First Class Monetization, or FCM: The Definitive Thread
#4291
Join Date: May 1999
Location: CVG
Programs: DL DM 4MM, Lifetime Marriott Plat Elite, HH Diamond
Posts: 1,429
Data FC monitization working..
More of a fun thread, so please don't flame the usual WFBF. Flew yesterday ATL to SLC. 767 with 30 seats up front. Comfort plus was full 11 days out. At diamond UG window (and yes I am a Diamond), 9 seats available, no upgrade for an "M" fare. 2 days out 6 seats available, perhaps another Diamond member cleared. T-24 check in, 4 seats available. #1 for upgrade. T - 4 hours #3 for the upgrade, 1 seat available. So, I burned an RUC and bumped backed to #1 and got the ONLY available upgrade seat. So the good thing is that I got the upgrade!
I tell you all that to share what the passenger manifest for FC showed: 2 Diamonds up front, myself being one of them. Couldn't count the number in back as the page was folded, but I would infer many from what I could count. Quite a few Golds, and even 3 silvers and a smattering of Plats up front. The NO status was more telling with 7. The data shows people are finding ways other than status to fly up front. And yes, they could have paid with miles to upgrade the ticket at purchase, or with cash, or an award ticket or done a SDC with a FC fare. I just find it interesting that only one (me) upgrade got processed on a Tuesday afternoon on an "M class ticket and had to use a RUC to get it! This is the new Delta.
I tell you all that to share what the passenger manifest for FC showed: 2 Diamonds up front, myself being one of them. Couldn't count the number in back as the page was folded, but I would infer many from what I could count. Quite a few Golds, and even 3 silvers and a smattering of Plats up front. The NO status was more telling with 7. The data shows people are finding ways other than status to fly up front. And yes, they could have paid with miles to upgrade the ticket at purchase, or with cash, or an award ticket or done a SDC with a FC fare. I just find it interesting that only one (me) upgrade got processed on a Tuesday afternoon on an "M class ticket and had to use a RUC to get it! This is the new Delta.
#4292
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: MCO
Programs: DL PM, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 4,273
More of a fun thread, so please don't flame the usual WFBF. Flew yesterday ATL to SLC. 767 with 30 seats up front. Comfort plus was full 11 days out. At diamond UG window (and yes I am a Diamond), 9 seats available, no upgrade for an "M" fare. 2 days out 6 seats available, perhaps another Diamond member cleared. T-24 check in, 4 seats available. #1 for upgrade. T - 4 hours #3 for the upgrade, 1 seat available. So, I burned an RUC and bumped backed to #1 and got the ONLY available upgrade seat. So the good thing is that I got the upgrade!
I tell you all that to share what the passenger manifest for FC showed: 2 Diamonds up front, myself being one of them. Couldn't count the number in back as the page was folded, but I would infer many from what I could count. Quite a few Golds, and even 3 silvers and a smattering of Plats up front. The NO status was more telling with 7. The data shows people are finding ways other than status to fly up front. And yes, they could have paid with miles to upgrade the ticket at purchase, or with cash, or an award ticket or done a SDC with a FC fare. I just find it interesting that only one (me) upgrade got processed on a Tuesday afternoon on an "M class ticket and had to use a RUC to get it! This is the new Delta.
I tell you all that to share what the passenger manifest for FC showed: 2 Diamonds up front, myself being one of them. Couldn't count the number in back as the page was folded, but I would infer many from what I could count. Quite a few Golds, and even 3 silvers and a smattering of Plats up front. The NO status was more telling with 7. The data shows people are finding ways other than status to fly up front. And yes, they could have paid with miles to upgrade the ticket at purchase, or with cash, or an award ticket or done a SDC with a FC fare. I just find it interesting that only one (me) upgrade got processed on a Tuesday afternoon on an "M class ticket and had to use a RUC to get it! This is the new Delta.
#4293
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card
Posts: 10,742
Don't forget that some domestic FC seats get taken by people on international J connections who don't select a seat until they check in.
I'm sure there was some FCM on that flight, but I wouldn't attribute all of the disappearing seats to FCM.
I'm sure there was some FCM on that flight, but I wouldn't attribute all of the disappearing seats to FCM.
#4294
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: DL Silver, Avis President's Club, Hertz President's Circle, Global Entry (Former AA Plt/Gold)
Posts: 4,417
I'm looking at an FCM offer right now, but buying two offers in the app comes out to more than calling to upfare my ticket instead (purchased by a corporate TA who gave me the green light to upgrade if I want).
#4295
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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: 21,304
called the corporate Concur desk, got the agent to switch the booking to DCA-ATL-SEA which had both H and D, then was on hold with DL for about 10 min ... during which time D vanished, so I was looking at ~$1700 for a J fare (with wonderful segment-by-segment buyup offers of $109 and $429 )
OLCI let me SDC (still in H) to DCA-MSP-SEA which still had D; the OLCI offer was only for MSP-SEA ($369 ); called DL to upfare the whole trip to D, but the PM line agent refused to touch the ticket or engage a supervisor ... called Concur back and spoke with a different agent who put a release in the PNR; OLCI "Change Flights" option brought up a better ATL connection for a $238 add-collect ^
#4296
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: DL Silver, Avis President's Club, Hertz President's Circle, Global Entry (Former AA Plt/Gold)
Posts: 4,417
Of course what I didn't think of until I saw the receipt is that this $300 shows up as a Misc fee so I probably don't get MQD or Skymiles for it, but if someone offered me 2300 Skypesos for $27 I probably wouldn't have taken them up on it, so I guess I'll live
Edit: She also said that it's nonrefundable and I figured she meant the Z fare, but now I'm wondering if she meant the seat upgrade fee - like if IROPS occurred and I was downgraded or something. Not going to let it stress me out but if someone wants to chime in it wouldn't be bad to know
Yes you do. Buying an upgrade while purchasing (shown on the Trip Summary page) or after you’ve purchased (in My Trips) will earn you the bonus MQMs. This is regardless if you use cash or miles to upgrade. If you are upgrading from an award ticket, then you will not earn the bonus MQMs as you are still on an award ticket.
