Bigger seat, yes. "Guaranteed" OHB space, no more than usual. Dedicated cabin service, yes, but I don't use it. 3 free 70# bags, PREM boarding, and SP handling I get anyway.

So it's basically the bigger seat.

OK, here's a bargain. Flying MSP-LGA-DCA. F upgrade offer for $361 MSP-LGA and the amazing deal of $349 for the 214 mile LGA-DCA trip. I don't think that they stock enough Woodford on that flight to make it a good deal..

fine, but no one is forcing you to buy it, are they?

my point is that the argument to which i was originally responding of "getting nothing for a buy up" doesn't hold an ounce of water. there are clear, tangible benefits relative to the alternative of the coach accommodation, but whether or not those benefits are valuable is not one size fits all. for some consumers, it works...for some it doesn't. welcome to the free market.

And that's on top of what you originally paid! Paid first-class between MSP and DCA is about $540-600 for most of the year, according to Google Flights.

So I had my first experience with the DL upgrade waitlist yesterday (have been mostly buying F for my DL flights). LAX-OAK didn't clear in advance, but the upgrade was consistently offered for $52.85 right up until I checked in, at which point the offer disappeared. Wasn't offered any buy-up opportunity after checking-in, nor did I see F seats magically disappear from inventory like I'm used to seeing with UA. Ultimately cleared at the gate.

So here's my question - Does DL not offer paid upgrades post check-in, or was this just an anomaly? I'm used to UA, where the consistent practice is to undercut elite upgrades by agressively hawking F seats for cheap right up until the end of boarding.

I think the question may be whether there are offers once you complete the check-in process, in which case, I don't think I've ever seen one. The offer during the OLCI process is your last chance.

That being said, before check-in, even if you don't see a current offer, you can always call in to up-fare and they should waive the change fee (a la GG BUYUP that you are used to :) ). I suspect they could do that after check-in too although they might have to undo the check-in first.

Thanks guys. If it's true that DL doesn't continue to hawk the upgrade after check-in, that's a big difference from UA (and makes UA's practice all the more offensive).

I was also a little surprised that with six empty F seats, DL waited all the way until boarding to clear the list. But alls well that ends well. I got upgraded both directions, which almost certainly would not have happened flying SFO-LAX on UA.

IME, if you re-run OLCI after initially checking in, the offer may re-appear if the inventory hasn't been exhausted.

I also believe that FCM inventory is a subset of total F inventory, but I dont have any hard proof of that. Ie, I don't think they'll often FCM the last seat.

Regarding timing, my experience is that if I don't clear at the platinum window, I won't clear until the gate. Rarely if ever do I clear in between.

(Post #14K :eek:)

Ah, I knew you could check in again to revise a VDB bid so this makes sense and worth trying too of so desired.

My vague recollection is that when I've bought up in advance it rebooks into A (I would assume G is eligible also), so that would make sense too.

It bears repeating that any FCM offer still may be pricier than refaring, even on day of departure. I recently flew LAS-MSP on a U fare, no FCM offer at check-in in that case, but called in and refared to A class for $112. ^

Just based on anecdotes, DL appears to be more aggressive about releasing cheaper F buckets on day of departure, versus UA which has always seemed looser about releasing lower Y buckets (which is a whole other discussion about the relative merits of their SDC policies). So DL sometimes does market F attractively until the last minute, just not necessarily through the FCM channel.

$624 for MSP-JFK-DCA on Delta.

Recently bought SJC-LAS-SJC for travel in April. Post-purchase the FCM offer was $52.xx each way, less than the difference in cost of buying F outright. This would probably be within my $/hr threshold for accepting on a longer flight, but not on a sub-1.5hr flight on an E75. Besides, 4 open seats on the map (yes, I know) for a Thursday midday outbound and wide open on the return, so I'll definitely gamble :)

$106 total is roughly (not quite exactly) the differential to A (booked T outbound, Q return) even though they are only selling first class P fares for my flight combination (for about $100 additional over the buy-up offer)