First Class Monetization, or FCM: The Definitive Thread
#3901
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: SJC/SFO
Posts: 372
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
#3902
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: 18,789
When they first introduced the route I routinely cleared at the DM window and it occasionally went out with empties in F. Doesn't seem quite that easy now, but I'll still save my $100 for the machines/tables
#3903
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: SJC/SFO
Posts: 372
I routinely cleared days before the FO window. In most cases when looking at the seat map on the day of departure, economy was completely full and F had maybe one seat taken, so clearly they needed the Y seat for a non-elite. On multiple occasions we went out with half of the F cabin unoccupied, heck even C+ was half empty. Definitely save your $100.
#3904
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,223
#3905
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: Delta DM, SPG Plat, Marriott Plat, IHG Spire
Posts: 1,021
For this morning's flight I was already upgraded on booking, 5 day window, with a confirmed seat, and last night upon checkin it offered me the opportunity to buy a FC seat for $203. Umm...
#3906
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: DL DM, UA Gold, Alaska MVP, Bonvoy (lol) Ambassador
Posts: 2,991
I assume this is a fluke but has anyone else experienced the below?
I was in a middle seat in Y- for a flight on Friday on a B fare. I regularly check the app when this happens in hopes of something better coming up - and nothing was. Each time I opened the app, I received an F buy-up offer for $540 (a pretty high price considering 9 seats showing as available in F). This morning I saw that a good seat (exit row window) had opened up. I swapped seats and then went back to the trips page. When I went back to the trips page, the FCM offer went down to only $235.
I'm going to assume that this is just a fluke (pricing just happened to have been refreshed around the same time). But if not... that's pretty cruel of Delta (pricing F upgrades based on how miserable your Y seat is). Again, I'm assuming this is a coincidental fluke, but has anyone else seen this sort of behavior from the app?
I was in a middle seat in Y- for a flight on Friday on a B fare. I regularly check the app when this happens in hopes of something better coming up - and nothing was. Each time I opened the app, I received an F buy-up offer for $540 (a pretty high price considering 9 seats showing as available in F). This morning I saw that a good seat (exit row window) had opened up. I swapped seats and then went back to the trips page. When I went back to the trips page, the FCM offer went down to only $235.
I'm going to assume that this is just a fluke (pricing just happened to have been refreshed around the same time). But if not... that's pretty cruel of Delta (pricing F upgrades based on how miserable your Y seat is). Again, I'm assuming this is a coincidental fluke, but has anyone else seen this sort of behavior from the app?
#3907
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: Formaldehyde Medallion DL DieMiles
Posts: 12,645
PHL to MCO, over a month from now.
Difference between coach and FC RT was $318 before I hit the purchase button.
Chose coach and went to select seats. Was offered outbound (one-way) UG for $209.
Selected my C+ seats.
Exited and went back to confirm seat selections had stuck. (The first leg had not, BTW. The large number C+ seats that had been available 5 minutes prior were now greyed out.)
But now, over the course of 5 minutes, the UG differential for the outbound trip had increased to $290. Just a bit less than the difference between purchasing FC vs coach RT (for which none of the prices had changed)
Had to call to get my C+ seat reestablished on the first leg. Apparently, the DL IT system had spontaneously switched my C+ UG option selection to NO, even after allowing me to pick four seats (with only 3 of the 4 actually registering in the system).
Difference between coach and FC RT was $318 before I hit the purchase button.
Chose coach and went to select seats. Was offered outbound (one-way) UG for $209.
Selected my C+ seats.
Exited and went back to confirm seat selections had stuck. (The first leg had not, BTW. The large number C+ seats that had been available 5 minutes prior were now greyed out.)
But now, over the course of 5 minutes, the UG differential for the outbound trip had increased to $290. Just a bit less than the difference between purchasing FC vs coach RT (for which none of the prices had changed)
Had to call to get my C+ seat reestablished on the first leg. Apparently, the DL IT system had spontaneously switched my C+ UG option selection to NO, even after allowing me to pick four seats (with only 3 of the 4 actually registering in the system).
#3908
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: Formaldehyde Medallion DL DieMiles
Posts: 12,645
PHL to MCO, over a month from now.
Difference between coach and FC RT was $318 before I hit the purchase button.
Chose coach and went to select seats. Was offered outbound (one-way) UG for $209.
Selected my C+ seats.
Exited and went back to confirm seat selections had stuck. (The first leg had not, BTW. The large number C+ seats that had been available 5 minutes prior were now greyed out.)
