First Class Monetization, or FCM: The Definitive Thread
Feb 24, 2019, 10:15 am
#4306
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: MCO
Programs: DL PM, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 4,317
Feb 24, 2019, 10:25 am
#4307
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: Delta Gold, Marriott Platinum, Former Amtrak Select, Former Hilton Gold
Posts: 422
I usually get C+ upgrades on this route even as an FO.
Last edited by lost_perspicacity; Feb 24, 2019 at 10:42 am
Feb 24, 2019, 10:31 am
#4308
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: LAX
Programs: DL DM, 2 MM; OW Emerald; MVP Gold 100k;Marriott/SPG LTPlat; HH Diamond
Posts: 968
This! I finally got an offer to upgrade with cash/miles (haven’t really seen this much. The flight was PBI-ATL for $853 or 79800 miles...nothing on the ATL-LAX, would hate to see what that would be. If they really wanted our miles/cash they would make somewhat reasonable offers, but who knows maybe there are people dumb enough to take this stuff...
Feb 24, 2019, 10:32 am
#4309
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Washington, DC, Chapel Hill, NC (RDU)
Programs: DL Plat (won't hit DM again) 2MM (2.5), HH Gold, PC Gold, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 5,626
RDU-ATL-MSY
$234.35 bundled - save a penny or 21,800 miles.
The return flight a week later is $798.73 or 74,300 miles.
The RT, purchased in coach and immediately upgraded to C+ only cost 12,500 miles.
$234.35 bundled - save a penny or 21,800 miles.
The return flight a week later is $798.73 or 74,300 miles.
The RT, purchased in coach and immediately upgraded to C+ only cost 12,500 miles.
Feb 25, 2019, 11:36 am
#4310
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,641
It feels like with the rollout of "PWM" for FCM, the logic on pricing got even more wacky. Everything I see with the exception of very short flights that are easy upgrades is now expensive. There were plenty of open seats up to the windows this weekend on PHL-SLC but they wanted like $500-700 FCM. I skipped it of course and had an entire row of C+ to myself after dying out at #2 on the upgrade list. I got upgraded on SLC-SMF at the window, the FCM as was $95 from booking to the time I got upgraded.
I bought an RDU-LAX-SMF flight for next month with miles, paid 17k or something like that one way...FCM has been going between $475 and 600 since then. The cash price of a Z fare has been holding steady around $500 on the route.
I bought an RDU-LAX-SMF flight for next month with miles, paid 17k or something like that one way...FCM has been going between $475 and 600 since then. The cash price of a Z fare has been holding steady around $500 on the route.
Feb 25, 2019, 2:59 pm
#4312
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Tacoma, WA
Programs: Delta Platinum Medallion, Bonvoy Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 495
This rollout has also had an extremely adverse impact on Medallion upgrades. SEA-based GM and I have flown 12 segments this year and have gotten one FC UG. Even worse, whereas I used to get C+ about 75-80% as a FO last year, I'm probably 35% this year as it's almost always booked full. I guess "WFBF" is now "WCPBCP". Time to test the waters, I guess.
Feb 25, 2019, 8:17 pm
#4313
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC/ EWR/ PHL
Programs: UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 2,210
This rollout has also had an extremely adverse impact on Medallion upgrades. SEA-based GM and I have flown 12 segments this year and have gotten one FC UG. Even worse, whereas I used to get C+ about 75-80% as a FO last year, I'm probably 35% this year as it's almost always booked full. I guess "WFBF" is now "WCPBCP". Time to test the waters, I guess.
Feb 25, 2019, 8:24 pm
#4315
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Tacoma, WA
Programs: Delta Platinum Medallion, Bonvoy Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 495
Lol half the post was an acronym, sorry. FO = Silver Medallion. WFBF = "Want first, buy first", the term that people here use, usually in response to someone complaining about not getting upgraded. I was poking fun at myself for complaining about not even getting a lousy C+ "upgrade". 
Feb 26, 2019, 7:48 pm
#4317
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC/ EWR/ PHL
Programs: UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 2,210
Feb 26, 2019, 8:14 pm
#4318
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Tacoma, WA
Programs: Delta Platinum Medallion, Bonvoy Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 495
Feb 26, 2019, 8:15 pm
#4319
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Tacoma, WA
Programs: Delta Platinum Medallion, Bonvoy Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 495
Feb 26, 2019, 9:23 pm
#4320
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
The last 5 days have involved me watching SLC - RDU dwindle from 9F at the PM window down to 2F with 36 hours to go.
FCM has bounced between $161 as high as $465 and has settled at the moment around $250.
IMO not worth it for a 3 hour eastbound (C+ will be just fine) but I'm assuming at this point I've been FCM'd -- otherwise I can't explain how we went from 9F to 2F after the DM, PM, and GM windows have come and gone and I didn't clear on a last minute very expensive M fare (the one time I yearn for my UA 1K days where YBM fares cleared at booking)
FCM has bounced between $161 as high as $465 and has settled at the moment around $250.
IMO not worth it for a 3 hour eastbound (C+ will be just fine) but I'm assuming at this point I've been FCM'd -- otherwise I can't explain how we went from 9F to 2F after the DM, PM, and GM windows have come and gone and I didn't clear on a last minute very expensive M fare (the one time I yearn for my UA 1K days where YBM fares cleared at booking)