International Upgrades at gate
Sep 19, 2011, 11:18 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: DL 1MM, DL DM, AMEX DL Reserve, AA, UA, WN, Hertz PC.
Posts: 28
International Upgrades at gate
Hi,
Is there a way to obtain/buy an upgrade to BE at the gate for an international flight?
Is Delta willing to provide options for a GM (MM at that) to come up front at the last minute?
Thanks
Is there a way to obtain/buy an upgrade to BE at the gate for an international flight?
Is Delta willing to provide options for a GM (MM at that) to come up front at the last minute?
Thanks
Sep 19, 2011, 11:26 am
#2
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Auckland, NZ/New York, NY/ATL
Programs: DL DM MM, BIS 2.4MM, EK Gold, SQ Gold, Marriott Gold, HH Gold,
Posts: 5,223
No. Only if the flight is oversold and they bump you, but that is not likely either. Have a good flight.
Sep 19, 2011, 11:39 am
#4
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 710
OMG, that is a hilarious question. What, do you think you are flying UA??? DL to "give away" something so precious as BE, not happening. 
You can, however, "upgrade" to Economy Comfort, which might be your best bet.
You can, however, "upgrade" to Economy Comfort, which might be your best bet.
Sep 19, 2011, 11:55 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: DL 1MM, DL DM, AMEX DL Reserve, AA, UA, WN, Hertz PC.
Posts: 28
Actually.. on my last JFK-BCN flight last December, I did my B class + miles upgrade and sat next to a gentleman who mentioned he was offered to upgrade to BE for $500 at the gate, and I don't thing Economy was oversold. Hence the question.
Sep 19, 2011, 12:23 pm
#7
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: MSP
Programs: DL - Diamond Medallion - 2 Million Miler; Marriott Gold Elite, Radisson GOLD. ParknGo loves me
Posts: 396
Back in the day Northwest used to have something like that during OLCI - but I have never seen DL do anything similar. Allowing someone to access the "privileges" of BE for an "L" fare (or other fare less than YBM for that matter) + $500....not so sure.
Sep 19, 2011, 12:28 pm
#8
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: New York City
Programs: Delta gm Spg gold hilton gold hyatt platinum hertz presidents avis presidential
Posts: 773
Somebody. I met in the skyclub in atl told me he met a 5mm who was always upgraded on intl flights so keep flying till u get that
Sep 19, 2011, 12:36 pm
#9
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: MA
Programs: DL DM/2MM Marriott Platinum, HH Diamond,
Posts: 8,907
Actually, the seat map is a good "negative" indicator... a seat map with many seats not claimed is good evidence that the flight is NOT oversold. The reverse is not true... a seat map with no available seats does not mean that the flight is oversold, just that it is very full.
Sep 19, 2011, 2:15 pm
#10
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: Delta DM, 4MM, SC, AmEx Reserve, UA Plat, SPG/Marriott Platinum, Hertz Gold
Posts: 2,383
Good luck!
Sep 19, 2011, 2:29 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: LAX/BOS/HKG/AMS/SFO...hmm, I need a life.
Programs: United1K, AA ExPlAAt, DL MM/Gold, Hilton Diamond, Avis First
Posts: 13,316
Officially, this is DL's policy. The SM program claims that there is no benefit for international upgrades but as I have posted elsewhere on this site, I have had outstanding success in getting upgraded to BE on tpacs this year. Mostly this has happened from the Asian country on return and not on US originations. These "op ups" are totally random. Coming home from MNL in June, was E+ from MNL-NGO (1 person in entire BE cabin) and BE from NGO-DTW. However, in response to my comments in the other thread and elsewhere on this board, you'll see a number of people who have posted decent success with op ups, especially if you're a high mileage flyer.
Good luck!
Good luck!
Sep 19, 2011, 2:36 pm
#14
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL PM, SPG Plat
Posts: 885
Sep 19, 2011, 2:58 pm
#15
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: Delta DM, 4MM, SC, AmEx Reserve, UA Plat, SPG/Marriott Platinum, Hertz Gold
Posts: 2,383
I am a very high mileage flyer and there are a ton of us here on the board. I believe the Op Up success you have seen has a lot more to do with fare classes you purchase than status as a VFF. Like I said there are some folks here that make you and I look like lightweights (I know of somebody who is at 500k MQMs) but it is because the DL system has no visibility to your "history" at the gate other than your status that dictate it then goes by fare class. Based on what you described you are on higher fare classes than most and that is likely the reason for your success.
Avid, I would absolutely agree with you that some probably does have to do with fare classes. However, if DL's policies are enforced uniformly, then by their own rules these types of op ups should not happen at all. I would add that I've been op up'd on a low fare class ticket this year when I had fixed travel dates and the company went with the cheapest fare. There is one other thread started today by a flyer saying part of the reason he has stayed with DL is because of the opportunity for intl op ups (wonder what fare classes he buys?). I think these things happen far more often than we want to admit. Personally, I would be fine with DL setting a policy and enforcing it uniformly even if it meant I never got another intl op up, just so I knew what to expect walking in to the airport 2-3 times/week. My point was really that you can't add a definitive "doesn't happen unless the flight is oversold and you get bumped" because it absolutely does happen!
What's your experience with this now that you've moved to AA?