Thie thread def. Identifies who has enforced travel policies and who doesn*t. More power to those who can purchase. an F ticket... I do think it is a bit tacky to attack the OP on this as they have a valid point.....

I do not think that there would be anarguement if the fare were more, but it does not sit well with those who buy K+ tix only to lose an ug possibility to someone paying $50 less..

That said... play the game while it lasts..... with all things DL, the good times don*t last long....

100% agree. It's a big slap in the face to a medallion paying a high coach fare in advance and then selling an F seat for next to nothing. And yes, I have tried switching to P/A fares and have been told on two different occasions that I could not do that without paying the fees.

You know those posters plastered all over the jetways in ATL..."Loyalty programs should be loyal". Yeah...uh huh.

I see where you're coming from but how would you feel about a system where UG priority is based on fare paid regardless of medallion status (even if no status)?

I would be fine with that. Something like this:

Y: DM,PM,GM,SM
B: DM,PM,GM,SM
M: DM,PM,GM,SM
H: DM,PM,GM,SM
Q: DM,PM,GM,SM
K: DM,PM,GM,SM
L: DM,PM,GM,SM
U: DM,PM,GM,SM
T: DM,PM,GM,SM

...and then wherever Alaska MVP falls in

Y clears at booking. B,M fares clear at 5 days prior to departure, H,Q,K fares clear at 3 days prior to departure, and L,U,T fares clear at 24 hours prior to departure.

As for non-status passengers. Maybe let those on Y,B,M fares clear at the gate as long as all medallions have cleared. H,Q,K use the same system of paying $50,75,150 etc. if space is available.

I don't know the exact answer to your question, but many use automated travel sites like Concur which automate the cheapest coach fare selection, with no accommodation for F selection regardless of price.

That, along with many govt employees/contractors and defense companies that supply for the govt which are also required to purchase seats in Y.

OP, I am merely pointing out that you seem to feel that FCM is insulting to you as a frequent traveler, while to many others it is a benefit and to Delta it is a business strategy. I simply disagree with you that counting on complementary upgrades is a viable strategy, as DL has clearly priced your complementary upgrade at $350. Many have learned to adapt to the new system of FCM, and I suggest the OP work on this.

You cannot take people's arguments as an attack like that, as at no point was there a personal dig on you.

It's not a game, it's business - and trying to wrap your head around airline inventory management and pricing will only lead to frustration.

Honestly, you (and all of us) should get used to it. I suggest you read threads over on the UA and AA forum on the same subject. It's not pretty and it's simply not going away.

so, instead of complaining, why not pay the $150 change fee, which will actually be a wash, and get into F automatically, without even paying a cent?

Just booked the non-stop JFK to SXM and was going to book it into coach. DL only wanted an extra $150 for the Z fare so why not? Plus, its on the 757 with sleeper seats. Screw waiting for the battlefied UG which probably would never have happened. Plus, I get 150% bonus MQM, so not a bad deal for DL, and for me.

+1 - Exactly. People who complain that things aren't the way during the depths of the financial crisis in 2007-09 just don't get that the world has changed. Carriers which simply cut fares and added perks in order to fill aircraft, learned that it doesn't work. Just ask the folks over at CO and NW.

The days of regular UG's are coming to an end and people need to get used to sitting in the cabin for which they pay (and sometimes getting a good deal).

Of course you think it is a benefit as an FO. It is the DM who has to walk to the back because the front is full of kettles and FO that are willing to pass on the extra 150 to their clients with no remorse that get frustrated.

Fact is complimentary UG are the primary benefit DL has and it has been severely diluted by FCM. Can't blame it on economic environment and capacity. Even when times were very good for the airlines in the past as a top tier I never had to BF or miss as many UG's as the last 2 yrs.

Concur is fully programable. It is the employer who directs corporate travel / TA as to how Concur ought to display results. If the employer only permits the lowest Y fare, that's what gets displayed.

So, it all comes back to the employer's travel policies. But, that's not something DL can directly impact. It may make no sense that an employer forces an employee to fly in steerage when the employee could have both flown in F and saved money, but that's an employer-employee matter.

I get irritated when I try to search for "A" fares on ITA and it spits back Q fares and the like.

Also, anyone think that DL waive the change fee (for an FO) if you change from let's say an H fare to an A fare cuz you are going up in class?

That is all fine and dandy I guess, but I rarely am able to purchase a 4 segment 2000 MQM fare for less than $1000. If they want to upgrade a passenger paying $300 over me that is fine, but it doesn't earn my loyalty.

If you think seeing upgrades to non frequent flyers is good for their bottom line I disagree. I have already split my business this year with US Air.