Actually, VDB>confirmed F has happened 3 times to me in the last year on this route. I usually just ask and if there's F space on a later flight and if there is, i'll get the voucher + confirmed seat....have no idea if that's done specifically for DMs or not, but I've heard them offer vouchers+confirmed F (for the first flight out of JFK the next day) when they needed a seat on the final 7:15 out of JFK. They def have that ability to confirm (if there's avail) and I will always ask.

I find that if you want to gauge what sort of chances you'll have for an UG on that route, on an afternoon or evening flight, a good litmus test is to see how full J/Y are in the flights leading up to yours. If there's a bunch of oversold flights the morning/early afternoon of, chances are that a bunch of VDBs are going to get a portion of your 8 apparently open F seats on the 4:30 flight...Happens all the time.

You should be able to do it within the risk free cancellation period.

I generally only accept a VDB if it is into F (assuming availability is there - thanks EF Mobile) and have had a 100% success rate... YMMV with varying GAs, of course.

+1 on EF in these situations. The last time this happened to me, 8:30 flight ex LAX was oversold, took the VDB to the 4:30 in F, which was the first flight with F avails, then checked flights on EF throughout the day from the Skyclub. Low and behold, about 30 mins later, 2 F seats popped up on the 1:30, called the Diamond line, and they were able to confirm me into the 1:30 in F, despite it being outside of the 3 hr window. EF definitely paid for itself that day.

I VDB'd into domestic F about 2 weeks ago. Was supposed to fly LAX-ATL-BUF and flew LAX-DTW-BUF. The deal to get my seat ~ which was in back on the LAX-ATL segment as I didn't clear as a DM on a B fare ... the worst, part, however was for another DM, as there was one DM on a Y fare that didn't clear on that flight - and this was on the 330!!

So yeah, you can VDB directly into domestic F (on-line shows paid B flown F, not flown V or X, and boarding pass showed F class)

Monetization shame, post equipment shame
 

{Details deleted}.

Summary. Equipment change. DL supervisor was stubborn, @DeltaAssist was awesome.

Further application of the "hang up and call back" rule, except this was hang up and tweet back.

If she is not eligible for a premium seat, why would you expect them to keep/put her in one in case of an equipment change? Given the screwy nature of DL IT, it does seem to be able to distinguish between Elite/non-elite at times. That said, I've had changes on TATL 767s before and went from an exit row on one to a regular "non-elite" seat with the same seat #...came down to watching seats.

I understand how the system moved her to a non-preferred seat. But if she was in a preferred seat before, they should keep the status quo before their equip change and manually move her back to the same or comparable seat.

This case happened to be where I grabbed her a preferred seat months ago before they designated them as such. But it just as easily could happen when one is Medallion at time of booking, but falls down to regular SM at time of travel/equip change.

Whatever. Really makes them look like pigs for $29.

I feel your pain brother. Hang on, this is the new DL at work. Forget the old rules, allowances, perks and accomodations. DL is after the $29 bucks!!

Delta is (and should be) after that 29 bucks because Delta is a for-profit business. You could probably make a small fortune by starting your own non-profit airline...if you began with a large fortune.

^

Delta is welcome to chase the $29 bucks. Good Luck.

Odds are, they'll chase, and capture, that $29 about a million times in the next year...

+1.

FCM at its finest- ATL-LAS DL 1603
 

departs tomorrow (THU) night at 9:45 p.m. 22/24 first class seats still available for purchase.