BTW, pardon my ignorance but I would genuinely like to know "What is FCM" - First Class Monetization - or other?

That's too good. ^ ^ ^ Thanks for posting that.

David

Yes, First Class Monetization.

Or, for those on FT who aren't DMs (and, likely for some DMs)... First Class Minimization

Thank you - and LOL BTW

DL improving its FC product? What have you been smoking??

FCM=First Class Monetization

SHIB, Loved the clip! So many moments from that show are applicable to FlyerTalk...

Something for nothing may not have been my best turn of phrase. How about, something you didn't pay for? Better, that?

You buy a ticket. You get a seat.

You buy lots of tickets. You get lots of seats.

If you buy a lot more tickets/seats than the other folks with you on the UG list, you get dibs for an open F seat that remains open at the call for boarding. Unless/until DL opens seats for complimentary UGs to members of the FF program... you are on your own. They own the seat. Making it available for UG is their option at any time of their choosing... for... well... they own the seat.

The airline is in the business of selling the most seats for the most money/seat. It's not a new concept but it gets argued endlessly here.

Unless and until the dynamics show DL's RM team that this model is damaging GP, it's not going to change nor should it.

You can decry the wounding of your loyalty and run around as crazy as a sprayed roach all you like. Profit will always rule the day.

I agree - I don't expect UGs. I changed your post a bit. It would be nice for airlines (I will not pick on DL) to have a Churchillian moment (I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, sweat and tears) - in other words tell the truth like it is, and say there may be a few less upgrades - or similar. Airlines - like any other business -are there to make money. I understand. Stop the Stealth. Tell the Truth.

I found the link to the BBC site with the full episodes.

It appears that they only made 6 of them.

Pity.

(A pity that they only made 6, and a pity that I will get less work done over the next few days. :D)

Buying an air ticket is a business decision, not a marriage (for better or for worse until death do us part). Don't like the deal you're being offered, then jump ship.

But, don't expect the past to continue and do understand that F seats are not in your future as a Y pax. DL made that mistake during the recession and won't make it again.

No, not better at all. The entire point is that in exchange for certain consideration "we" (royal) direct our business to one airline. We are self selecting into a different market.

This is VERY valuable to any for profit business. The question is how valuable in comparison to FCM.

To answer the second part of that question you need to figure out if FAPpers are people stuck buying expensive coach fares and choosing the upgrade or if they really were just as likely to buy a similarly priced Y seat on another airline.
If the majority of FAPpers are really that second category (Not Bubbash***'s) the expected value is really 50% of the fare. That could add up to a lot. However those of you that argue that FCM is super duper and we're all whiney all claim that FCM just gets $50 out of people who would already buy a DL ticket and there is NO way that math works out.

This is a great point and a nice bridge for the debate.

I suspect that the PR team, fearful of the Twitter fed/YouTube mocking/Facebook flaming .... storm that could be... is driving some (if not all) of the nuance behind these changes.

Good PR is nice, bad PR (on anything/level) is devastating... at the speed of the interwebs today, the nice/devastating dynamic get magnified exponentially.

Brilliant!

What's the disclaimer we hear from the Wall Street folks?...

Past performance is no indication of future results.

Read your prospectus carefully.

In this case, substitute 'prospectus' for DL SM program Ts&Cs.

It is sad that DL is as myopic as is this statement. Profit will start to decline pretty quickly when people who buy high fares to increase their chances of sitting upfront will go to LUTs (and pay change fees, still less than YBMs) or will reduce their flying altogether. Business flyers is a very dynamic group, it will start shrinking pretty quickly ... Already has.

[QUOTE=Often1;18209170]Buying an air ticket is a business decision, not a marriage (for better or for worse until death do us part). Don't like the deal you're being offered, then jump ship.

But, don't expect the past to continue and do understand that F seats are not in your future as a Y pax. DL made that mistake during the recession and won't make it again.[/QUOSTE]

Some of you guys make it sound like Mr. Hudson came up with this crazy upgrade idea after a long night in the SkyClub(Crown Room). Delta has been upgrading elites through multiple CEOs and multiple recessions.