BusTrav8yrs

I saw the Porsche this morning leaving where the planes are parked for gates C12/13 and there was already a guy on our plane, I wondered if he was a connection or just given a ride from the gate. They were already calling normal boarding when I got to C13. I would have taken that ride over the bus for sure.

youvesaiditall

Just got my first ride today Had a tight, but totally doable connection at ATL (my inbound was actually 10 mins early). Was quite surprised that the ride was for me, but a great way to start an early morning!

ATOBTTR

Got my first transfer about a month ago at LAX to my VA flight to BNE. Overnight/morning snow caused delays that carried through the whole day. We were supposed to leave SEA at 5:00 pm and that morning woke up to texts saying we were already delayed. We didn't leave SEA until 7:30 pm, landed around 10:15 pm but of course, you land at LAX and get to sit on the taxiway for your gate to open up. We pulled into the gate around 10:30 PM, and the VA flight was leaving at 11:05 PM. We saw a Porsche when we pulled into the gate and we wondered if that was for us. Sure enough we step off the plane and there's a DL rep holding a sign with my and my wife's name and he drove us over to TBIT and we made connection for the VA flight to BNE just in time (one of the jetways was already being retracted when we pulled up to at the gate). We walked up the stairs on the other jetway and we were the last ones to board before the door closed.

JayTeaBee

Is this a diamond only situation or will a lowly PM get this under the right circumstances?

Zorak

There have been PM reports, yes.

JayTeaBee

Cool, thank you Zorak. One of my future connections in ATL is down to 32 minutes, technically under the minimum for ATL. I firmly believe I can make it in 32 minutes as we all know ATL is easy to navigate. But I had wondered if even a lowly PM like myself might recieve some special treatment if something delays further on the day of. I really like my itinerary and even though I could call in to have it changed the existing times work best for me.

KDCAflyer

My guess is that this would only be PMs with high MQD totals. I qualified for 2016 via MQDs, but 2017 using the Amex waiver. I doubt that I'd ever get a transfer.

Zorak

My takeaway from this thread is that there is no real rhyme or reason, other than an attempt to "surprise and delight" -- people who say they have low MQDs have gotten it, people have gotten it on long connections, etc. There are probably weighted factors like status and connection time but there just aren't that many cars and there are a lot of travelers, so you really can't count on it in any predictable way, just enjoy it if it happens

BenA

I imagine there's a piece of software that takes into account connection risk, status, MQD and suitability of alternative flights... as well as the availability of the Porsche and driver.

The one time I got it, my numbers aren't high, but the connection was an international one where the alternatives were poor, and the time was 5:30 AM when other passengers were unlikely to need the service more than me...

Saj8986

On a flight to SEA sitting next to a DM in F and he actually said he was expecting the Porsche to pick him up.....I asked if he had a tight connection and he said no....but he was a DIAMOND!!! I asked if he was a 360 and he had no clue what that was.
I watched him as he walked out the jetway and didn't see a DL employee waiting for him....he seemed perplexed.
DYKIAAD

UVAhoo06

Makes me think of this:
(An oldie but a goodie!)

shiner

Going to agree. Been a DM every year since they launched it and have never done a Porsche ride. I've made some tight connections and missed a couple but can't say that a car ride between gates would have saved me. Oh well, I need the steps.

Saj8986

Interesting....You've been DM for years and zero Porche rides? Curious which hubs you are connecting in and out of. I've never had it in ATL, MSP, SLC etc... but got it in SEA and it wasn't a tight connection.

Bicostal

DM since day 1 never had the Porsche. Guess I need to book tighter connections in ATL.

klashn

I've had two Porsche rides. The first one as JFK the second at SEA.
One the first occasion I didn't have a tight connection at all, but on the SEA ride, I did have some WX circumstances, though I would have easily made my SEA-AMS connection.

I was traveling from PDX-SEA in January earlier this year. We had snow and icy-rain and the PDX-SEA shuttle flights were delayed. I arrived early at the airport and went to the lounge and the SkyClub rep Timor helped me actually get on the earlier flight because it had been delayed, and it would leave me with more time for the SEA-AMS connection.

He coded me in a high priority IROPs bucket (I think he said B1).

I was sitting in the exit row on the short flight, and when we arrived in SEA, a few passengers were standing up and looking out the window and saying "A Porsche just pulled up." I wasn't expecting it to be mine and I explained to these passengers that sometimes Delta does that for passengers with tight connections, never thinking it was for me.

Walking off the jet-bridge, I saw the tablet with my name on it, and I was surprised, and delighted

http://i.imgur.com/ztdr7GQ.jpg