Last edited by Gig103; Feb 21, 2019 at 10:46 pm
#4297
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
I thought I'd follow up on this. I checked the app last night and it was $149 one direction but $430 the other direction. Since a dummy booking shows the FC fare was $720 total (upfare of about $327), I called the FO Medallion phone number to do that instead. The interesting thing is, the offer that the agent had was "$149 per person each way" which was $27.50 less than the upfare option per ticket.
Of course what I didn't think of until I saw the receipt is that this $300 shows up as a Misc fee so I probably don't get MQD or Skymiles for it, but if someone offered me 2300 Skypesos for $27 I probably wouldn't have taken them up on it, so I guess I'll live
Edit: She also said that it's nonrefundable and I figured she meant the Z fare, but now I'm wondering if she meant the seat upgrade fee - like if IROPS occurred and I was downgraded or something. Not going to let it stress me out but if someone wants to chime in it wouldn't be bad to know
Just sharing another data point that in-advance FCM does change the fare, I have "Z" for my upgrades (formerly "T").
Of course what I didn't think of until I saw the receipt is that this $300 shows up as a Misc fee so I probably don't get MQD or Skymiles for it, but if someone offered me 2300 Skypesos for $27 I probably wouldn't have taken them up on it, so I guess I'll live
Edit: She also said that it's nonrefundable and I figured she meant the Z fare, but now I'm wondering if she meant the seat upgrade fee - like if IROPS occurred and I was downgraded or something. Not going to let it stress me out but if someone wants to chime in it wouldn't be bad to know
Just sharing another data point that in-advance FCM does change the fare, I have "Z" for my upgrades (formerly "T").
#4298
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: STL/ORD/MCI/SAN
Programs: AA CK MM, AC SE100K, UA 1K, DL Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 1,985
The NO status was more telling with 7. The data shows people are finding ways other than status to fly up front. And yes, they could have paid with miles to upgrade the ticket at purchase, or with cash, or an award ticket or done a SDC with a FC fare. I just find it interesting that only one (me) upgrade got processed on a Tuesday afternoon on an "M class ticket and had to use a RUC to get it! This is the new Delta.
The discount J/F fares (GAP fares) on DL are often ridiculously cheap compared to AA (where I'm an 8 year EXP) on the routes I tend to fly. Recently, I've been part of what seems to be an overall trend for many of us -- if I want to sit up front, particularly on routes where upgrades tend to be slim, I'll consider just paying for it.
I had no intention of attaining status with DL, but I guess I flew on enough of these cheap premium cabin fares recently that the status just happened. It's possible (and actually quite likely) that a lot of the lower level elites you're seeing on the list are simply routinely buying F/J and gaining status quite easily as a result.
#4299
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: Delta Diamond, Marriott Ambassador & Lifetime Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, United Silver
Posts: 6,334
Interesting.
I just received a buy-up offer for first-class between Detroit DTW and St. Louis STL for $74.18 or 6,900 miles on a CJR-700. What's interesting about this is it's basically the same $74 and change buy-up offer as other short, regional or mainline flights yet I actually purchase a comfort-plus (W) ticket, not an economy-class ticket.
I just received a buy-up offer for first-class between Detroit DTW and St. Louis STL for $74.18 or 6,900 miles on a CJR-700. What's interesting about this is it's basically the same $74 and change buy-up offer as other short, regional or mainline flights yet I actually purchase a comfort-plus (W) ticket, not an economy-class ticket.
#4300
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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: 21,304
"absurd" isn't even close ...
a couple hours ago I purchased SEA-DTW-DCA in U for $214 (FCM fare in "I" was $478, but I need the receipt showing Main Cabin for expense reporting) ... on the confirmation screen I was offered an upgrade for an additional $515 ... nope, not happening
a few minutes ago I logged back in to make the change -- the lowest coach fare was K at $301, FCM was D at $515 (also checked on another computer, without logging in, and saw the same numbers) ... and unsurprisingly, the offer in my PNR was up to $713
SEA-IAD: U=$208, I=$467
a few minutes ago I logged back in to make the change -- the lowest coach fare was K at $301, FCM was D at $515 (also checked on another computer, without logging in, and saw the same numbers) ... and unsurprisingly, the offer in my PNR was up to $713
SEA-IAD: U=$208, I=$467
#4301
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Treasure Coast, FL
Programs: DL Diamond, Marriott LT Plat, HH Diamond, Avis Preferred Plus, National Executive
Posts: 4,577
I think this is one of the worst I have ever seen (as an FYI this is part of an TPA-ATL-CDG flight and wanted to use a GUC for me and my companion and the GUC wouldn't even clear on the TPA-ATL segment). Only $947 to upgrade to first. LOL. DL.com is currently selling TPA-ATL for $264 on our date.
#4302
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 41,820
I think this is one of the worst I have ever seen (as an FYI this is part of an TPA-ATL-CDG flight and wanted to use a GUC for me and my companion and the GUC wouldn't even clear on the TPA-ATL segment). Only $947 to upgrade to first. LOL. DL.com is currently selling TPA-ATL for $264 on our date.
#4303
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Treasure Coast, FL
Programs: DL Diamond, Marriott LT Plat, HH Diamond, Avis Preferred Plus, National Executive
Posts: 4,577
#4304
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC/ NJ
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Posts: 2,191