International (TATL/TPAC) OP-UP vs. SWU
May 27, 2012, 11:08 am
#61
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: DL FO, UA, AA, AsiaMiles, SPG, HHonors
Posts: 7,982
My comment wasn't directed at the OP, it was just a general comment. There is an ongoing discussion in the forum about this, whether waitlisting is a good idea or not. OP got hosed, and those kind of shenanigans is one reason I don't waitlist.
May 27, 2012, 11:13 am
#62
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 82
Got a response from DL. The usual "we value your business as a top customer" stuff, but the most surprising thing: "your upgrade cleared, we are sorry you were given inaccurate information."
Now, I know that it did not clear, that my BP was not changed, and that class paid/flown shows as B/B. Only reinforces what I wrote before: in an oversell situation, GAs can do (and actually do) as they please. They have pretty much unlimited discretion about the upgrades and can move anyone up, regardless of the status, fare paid, etc. In my case, the actual upgrade list was ignored and the GAs got their buddies moved to BE. While my suspicions remain just that for now, circumstantial evidence is aplenty, and this is not the first occasion: knowing a GA or offering a small token of appreciation will go a long way, certainly farther than your status or fare basis. We don't like to talk about it, it makes us uncomfortable and does not smell right, but this is how the world works after all. Most of the world anyway. Sorry if this sounds cynical, but the facts speak for themselves.
Safe holiday weekend travels (or, maybe, none of it, enjoy your time on the ground!)
Now, I know that it did not clear, that my BP was not changed, and that class paid/flown shows as B/B. Only reinforces what I wrote before: in an oversell situation, GAs can do (and actually do) as they please. They have pretty much unlimited discretion about the upgrades and can move anyone up, regardless of the status, fare paid, etc. In my case, the actual upgrade list was ignored and the GAs got their buddies moved to BE. While my suspicions remain just that for now, circumstantial evidence is aplenty, and this is not the first occasion: knowing a GA or offering a small token of appreciation will go a long way, certainly farther than your status or fare basis. We don't like to talk about it, it makes us uncomfortable and does not smell right, but this is how the world works after all. Most of the world anyway. Sorry if this sounds cynical, but the facts speak for themselves.
Safe holiday weekend travels (or, maybe, none of it, enjoy your time on the ground!)
1) Why should the scenario be different in an oversell situation as the OP accepts? I am not so sure I agree with the OP about this. I understand that domestic flights and international flights are very different for upgrade purposes, BUT, in the narrow circumstance of oversell situations with the need for operational upgrades, why should the two situations be handled differently? I cannot imagine in a domestic flight with oversell and operational upgrades that the pre-established waitlist is simply ignored or disregarded. I would also imagine if that waitlist was ignored or disregarded in such a situation people would seriously be up in arms about it. Again, I understand that international and domestic upgrades are different animals, but I do not see why those differences should create a different scenario in how to handle operational upgrades in an oversell situation. Maybe somebody can enlighten me as to what I am missing here.
