First Class Monetization, or FCM: The Definitive Thread
#751
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: Formaldehyde Medallion DL DieMiles
Posts: 12,646
FCM at it's worst
(Worst, that is, from DL management's point of view)
I am watching for my return UG for this week's travel.
Just a few hours before the T-6 sweep.
Right now, EF is showing 1 of 24 FC seats taken on a 757.
Availability in coach is limited to some middle seats and a few windows... so fairly full.
Currently available purchased fares are Q for $330 and A for $408... so the FC buy-up is $78 for a 2.25 hour flight. $3 more than the $75 at-gate UG sales that they will likely end up offering to those folks on K fares and above.
Here's the kicker, EF shows V9/F9/G9/P9.
Classic FCM fail?
Some may claim that 757's are ratty, but they (so far) are good for UGs.
I am watching for my return UG for this week's travel.
Just a few hours before the T-6 sweep.
Right now, EF is showing 1 of 24 FC seats taken on a 757.
Availability in coach is limited to some middle seats and a few windows... so fairly full.
Currently available purchased fares are Q for $330 and A for $408... so the FC buy-up is $78 for a 2.25 hour flight. $3 more than the $75 at-gate UG sales that they will likely end up offering to those folks on K fares and above.
Here's the kicker, EF shows V9/F9/G9/P9.
Classic FCM fail?
Some may claim that 757's are ratty, but they (so far) are good for UGs.
Last edited by StayingHomeIsBetter; Apr 20, 2012 at 3:05 pm
#752
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Wanting First. Buying First.
Programs: Lifetime Executive Diamond Platinum VIP with Braniff, Eastern, Midway, National & Pan Am
Posts: 17,492
So did all 16 F seats get sold prior to departure thanks to FCM or did a bunch of Medallions get upgraded on the flight in question???
#753
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Wherever I happen to be....
Programs: DL EOS...
Posts: 1,111
One thing to give 'em credit for their revenue management - they pretty much shutout this PM's ability to use the skyclub on tcon's.
Armed with a window UG and flying NYC-west coast-NYC I was always able to use the SC for departures. But without the window UG BP, not anymore!
Haha, funny thing is that I don't really miss it much - I'd rather just arrive a little later to the airport and go directly to my gate.
PM sLUT fares, BfUG's have been pretty good to me so far this year... But, I'm sure they'll be fixing that soon!
Armed with a window UG and flying NYC-west coast-NYC I was always able to use the SC for departures. But without the window UG BP, not anymore!
Haha, funny thing is that I don't really miss it much - I'd rather just arrive a little later to the airport and go directly to my gate.
PM sLUT fares, BfUG's have been pretty good to me so far this year... But, I'm sure they'll be fixing that soon!
#754
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Washington,DC
Posts: 1,822
FCM has some value
Upgrade & Standby Lists
List is ordered by priority1
To: Las Vegas, NV
Flight 1217 : Detroit, MI to Las Vegas, NV on 29 Apr 2012 (Flight 1 of 1)
Passengers Upgrade Status
NAMEXXX/NAme XX #2 of 9 on Upgrade List
Seat Availability First Coach
Total Available Seats 13 13
*********************************************
Delta is trying to sell every FC seat
On this trip 13 yes 13 FC seats are open
As a Diamond no upgrade at 7,6,5,4,3,2,or even 1 day in advance
number 2 with 13 seats open
So the good thing about FCM is that they don't upgrade anyone in advance
It helps every DM if all upgrades occur at the gate
List is ordered by priority1
To: Las Vegas, NV
Flight 1217 : Detroit, MI to Las Vegas, NV on 29 Apr 2012 (Flight 1 of 1)
Passengers Upgrade Status
NAMEXXX/NAme XX #2 of 9 on Upgrade List
Seat Availability First Coach
Total Available Seats 13 13
*********************************************
Delta is trying to sell every FC seat
On this trip 13 yes 13 FC seats are open
As a Diamond no upgrade at 7,6,5,4,3,2,or even 1 day in advance
number 2 with 13 seats open
So the good thing about FCM is that they don't upgrade anyone in advance
It helps every DM if all upgrades occur at the gate
#756
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Hoschton, GA
Programs: Delta DM, SP Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 432
19 out of 28 F seats (757) were still unoccupied when I showed up to the gate last Wed am for my ATL-LAX flight. No one was upgraded on this one till the gate. Had 50 or so coach seats open as well.
I've resigned myself to this on all WC flights from ATL. Most others still clear at the window.
I've resigned myself to this on all WC flights from ATL. Most others still clear at the window.
#757
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: Delta DM, 4MM, SC, AmEx Reserve, UA Plat, SPG/Marriott Platinum, Hertz Gold
Posts: 2,383
+1. We buy many of our tickets at the last minute because of the nature of our work, so I spend a lot of time looking at last minute available fares. While my experience as a DM is that more and more of my UGs are coming at the gate rather than at window, I'm noticing at time of ticket purchase that the difference on many routes between higher fare classes and the F price is negligible. I don't think FCM is really impacting my UG percentage yet, but I would not be surprised in the near future as more and more people realize there is often a small difference in the fares. The biggest benefit here as a business traveller is that most companies don't allow F purchases so I think that is helping leave enough seats open for UGs. However, if I were flying personally and I was buying within a couple weeks of my travel dates and the difference between coach and F was $100-200, I'd buy the F ticket in a heart beat!
#758
Join Date: Feb 2012
Programs: DAL Plat, Prior Clb
Posts: 16
Yeah, I had the same recently. No cert or miles upgrades either. 12 seats open. Everyone awarded at the gate. That really pisses me off. No reason for it. Screws everyone, as then no one has a chance to re-select a better seat in back either. Normally, many of the upgrades at the window open up better coach seats which lower elites are then able to select. Do it at the gate and anyone can end up in those seats. I can see holding out for 1 or two seats but, 12, or the whole cabin??? COME ON! That just pisses off good customers. Bright idea, huh?