But now, over the course of 5 minutes, the UG differential for the outbound trip had increased to $290. Just a bit less than the difference between purchasing FC vs coach RT (for which none of the prices had changed)
Had to call to get my C+ seat reestablished on the first leg. Apparently, the DL IT system had spontaneously switched my C+ UG option selection to NO, even after allowing me to pick four seats (with only 3 of the 4 actually registering in the system).
Difference between coach and FC RT was $318 before I hit the purchase button.
Chose coach and went to select seats. Was offered outbound (one-way) UG for $209.
Selected my C+ seats.
Exited and went back to confirm seat selections had stuck. (The first leg had not, BTW. The large number C+ seats that had been available 5 minutes prior were now greyed out.)
But now, over the course of 5 minutes, the UG differential for the outbound trip had increased to $290. Just a bit less than the difference between purchasing FC vs coach RT (for which none of the prices had changed)
Had to call to get my C+ seat reestablished on the first leg. Apparently, the DL IT system had spontaneously switched my C+ UG option selection to NO, even after allowing me to pick four seats (with only 3 of the 4 actually registering in the system).
Just went to check my seat assignments... FCM offer is now $406 each way.
Could buy FC ticket today, same itinerary, RT for $982.
Mr. Barnum now works on Va Ave.
#3909
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K
Posts: 21,277
SEA-LAX, H fare, purchased thru Concur 6 days out
if I do a dummy booking I find an H fare, and P at a premium of $119, which is a bit more than I’d normally consider paying for this 2.5-hour flight; when I check My Trips, the app says $171 to upgrade
as an aside, corporate H is approx $30 less than what the app is asking for the same H seat, but that’s still less than the $52 difference that the FCM algorithm generated
if I do a dummy booking I find an H fare, and P at a premium of $119, which is a bit more than I’d normally consider paying for this 2.5-hour flight; when I check My Trips, the app says $171 to upgrade
as an aside, corporate H is approx $30 less than what the app is asking for the same H seat, but that’s still less than the $52 difference that the FCM algorithm generated
#3910
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: PDX
Programs: DL DM, AS MVP 100K, Amtrak peon, Colbert Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 4,534
MSP-BOI
T fare
$106.43
Accepted
I'd only ever seen pricey upsells before, but DL got me good on this one. The offer appeared a few weeks after booking, disappeared a few days before the T-5 upgrade window, then reappeared. After inventory went from 11 F seats open to 3 open, I jumped on it. Very reasonable for a 3-hour flight.
Ticket reissued into G class. Receipt e-mail shows "CMFT+ FRST SEG Upsell 99.00 USD" plus tax.
T fare
$106.43
Accepted
I'd only ever seen pricey upsells before, but DL got me good on this one. The offer appeared a few weeks after booking, disappeared a few days before the T-5 upgrade window, then reappeared. After inventory went from 11 F seats open to 3 open, I jumped on it. Very reasonable for a 3-hour flight.
Ticket reissued into G class. Receipt e-mail shows "CMFT+ FRST SEG Upsell 99.00 USD" plus tax.
#3911
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: IAH
Programs: DL DM, Hyatt Ist-iest, Stariott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 12,747
DL is showing me an offer for $106 iah-lga for Monday. Underlying Q fare (company bought the fare) so I'm guessing this is the actual fare difference. If this was mainline I'd probably bite but since it's an Embraer with 2-2 seating in Y and I have a handful of drink chits I can't really see the value.
#3912
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: MIA
Programs: AA EXP (AC), DL G (SC), Bonvoy LTP, & IHG AMB
Posts: 1,798
DL is showing me an offer for $106 iah-lga for Monday. Underlying Q fare (company bought the fare) so I'm guessing this is the actual fare difference. If this was mainline I'd probably bite but since it's an Embraer with 2-2 seating in Y and I have a handful of drink chits I can't really see the value.
#3913
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: IAH
Programs: DL DM, Hyatt Ist-iest, Stariott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 12,747
Anecdotal of course: but a colleague just started using this route on DL and he's reported that even as a Silver he's been upgraded and that the loads were very light in March. You might get a CPU. Personally, I would bite on this offer: it's about 2.5 to 3 hrs distance.
#3914
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: 18,789
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)
$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)
The morning and evening flights had RU availability, so this seems like just an aberration.
(My Sunday return cleared into an entirely empty F cabin at the DM window.)
#3915
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: DL DM, UA Gold, Alaska MVP, Bonvoy (lol) Ambassador
Posts: 2,991
How about this steal? It looks like it's a $793 Comfort+ upgrade one way... (once you click through it does actually show as an F upgrade - still outrageous but a little less obscene).
PS - is anyone else surprised/annoyed by the comma splice?
PS - is anyone else surprised/annoyed by the comma splice?