First Class Monetization, or FCM: The Definitive Thread
Nov 24, 2017, 11:03 pm
#3736
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: Hilton, United, Gold DL
Posts: 993
I'm no longer getting any FCM offers on my upcoming flights or last few completed flights. Kind of strange for them to have gone away. Got a couple of segments I wouldn't mind paying to upgrade.
Nov 25, 2017, 8:09 pm
#3737
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,628
not sure if this has been reported by others but a cautionary tale about my most recent FCM experience and SDC
i bought a $117.80 one way ticket LAX-SMF in T class and later accepted an FCM for $41.93 from the booking page. the flight appeared to rebook in G class. note that this was the exact same cost as the price differential between T and G at the time that i accepted the FCM.
today i went to SDC the reservation (one of the primary reasons i chose to take the FCM) and was told that while my booking class was G, my fare class was T, and that my non-medallion companion was not eligible for premium cabin SDC fee waiver, nor was i eligible without paying an upfare to the lowest currently available fare class which was of course like S or something.
i was facing a check-in deadline at LAX and disconnected the call with the agent when i got to the front of the SP line at LAX T3. the agent there was able to override everything and rebook us in time to still make the check in cutoff and get on the 8:30am flight.
nonetheless, next time i see an FCM that is the same as the fare difference, i am just going to phone it in for a full blown ticket exchange.
DL really seems to have no idea what they are doing with this system once it goes beyond the idea of capturing additional revenue.
i bought a $117.80 one way ticket LAX-SMF in T class and later accepted an FCM for $41.93 from the booking page. the flight appeared to rebook in G class. note that this was the exact same cost as the price differential between T and G at the time that i accepted the FCM.
today i went to SDC the reservation (one of the primary reasons i chose to take the FCM) and was told that while my booking class was G, my fare class was T, and that my non-medallion companion was not eligible for premium cabin SDC fee waiver, nor was i eligible without paying an upfare to the lowest currently available fare class which was of course like S or something.
i was facing a check-in deadline at LAX and disconnected the call with the agent when i got to the front of the SP line at LAX T3. the agent there was able to override everything and rebook us in time to still make the check in cutoff and get on the 8:30am flight.
nonetheless, next time i see an FCM that is the same as the fare difference, i am just going to phone it in for a full blown ticket exchange.
DL really seems to have no idea what they are doing with this system once it goes beyond the idea of capturing additional revenue.
Nov 25, 2017, 8:57 pm
#3738
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,890
today i went to SDC the reservation (one of the primary reasons i chose to take the FCM) and was told that while my booking class was G, my fare class was T, and that my non-medallion companion was not eligible for premium cabin SDC fee waiver, nor was i eligible without paying an upfare to the lowest currently available fare class which was of course like S or something.
There has been speculation about whether new wording in the FCM offer would inhibit F SDC rules, but I can't imagine that's what they intended, from a customer service perspective. Unfortunate that you didn't have time to HUCA, I'd be curious to see what another agent had to say.
Nov 29, 2017, 11:05 pm
#3739
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Tokyo
Programs: DL Diamond, ANA Platinum
Posts: 1,532
Had an awful experience with FCM and SDC today that ended in a downgrade to get on the earlier flight. The kicker was that the flight I did standby on definitely had open FC seats, but they were given to people who probably weren't people who paid for FC (based on the upgrade list, where someone went from Standby to C+ to FC in a matter of 15 minutes).
Getting a refund was a nightmare. The supervisor was so defensive and kept drawing analogies that made no sense ("If YOU were a Platinum and a Diamond did standby at the last minute and bumped you down the list, how would you feel?!"
). The fact is I was a paying FC passenger, and while I was standing by, it doesn't make much sense to being lower priority than a Y passenger or (even worse) a non-rev.
I'm surmising that DL's system interprets FCM as a FC ticket but when SDC comes about, it doesn't process the flight change as expected.
Getting a refund was a nightmare. The supervisor was so defensive and kept drawing analogies that made no sense ("If YOU were a Platinum and a Diamond did standby at the last minute and bumped you down the list, how would you feel?!"
). The fact is I was a paying FC passenger, and while I was standing by, it doesn't make much sense to being lower priority than a Y passenger or (even worse) a non-rev.I'm surmising that DL's system interprets FCM as a FC ticket but when SDC comes about, it doesn't process the flight change as expected.
Nov 30, 2017, 5:00 am
#3740
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MEM
Programs: Starbucks Green Card
Posts: 5,431
Had an awful experience with FCM and SDC today that ended in a downgrade to get on the earlier flight. The kicker was that the flight I did standby on definitely had open FC seats, but they were given to people who probably weren't people who paid for FC (based on the upgrade list, where someone went from Standby to C+ to FC in a matter of 15 minutes).
Getting a refund was a nightmare. The supervisor was so defensive and kept drawing analogies that made no sense ("If YOU were a Platinum and a Diamond did standby at the last minute and bumped you down the list, how would you feel?!"). The fact is I was a paying FC passenger, and while I was standing by, it doesn't make much sense to being lower priority than a Y passenger or (even worse) a non-rev.
I'm surmising that DL's system interprets FCM as a FC ticket but when SDC comes about, it doesn't process the flight change as expected.
Getting a refund was a nightmare. The supervisor was so defensive and kept drawing analogies that made no sense ("If YOU were a Platinum and a Diamond did standby at the last minute and bumped you down the list, how would you feel?!"
). The fact is I was a paying FC passenger, and while I was standing by, it doesn't make much sense to being lower priority than a Y passenger or (even worse) a non-rev.I'm surmising that DL's system interprets FCM as a FC ticket but when SDC comes about, it doesn't process the flight change as expected.
Nov 30, 2017, 6:33 am
#3741
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Tokyo
Programs: DL Diamond, ANA Platinum
Posts: 1,532
I ended up forcing them to refund the charge and got a $100 voucher. Numerically that's fine and all, but the supervisor was so offensive I had to threaten to take my business to another airline.
Nov 30, 2017, 9:56 am
#3744
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,628
Well, looking at it another way, assuming that FCM offers are relatively uniform across a fare class regardless of passenger status, booking time, etc (a notably poor assumption), then high FCM offers are more likely to translate into additional complimentary medallion upgrades. I'd still rather get it for free than pay $20 or $117 or $375.
Nov 30, 2017, 10:30 am
#3745
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: West of CLE
Programs: Delta DM/3 MM; Hertz PC; National EE; Amtrak GR; Bonvoy Silver; Via Rail Préférence
Posts: 5,378
I'm getting offered an upgrade from C+ to F for $190.76 one way BWI-SLC and return (I got upgraded at the window for SLC-SMF and SMF-SLC).
Dec 8, 2017, 7:22 am
#3750
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 1,589
Uograde strategy SLC JFK redeye
I am booked in paid C+ on a weekday SLC JFK redeye, waitlisted for first but slim chance since I have very low status for DL. Still for now one out of twenty FC seats is booked, with five weeks to go until the flight. Upgrade is offered for $300, but I value this at 150, it is just a FC seat on a 738. What would you do? Nothing and be happy in C+? Pay $300? Expect this price to come down? Anyone has experienced upgrades on this flight? Thanks!