#759
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Planet Earth(most days)
Programs: Hilton Honors, SPG, Marriott
Posts: 1,544
So stop by the gate and let the agent know what kind of seat you would like. And besides, IME, there are a ton of seats still available up to 24 hours prior. And if the entire F cabin is empty and you are a plat, chances are you will be sitting up front anyways. Not sure what the big deal is??
#760
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: TPA-MKE-PHX
Programs: Ex DL-DM. MM. TWA-Aviator Plat. HHonors-DVIP, MR-Gold. Nat-Emerald. Avis Chairmn.
Posts: 1,925
I experienced the rule of unintended consequences that can hurt upgrades tremendously because of FCM. LAS>MSP. 11 seats unsold because of FCM less than 24 hours out. But, irrops hits on a late or red eye flight and those 11 seats are assigned to the irrops passangers, some of whom have never seen FC before with no status.
Before FCM 9 of those 11 would have gone at the various windows for upgrades, but instead they went to irrops. Before FCM the irrops passangers would have ridden in the back, except for maybe three.
I am not complaining, just pointing out how the face of FC can change in a totally unexpected way because of a change in the system.
Before FCM 9 of those 11 would have gone at the various windows for upgrades, but instead they went to irrops. Before FCM the irrops passangers would have ridden in the back, except for maybe three.
I am not complaining, just pointing out how the face of FC can change in a totally unexpected way because of a change in the system.
#761
Join Date: Dec 2009
Programs: DL PM, Hyatt Plat, SPG Gold
Posts: 1,082
I'd rather keep my carefully chosen seat in coach than to be subjected to the whims of an IROP anyday.
#762
Join Date: Apr 2012
Programs: DL DM; HH Diamond; Marriott Gold
Posts: 36
Dumb Question
Upgrade & Standby Lists
List is ordered by priority1
To: Las Vegas, NV
Flight 1217 : Detroit, MI to Las Vegas, NV on 29 Apr 2012 (Flight 1 of 1)
Passengers Upgrade Status
NAMEXXX/NAme XX #2 of 9 on Upgrade List
Seat Availability First Coach
Total Available Seats 13 13
*********************************************
Delta is trying to sell every FC seat
On this trip 13 yes 13 FC seats are open
As a Diamond no upgrade at 7,6,5,4,3,2,or even 1 day in advance
number 2 with 13 seats open
So the good thing about FCM is that they don't upgrade anyone in advance
It helps every DM if all upgrades occur at the gate
List is ordered by priority1
To: Las Vegas, NV
Flight 1217 : Detroit, MI to Las Vegas, NV on 29 Apr 2012 (Flight 1 of 1)
Passengers Upgrade Status
NAMEXXX/NAme XX #2 of 9 on Upgrade List
Seat Availability First Coach
Total Available Seats 13 13
*********************************************
Delta is trying to sell every FC seat
On this trip 13 yes 13 FC seats are open
As a Diamond no upgrade at 7,6,5,4,3,2,or even 1 day in advance
number 2 with 13 seats open
So the good thing about FCM is that they don't upgrade anyone in advance
It helps every DM if all upgrades occur at the gate
OK... call me dumb but what is an FCM? Been racking my brain for a few weeks on this one and even looked at the FT and DL glossaries. BTW, I am 4 for 4 with UGs this week. All 4 were issues 5 1/2 days out. Two on Tuesday and two more next Friday.
#763
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Ohio and Colorado
Programs: AA Gold MM, DL Gold, US MM, HH Gold, Starwood
Posts: 953
Cheers
#764
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: Delta DM, 4MM, SC, AmEx Reserve, UA Plat, SPG/Marriott Platinum, Hertz Gold
Posts: 2,383
I experienced the rule of unintended consequences that can hurt upgrades tremendously because of FCM. LAS>MSP. 11 seats unsold because of FCM less than 24 hours out. But, irrops hits on a late or red eye flight and those 11 seats are assigned to the irrops passangers, some of whom have never seen FC before with no status.
Before FCM 9 of those 11 would have gone at the various windows for upgrades, but instead they went to irrops. Before FCM the irrops passangers would have ridden in the back, except for maybe three.
I am not complaining, just pointing out how the face of FC can change in a totally unexpected way because of a change in the system.
Before FCM 9 of those 11 would have gone at the various windows for upgrades, but instead they went to irrops. Before FCM the irrops passangers would have ridden in the back, except for maybe three.
I am not complaining, just pointing out how the face of FC can change in a totally unexpected way because of a change in the system.
#765
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: TPA-MKE-PHX
Programs: Ex DL-DM. MM. TWA-Aviator Plat. HHonors-DVIP, MR-Gold. Nat-Emerald. Avis Chairmn.
Posts: 1,925
Theory. But, reality was they were given to them way before the gate agents worked the flight, probably when they rescheduled. I do not know the specifics of why they were given the bump up, but that they just were.
I inquired when the upgrade list did not change with 11 seats open after the 11 seats disappeared with the upgrade list staying the same. I was told the irrops story. I know that all the seats did not go out to full fare--or paid FC--because several of the young travelers were giddy that they got a free FC seat because their plane had problems. First time unexpected experience for them.
I inquired when the upgrade list did not change with 11 seats open after the 11 seats disappeared with the upgrade list staying the same. I was told the irrops story. I know that all the seats did not go out to full fare--or paid FC--because several of the young travelers were giddy that they got a free FC seat because their plane had problems. First time unexpected experience for them.