You're right, much too early of a morning for me, I saw > instead of = in your post.

Believe P bought via a Q-UP would only provide 1.0x MQM, yet presume 1.5x RDM. Can anyone clarify this?

The search results should not read "class of service paid for", it should read "cabin seated in to".

My last "P" MHT-ATL a week ago, yielded 1428 EQMs [MQM earned] (952 EQMs + 50% bonus 476 EQMs)

Why would they be different? If you get the class of service bonus, you get it for both MQMs and RDMs.

I was looking at a Q-UP->P the same as a T->V. This is one time I'd prefer to be wrong. Thanks!

Though I do remember the day you'd get 50% from DL for sitting in F. And when min-segment was 1000. Oh, those were the days...

No, P and A fares earn 150% MQM regardless of the underlying fare code.

It's not cabin seated in because you don't get extra miles for example when an H fare is upgraded with miles, SWUs, or for free. The rule is that you earn miles based on the fare paid, where A and P are on the list with 150%. Maybe for this purpose A and P are considered FC fares? In any case, this is consistent with 150% for M fares, since frequently P and A have underlying M fares but not always. (It can be B for the refundable Ps, and I've seen as low as K for an A fare.)

Yeah, but they get to tell shareholders that FCM has increased paid F revenue (and percentage of F seats sold) by XX%. It will make a good press release and pretty pie chart in the presentation; it will make it look like DL is kicking every other mainline's butt at this game.

A wise man once told me... never use metrics like a drunk uses a lamppost...

You got it... I have a personal disdain for spreadsheet jockeys... I am as nice as Momma's Peach Pie, but in our meetings, when they whip one of those out and can't go to second and then third level with me, I make them regret their lame attempt...

. . . because sometimes man's best friend comes along . . .

Q.E.D.

True, but this is the wrong objective. I can virtually guarantee selling paid FC for close to 100% of the FC seats on all flights. Just allow me to change the fares as I see fit. This could be fun. I'd even lower my consulting fee to participate in the experiment.

I think I was caught by the FCM today from ATL-DEN on a Q fare. Seeing that there were only three FC seats open three days ago, I asked them to waitlist me using SWU (that will soon expire). On check-in I was number 1 on the upgrade list, with three people not checked in. But the upgrade didn't clear - sitting in comfort economy right now. ATL-DEN usually has been one of the easier legs to upgrade (especially on a Wednesday), so I am surprised that there are so many people who paid for F or trumped a DM with SWU.

Really? What are the fare rules associated with the F and with the Y ticket? I will be you that one is refundable (Y) whereas the other (F) is not.

Or maybe Delta is testing F/A/P pricing to find the price points that come close to selling out F with paid tickets. They might not be able to get that information any other way if the tightened supply has driven up the price of Y too high for F to sell at a premium above Y.

Another possibility (especially since the prices were the exact same) is that Delta is trying to see how many business travelers are able to find/book F tickets if they are the same price as Y. My last employer would have allowed F on domestic travel if it was the cheapest option, but the travel booking tool was set up to show only Y, so a traveler might not ever see that as an option.

At some point Delta will have to roll out a mechanism that allows medallions to book the cheapest available fare (likely K+) and then pay the difference to upgrade in a separate transaction. Maybe if they limit the option to medallions until the flight is under gate control then there won't be the backlash that DL fears based on what they've seen happening over at UA.