First Class Monetization, or FCM: The Definitive Thread
Aug 7, 2019, 9:39 am
#4741
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
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Don't mean to be a Debbie Downer, but 1h15m is pretty generously padded -- YVR-SEA is 127 miles, sometimes not even half an hour in the air going by FR24. Even including taxi times, 6k miles seems like a lot for that, unless it's also offsetting checked bag fees etc.
Aug 7, 2019, 10:29 am
#4742
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL PM, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 8,414
At first I thought you were wondering if you would get a D1 full fare MQM bonus, but now I realize that you mean it should show an award fare. That is interesting. I wonder if the way the supervisor ticketed it was incorrect? You will likely know when you try to check in.
Aug 7, 2019, 3:41 pm
#4743
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Sarasota, FL
Programs: Northwest Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Intercontinental Royal Ambassador, National Executive Elite
Posts: 613
I am normally a no on FCM but I just booked TPA-LAS last week. Today when in my app I upgraded both ways for $272 total and the return is a red eye so it was totally worth it as a GM on that route my upgrade chances are slim
Aug 7, 2019, 10:51 pm
#4744
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
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Posts: 21,375
At first I thought you were wondering if you would get a D1 full fare MQM bonus, but now I realize that you mean it should show an award fare. That is interesting. I wonder if the way the supervisor ticketed it was incorrect? You will likely know when you try to check in.
Aug 9, 2019, 10:07 pm
#4745
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 57
in my experience, if the change is my choice, then they don't have to transfer the upgrade (though they usually try to do so.)
if the change is because of weather, overbooking, etc., they do their absolute best to rebook into First.
makes sense as a paid upgrade to First also gets MQM bonus.
if the change is because of weather, overbooking, etc., they do their absolute best to rebook into First.
makes sense as a paid upgrade to First also gets MQM bonus.
Aug 9, 2019, 10:10 pm
#4746
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: MSP
Programs: DL GM, MR Gold, Hilton Gold, National Exec
Posts: 537
MSP-CUN on a 739 w/comp on an award ticket, already have seats in row 19. $121 for C+ (5 seats open), $169 for F (11 seats open, not hopeful for a comp upgrade).
Seems like a good buy, only thing holding me back is it's a winter flight and would hate to lose the upgrade due to weather/IROPS (did a lot of searching and all I could find is this would book into RY, so this is my assumption).
Is it possible to upfare an award ticket without change fees? That leg in F would price 15k higher than we paid, but would book into O, correct? I'm guessing I could do this if there's a schedule change.
Seems like a good buy, only thing holding me back is it's a winter flight and would hate to lose the upgrade due to weather/IROPS (did a lot of searching and all I could find is this would book into RY, so this is my assumption).
Is it possible to upfare an award ticket without change fees? That leg in F would price 15k higher than we paid, but would book into O, correct? I'm guessing I could do this if there's a schedule change.
Aug 9, 2019, 10:42 pm
#4747
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Join Date: Nov 2009
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DL will typically waive the change fee if you upfare to F **on the same flight(s) you have originally booked**
that said, once they reissue the ticket in a front cabin inventory (which I think include F/J/C/I/D/Z), you will be treated as a paid First Class passenger in the event of IROPS or schedule changes
that said, once they reissue the ticket in a front cabin inventory (which I think include F/J/C/I/D/Z), you will be treated as a paid First Class passenger in the event of IROPS or schedule changes
Aug 11, 2019, 2:47 pm
#4748
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
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Posts: 4,897
LGA to BNA - $99 or 9,300 each way
Used miles to upgrade the first flight, will either pay or use miles on the return as well. Main benefit is the extra MQM.
Used miles to upgrade the first flight, will either pay or use miles on the return as well. Main benefit is the extra MQM.
Aug 11, 2019, 9:56 pm
#4749
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: MCO
Programs: DL PM, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 4,324
Just when I though the real silly FCM offers had been fixed, I see that they are back for at least for one of my upcoming flights that I just booked. I’m going MCO-LAX-SJC at the end of the week and noticed that the FCM offer for MCO-LAX was $433 when the UG to a Z fare for all flights is only $245 more than my cheap V fare 
. Ever since FCM has expanded to what it is now, I have yet to take or seen any offer that was better than the fare difference and it is almost always way more. If I ever want to buy F, I usually just do it when I book, or pay the fare difference right after I book, which I will be doing yet again in this case.
. Ever since FCM has expanded to what it is now, I have yet to take or seen any offer that was better than the fare difference and it is almost always way more. If I ever want to buy F, I usually just do it when I book, or pay the fare difference right after I book, which I will be doing yet again in this case.
Aug 12, 2019, 3:08 pm
#4751
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: Delta PM, Hyatt Plat-ist, Bonvoyyyyyyed, Hilton $15 Daily F&B Receiver, Food Lion MVP
Posts: 1,203
Row 5 on the 900s/175s is phenomenal on those hour hops. Even better if you can get 5 C/D at the airport, as B sticks out into the aisle and doesn't have underseat storage.
Aug 12, 2019, 7:27 pm
#4753
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I usually see LGA in/out of RDU for about $40 or SkyPesos equivalent, and have taken it a couple times (anticipating bad weather or schedule change). JFK is almost always several hundred dollars. I've seen it go down to about $90 between 3-5 days from departure, just to rocket back up again. My best (blind) guess is that revenue management is much more aggressive with JFK F to protect against IROPS for connecting intl J pax, even though JFK-RDU and v/v is one of the easiest UGs in the system IME.
Row 5 on the 900s/175s is phenomenal on those hour hops. Even better if you can get 5 C/D at the airport, as B sticks out into the aisle and doesn't have underseat storage.
Row 5 on the 900s/175s is phenomenal on those hour hops. Even better if you can get 5 C/D at the airport, as B sticks out into the aisle and doesn't have underseat storage.
Means you have to actually make an effort to board early too so that your bag doesn't get stuck way down the plane if in 5B
Aug 12, 2019, 7:49 pm
#4754
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
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I hate that 5C/D are held for the gate. It's relatively new and most of the time it doesn't go to a wheelchair (which would be legit) and instead goes to someone clearing off the standby list (since C+ clears ahead most of the time on the NYC routes).
Means you have to actually make an effort to board early too so that your bag doesn't get stuck way down the plane if in 5B
Means you have to actually make an effort to board early too so that your bag doesn't get stuck way down the plane if in 5B
Aug 12, 2019, 7:55 pm
#4755
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: Delta PM, Hyatt Plat-ist, Bonvoyyyyyyed, Hilton $15 Daily F&B Receiver, Food Lion MVP
Posts: 1,203
I could be misremembering but pretty sure I've been able to get an assignment for a blocked seat (not specifically those seats, it might've been mainline row 10) by calling in, with the explicit warning that I might get booted out of it at the gate if they needed it to accommodate another passenger.