First Class Monetization, or FCM: The Definitive Thread
Feb 26, 2019, 9:34 pm
#4321
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: MCO
Programs: DL PM, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 4,296
The last 5 days have involved me watching SLC - RDU dwindle from 9F at the PM window down to 2F with 36 hours to go.
FCM has bounced between $161 as high as $465 and has settled at the moment around $250.
IMO not worth it for a 3 hour eastbound (C+ will be just fine) but I'm assuming at this point I've been FCM'd -- otherwise I can't explain how we went from 9F to 2F after the DM, PM, and GM windows have come and gone and I didn't clear on a last minute very expensive M fare (the one time I yearn for my UA 1K days where YBM fares cleared at booking)
FCM has bounced between $161 as high as $465 and has settled at the moment around $250.
IMO not worth it for a 3 hour eastbound (C+ will be just fine) but I'm assuming at this point I've been FCM'd -- otherwise I can't explain how we went from 9F to 2F after the DM, PM, and GM windows have come and gone and I didn't clear on a last minute very expensive M fare (the one time I yearn for my UA 1K days where YBM fares cleared at booking)
Feb 26, 2019, 9:38 pm
#4322
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Tacoma, WA
Programs: Delta Platinum Medallion, Bonvoy Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 495
The last 5 days have involved me watching SLC - RDU dwindle from 9F at the PM window down to 2F with 36 hours to go.
FCM has bounced between $161 as high as $465 and has settled at the moment around $250.
IMO not worth it for a 3 hour eastbound (C+ will be just fine) but I'm assuming at this point I've been FCM'd -- otherwise I can't explain how we went from 9F to 2F after the DM, PM, and GM windows have come and gone and I didn't clear on a last minute very expensive M fare (the one time I yearn for my UA 1K days where YBM fares cleared at booking)
FCM has bounced between $161 as high as $465 and has settled at the moment around $250.
IMO not worth it for a 3 hour eastbound (C+ will be just fine) but I'm assuming at this point I've been FCM'd -- otherwise I can't explain how we went from 9F to 2F after the DM, PM, and GM windows have come and gone and I didn't clear on a last minute very expensive M fare (the one time I yearn for my UA 1K days where YBM fares cleared at booking)
Feb 27, 2019, 6:40 am
#4323
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC/ EWR/ PHL
Programs: UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 2,209
Its a brave, new world when it comes to FCM and upgrades. I was on an MCO-SEA flight aboard a 752 a few weeks ago on a Monday and I ended up buying an FCM offer for 20k miles as opposed to playing the waiting game (was blocked at 6.5 hours so a solid value to me). After check in, there were anywhere between 9 and 12 open FC seats open, likely due to SDC related to WX-related IRROPS. Despite there only being fewer than 15 people on the UG list, no one got upgraded until T-1 or less. UG at the window never happen anymore, at least to me.
Feb 27, 2019, 6:50 am
#4324
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: Delta Gold, Marriott Platinum, Former Amtrak Select, Former Hilton Gold
Posts: 422
Originally Posted by lost_perspicacity;30816087
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Feb 27, 2019, 3:23 pm
#4326
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: DTW
Programs: Alaska, Delta, Southwest
Posts: 1,663
Feb 27, 2019, 8:29 pm
#4327
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Toledo, OH
Programs: Delta DM & MM, Hilton DM, Marriott gold, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska 75K, Wyndham Diamond,
Posts: 15,396
$359 each way to upgrade DTW/YYZ If someone is going to do that they'd be cheaper off buying a new ticket ticketing directly into F.
Mar 1, 2019, 10:53 am
#4328
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Washington, DC, Chapel Hill, NC (RDU)
Programs: DL Plat (won't hit DM again) 2MM (2.5), HH Gold, PC Gold, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 5,626
$234.35 bundled - save a penny or 21,800 miles.
on 2/24 The return flight a week later is $798.73 or 74,300 miles.
today, 3/1, the return flight is $529.98 or 49,300 miles. no change to outbound.
Mar 1, 2019, 12:06 pm
#4329
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 1,881
Interesting new FCM offers now that they offer miles. At booking, the upcharge from a V fare to F was $400 RT. FCM offer is $150 OW ($300 RT) or 14,000 miles OW (28000RT). I am a little surprised to see a better redemption rate than $.01/mile (although not by much
). It is actually the first time in a long time that I have seen an FCM offer for less than the cost at the time of booking. Flights are Saturday to Saturday, 1000 miles each way offering breakfast. I will get upgraded for free easily so I am not taking the FCM offer.
). It is actually the first time in a long time that I have seen an FCM offer for less than the cost at the time of booking. Flights are Saturday to Saturday, 1000 miles each way offering breakfast. I will get upgraded for free easily so I am not taking the FCM offer.
Mar 1, 2019, 1:22 pm
#4331
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
Its a brave, new world when it comes to FCM and upgrades. I was on an MCO-SEA flight aboard a 752 a few weeks ago on a Monday and I ended up buying an FCM offer for 20k miles as opposed to playing the waiting game (was blocked at 6.5 hours so a solid value to me). After check in, there were anywhere between 9 and 12 open FC seats open, likely due to SDC related to WX-related IRROPS. Despite there only being fewer than 15 people on the UG list, no one got upgraded until T-1 or less. UG at the window never happen anymore, at least to me.
Mar 2, 2019, 11:46 am
#4333
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: Delta Diamond , Marriott Ambassador, Alaska MVP Gold, American Airlines Gold
Posts: 77
I had to book a last-minute trip from SEA to DEN RT a few days ago. I feel confident I would have been bumped to FC on the return leg, but the outbound seems unlikely. I was given an offer of 9900 miles each leg to upgrade so I took it. Half-regretting doing the return leg FCM offer, but since I’m swimming in miles and the miles offer was better than the outright booking price in FC, I think I did alright.
Ironically, a flight I’m taking to SEA to LAS a day later (booked at the same time as the DEN trip) had a ridiculous 23k miles one way upgrade offer. No thanks. I wound up getting my PM auto-upgrade to FC a day later at the 5 day mark, so I’m glad I blew that one off.
Ironically, a flight I’m taking to SEA to LAS a day later (booked at the same time as the DEN trip) had a ridiculous 23k miles one way upgrade offer. No thanks. I wound up getting my PM auto-upgrade to FC a day later at the 5 day mark, so I’m glad I blew that one off.
Mar 2, 2019, 3:30 pm
#4334
Join Date: May 2013
Location: RMS
Programs: DL Plat, UA Gold, Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Credit Card Diamond
Posts: 8,782
Booked AUS-BOS rt. At booking, it was about $200 more for F on the outbound and about $100 more on the return. I booked mixed class with the outbound in V and the return in I. Current rate to upgrade the outbound is $256 or 23.9k miles. $256 isn't awful for a 4 hour flight but also isn't worth it to me.
Mar 2, 2019, 4:17 pm
#4335
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: 21,356
$284 for SEA-JFK-DCA ...
75S on the redeye, yes please
the weird thing is that SEA-DTW-DCA was also $284 on the app, but the full website was saying the upcharge was $319 ...
75S on the redeye, yes please
the weird thing is that SEA-DTW-DCA was also $284 on the app, but the full website was saying the upcharge was $319 ...
