First Class Monetization, or FCM: The Definitive Thread
#3616
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Maryland
Programs: DL-Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 459
I'm generally amenable to a decent FCM offer, especially when routes very unlikely to upgrade are involved
I have a flight DCA-ATL-ABQ-MSP-DCA
Bought K,L fares for $510
At the time first was selling for about $850
current FCM offer $737.00!!!
I actually laughed out loud , a full $400 more than buying first class outright,
I will happily sit in my exit row seats or see if I get upgraded. I will be PM by the time I take the trip but I know DCA-ATL prob won't happen Lol
I have a flight DCA-ATL-ABQ-MSP-DCA
Bought K,L fares for $510
At the time first was selling for about $850
current FCM offer $737.00!!!
I actually laughed out loud , a full $400 more than buying first class outright,
I will happily sit in my exit row seats or see if I get upgraded. I will be PM by the time I take the trip but I know DCA-ATL prob won't happen Lol
#3617
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,648
#3618
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ATL
Programs: DL DM, Hyatt LT DM, Wyndham DM, Hertz PC, HH Gold, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,038
Interesting programming or whatever you want to call it.
Multi segment international trip. Can ONLY upgrade the two domestic legs to the tune of 400+300. Looking at a dummy booking you can upgrade the two domestic legs to FC and international to PE for 900 total for a fresh booking.
I can't even select to see prices to upgrade to anything on the trip except the domestic legs. Doesn't make any sense. The whole idea of new system is click on seat and get a price, correct?
Multi segment international trip. Can ONLY upgrade the two domestic legs to the tune of 400+300. Looking at a dummy booking you can upgrade the two domestic legs to FC and international to PE for 900 total for a fresh booking.
I can't even select to see prices to upgrade to anything on the trip except the domestic legs. Doesn't make any sense. The whole idea of new system is click on seat and get a price, correct?
#3620
Join Date: Apr 2007
Programs: Marriott Titanium; Hilton Diamond; Delta Diamond
Posts: 14
Recent Positive Experience with FCM
I bought a one-way coach seat BDL to SFO via MSP for $400. I was seeing offers of $350 to upgrade. When I saw that the price of new First Class ticket had dropped to $570, I called the Diamond Desk and was able to buy a First Class seat for slightly less that $170. I might have received a complimentary upgrade, but was pleased with the modest cost of moving into First Class.
#3621
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Twin Cities
Programs: Delta DM MM, IHG Plat, Hilton DM, Marriott SE, Emerald EE, Oakdale Gun Club, NRA & GOA Life Member
Posts: 3,870
Since Delta changed their policy about sending FCM offers to people that book through Concur, every offer I've gotten after booking has been nearly double what it would have cost if I would have booked F to begin with. I just booked a flight for next week to LAS and they wanted $101 more each way when I did the dummy booking. Now that it's booked and I look at my trip, they want $171 each way.
Edited to add:
I went back and did a dummy booking on delta.dumb and the difference between Y and F was $180 RT. I thought when I booked it was less than the $101 each way. Anyhoo, I called our TA and had them book the F ticket for me and they wanted $2 more than Delta, which is odd because we normally get a slight discount. So even with the price difference of $2, the FCM amount is nearly double the difference after booking.
Edited to add:
I went back and did a dummy booking on delta.dumb and the difference between Y and F was $180 RT. I thought when I booked it was less than the $101 each way. Anyhoo, I called our TA and had them book the F ticket for me and they wanted $2 more than Delta, which is odd because we normally get a slight discount. So even with the price difference of $2, the FCM amount is nearly double the difference after booking.
Last edited by yohanson; Aug 11, 2017 at 1:58 pm
#3622
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: PSC
Programs: Hilton Diamond/IHG Platinum/DL Plutononium
Posts: 1,728
#3625
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: DL PM/MM, Hilton Silver, SPG+, Hertz PC
Posts: 7,899
Just noticed access to the full seat map has been restored for those flights where DL is selling upgrades. One can simply select a seat in the upgraded cabin and pay the relative charge. If one upgrades an entire multi-segment leg a small discount is applied.
Pricing is RIDICULOUS: it currently offers me to upgrade an OAK-ATL segment from C+ to F for more than $800, when I could buy a fully refundable o/w ticket for more than $200 less and discounted First is still available for almost half the price.
Pricing is RIDICULOUS: it currently offers me to upgrade an OAK-ATL segment from C+ to F for more than $800, when I could buy a fully refundable o/w ticket for more than $200 less and discounted First is still available for almost half the price.
Last edited by thesaints; Aug 18, 2017 at 9:58 am
#3626
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: VA
Programs: DL GM
Posts: 154
#3627
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: DCA, LEX
Programs: DL Platinum, Marriott Platinum, Caesars Diamond, K Fund
Posts: 375
#3628
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: At the moment? ...
Programs: DL DM, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 377
Had a last minute/same day one-way booking RDU-ATL-DCA. Was coming from GSO and didn't think I would make the last Saturday direct. At booking, in app, fare was $236 and was offered $70 to upgrade. Took that, then proceeded to make the direct RDU-DCA flight anyway.
#3629
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: 1/2 way between FNT,DTW
Programs: DL Plat, US Gold
Posts: 711
My favorite one was $4 for DTW to ORD a few months ago. Why not. I didn't want to take the 8pm flight anyways and this allowed me to switch to noon flight and have entire afternoon and evening in Chicago.
I also had an offer for a DTW-BWI for $29 but passed because I was already in C+ but got UG at gate.
I also had an offer for a DTW-BWI for $29 but passed because I was already in C+ but got UG at gate.