purchased ancillary product such as Priority Boarding or Delta Comfort+ ™ seating.
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Old Nov 20, 2016, 3:30 pm
  #3335  
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My family moved to Durham in 2005. At the time my dad was still working in New York and he'd buy a r/t NYC-RDU ticket every week. The average fare on AA then was $260 and that was for Y. $139 o/w is now DL's standard FIRST price for this ticket. How times have changed.
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Old Nov 20, 2016, 3:31 pm
  #3336  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Minneapolis, originally from Cincinnati
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I have a couple RU's the expire in a couple weeks and decided to apply them to a work trip this week as opposed to letting them go to waste. I figured I could at least have some flexibility on Weds to get on an earlier flight with SDC.

Of course there was no availability for either tomorrow or weds and was waitlisted on both.

Haven't cleared yet for tomorrow as a diamond even though there are seven open seats in F, so apparently Delta is not upgrading anyone until the gate.

Here's the pisser, my assistant is travelling with me and is only a Gold and received a buy up offer for tomorrow when she checked in (separate reservations).

Apparently Delta cares more about selling a cheap upgrade to a lower level tier than giving it to a diamond who wants to use an RU.

I don't have a problem with Delta selling cheap upgrades if the seats will go out empty anyway but come on upgrade your highest tiers using instruments we earned as a benefit first
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Old Nov 20, 2016, 4:29 pm
  #3337  
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Originally Posted by ILovetheReds
I have a couple RU's the expire in a couple weeks and decided to apply them to a work trip this week as opposed to letting them go to waste. I figured I could at least have some flexibility on Weds to get on an earlier flight with SDC.

Of course there was no availability for either tomorrow or weds and was waitlisted on both.

Haven't cleared yet for tomorrow as a diamond even though there are seven open seats in F, so apparently Delta is not upgrading anyone until the gate.

Here's the pisser, my assistant is travelling with me and is only a Gold and received a buy up offer for tomorrow when she checked in (separate reservations).

Apparently Delta cares more about selling a cheap upgrade to a lower level tier than giving it to a diamond who wants to use an RU.

I don't have a problem with Delta selling cheap upgrades if the seats will go out empty anyway but come on upgrade your highest tiers using instruments we earned as a benefit first
+1

I've had so much frustration with RUCs but still pick them because they have the biggest potential value, particularly with current SDC rules.

But honestly, the only reason I stay PM these days is for award redeposit, and because I'd just naturally make it anyway. If I went out of my way to fly DL on all the occasions where AA and UA were slightly cheaper or more convenient, I'd be DM.

But I save more by not booking DL on those trips than I'd gain by incremental DM benefits. At the point where I'm not flying enough naturally to make even PM, I assume I'll be earning fewer RDM anyway and so redeposit even will be less valuable. And with FCM on all airlines, I'm more and more WFBF on any airline when I want or need it.

Basically, I've mostly lost the desire to chase status. If it happens, great, but there aren't really many benefits left anymore that are motivating me to change my purchase behavior to favor DL. And while IRROPS treatment especially is nice, if I don't make status, then I'm not flying enough where it's that significant of an issue anyway.
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Old Nov 21, 2016, 8:44 am
  #3338  
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An update to my post above about missing bonus MQMs for one segment:

I called back this morning, and within 2 minutes the agent had called over to Skymiles. They re-queued all my flights for the day in question for processing, and within 1 hour the flights re-posted, both with the correct (+50%) MQMs. Within another hour the total MQM count on my profile updated -- curious it didn't happen simultaneously but they must batch and cache that somehow.

The working theory is that one of the flights got coded wrong when they did the SDC.

Moral of the story: the supervisor in SLC who was giving me the line about FCM being a complimentary upgrade on a coach fare was completely wrong, but the HUCA had to be done on Monday through Friday so the Skymiles desk would be open.
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Old Nov 21, 2016, 8:48 am
  #3339  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Auckland, NZ/New York, NY/ATL
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Originally Posted by kpbadger
An update to my post above about missing bonus MQMs for one segment:

I called back this morning, and within 2 minutes the agent had called over to Skymiles. They re-queued all my flights for the day in question for processing, and within 1 hour the flights re-posted, both with the correct (+50%) MQMs. Within another hour the total MQM count on my profile updated -- curious it didn't happen simultaneously but they must batch and cache that somehow.

The working theory is that one of the flights got coded wrong when they did the SDC.

Moral of the story: the supervisor in SLC who was giving me the line about FCM being a complimentary upgrade on a coach fare was completely wrong, but the HUCA had to be done on Monday through Friday so the Skymiles desk would be open.
Careful. Actual construction of your fare is An up-fare. The fare is built on the coach fare basis with an internal automatic upgrade to first class. Now, this does not affect your ability to do SDC, however the actual construction of the ticket is an UP-Fare. The agent was correct in the construction of the fare but not correct inits application.
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Old Nov 21, 2016, 10:16 am
  #3340  
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Originally Posted by DLATL777
Careful. Actual construction of your fare is An up-fare. The fare is built on the coach fare basis with an internal automatic upgrade to first class. Now, this does not affect your ability to do SDC, however the actual construction of the ticket is an UP-Fare. The agent was correct in the construction of the fare but not correct inits application.
But these are no longer classified as "instant upgrade" fares as they were in the past. They are unquestionably first class fares.

Previously, you used to book an "A" fare where the fare basis was something like L00AB123/WNUP, and within the fare rules there was language along the lines of "this is a coach fare with instant upgrade to first class where available".

Now, you book an "A" fare and the fare basis is still L00AB123/WNUP but in the fare rules, that language is replaced by "These fares apply for first class service"

No mention of "instant upgrade" anywhere anymore, and IIRC, SkyMiles earnings are strictly tied to booking class, not fare class.
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Old Nov 22, 2016, 9:22 am
  #3341  
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
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$169 round trip offer for IND-DTW-SEA-DTW-IND. M fare on outbound, T on return.
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Old Nov 22, 2016, 9:39 am
  #3342  
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Originally Posted by pivot_chart
$169 round trip offer for IND-DTW-SEA-DTW-IND. M fare on outbound, T on return.
not bad at all ... that's more typical of the one-way upcharge for WAS<->SEA
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Old Nov 23, 2016, 2:30 am
  #3343  
 
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L fare - MIA-ATL / ATL-MIA Both $139 both ways.
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Old Nov 23, 2016, 2:36 am
  #3344  
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Originally Posted by DLATL777
Careful. Actual construction of your fare is An up-fare. The fare is built on the coach fare basis with an internal automatic upgrade to first class. Now, this does not affect your ability to do SDC, however the actual construction of the ticket is an UP-Fare. The agent was correct in the construction of the fare but not correct inits application.
Hasn't been true for nearly a year.
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Old Dec 3, 2016, 4:43 pm
  #3345  
pvn
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Originally Posted by ATLawyer
ATL-DCA $90 RT offer at check in on the mobile app. Obviously took it.

The surprising thing was that AMEX considered this eligible for the $200 fee reimbursement on the AMEX Plat card and the credit showed up Friday. Hadn't seen anyone post that FCM was eligible for the fee credit before (if I missed it I apologize).
Is this still the case?
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