2) Why are international upgrades handled so opaquely? It seems that Delta preposterously suggests that somehow the issue in this thread was caused by inaccurately communicated information. Putting aside the blatant falseness of Delta's statement, the possibility for such miscommunication is entirely created by Delta. For domestic upgrades and standby, everything is handled very transparently, above board, and in the full glare of public view. For international flights, the whole thing is done as opaquely as possible. Why does Delta choose to be so opaque about something so valuable and important to its customers and shareholders? In domestic flights, you can just sit in the waiting area and see extremely detailed information about who is on waitlist for upgrades who is on waitlist for standby what are the relevant priorities, then you can see who gets what once they clear the lists and who still remains on the lists. It seems to me this can be shown for international too (including operational upgrade priority -- If there is a corporate policy about it). It seems to me that if the international upgrade situation were not so opaque; there would not be room for what happened on this flight to happen (or it would be a lot harder to do or take a lot more brazenness for the employees to steal from the corporation like this). Again, maybe I am missing something here -- wouldn't making all the relevant information public be in the interests of customers and shareholders? The only people who should be against this publicity would be employees who want to use the darkness to cover the theft from the corporation (and customers). By the way, if Delta doesn't do this, there is a self-help way that people here on Flyertalk can do it. All that needs to happen is to create a sticky thread for suspicious opup cases....then as soon as people see a situation like the flight in question...just post it in the sticky thread...then somebody with information about the flight (needs to be within 24 hours) can do the post mortem and let people know here what really happened. Even if those people do not speak up, other passengers can speak up like happened here. I was on the flight that started this thread...I was on a K fare, am diamond medallion and a million miler...I was fortunate enough to get an economy comfort seat. So, we can confirm that at least two diamonds did not get operational upgrades that were doled out. Something lost in all of this is that not only did OP not get the upgrade, the OP did not even get an economy comfort seat. This is particular egregious in light of my report that an upgrade from and reallocation of economy comfort seat 17F was performed at the very latest moment on this flight before the door closed.
May 28, 2012, 2:41 am
#63
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 63
Two questions here for people who are more knowledgeable than me on this topic --
1) Why should the scenario be different in an oversell situation as the OP accepts? I am not so sure I agree with the OP about this. I understand that domestic flights and international flights are very different for upgrade purposes, BUT, in the narrow circumstance of oversell situations with the need for operational upgrades, why should the two situations be handled differently? I cannot imagine in a domestic flight with oversell and operational upgrades that the pre-established waitlist is simply ignored or disregarded. I would also imagine if that waitlist was ignored or disregarded in such a situation people would seriously be up in arms about it. Again, I understand that international and domestic upgrades are different animals, but I do not see why those differences should create a different scenario in how to handle operational upgrades in an oversell situation. Maybe somebody can enlighten me as to what I am missing here.
2) Why are international upgrades handled so opaquely? It seems that Delta preposterously suggests that somehow the issue in this thread was caused by inaccurately communicated information. Putting aside the blatant falseness of Delta's statement, the possibility for such miscommunication is entirely created by Delta. For domestic upgrades and standby, everything is handled very transparently, above board, and in the full glare of public view. For international flights, the whole thing is done as opaquely as possible. Why does Delta choose to be so opaque about something so valuable and important to its customers and shareholders? In domestic flights, you can just sit in the waiting area and see extremely detailed information about who is on waitlist for upgrades who is on waitlist for standby what are the relevant priorities, then you can see who gets what once they clear the lists and who still remains on the lists. It seems to me this can be shown for international too (including operational upgrade priority -- If there is a corporate policy about it). It seems to me that if the international upgrade situation were not so opaque; there would not be room for what happened on this flight to happen (or it would be a lot harder to do or take a lot more brazenness for the employees to steal from the corporation like this). Again, maybe I am missing something here -- wouldn't making all the relevant information public be in the interests of customers and shareholders? The only people who should be against this publicity would be employees who want to use the darkness to cover the theft from the corporation (and customers). By the way, if Delta doesn't do this, there is a self-help way that people here on Flyertalk can do it. All that needs to happen is to create a sticky thread for suspicious opup cases....then as soon as people see a situation like the flight in question...just post it in the sticky thread...then somebody with information about the flight (needs to be within 24 hours) can do the post mortem and let people know here what really happened. Even if those people do not speak up, other passengers can speak up like happened here. I was on the flight that started this thread...I was on a K fare, am diamond medallion and a million miler...I was fortunate enough to get an economy comfort seat. So, we can confirm that at least two diamonds did not get operational upgrades that were doled out. Something lost in all of this is that not only did OP not get the upgrade, the OP did not even get an economy comfort seat. This is particular egregious in light of my report that an upgrade from and reallocation of economy comfort seat 17F was performed at the very latest moment on this flight before the door closed.
1) Why should the scenario be different in an oversell situation as the OP accepts? I am not so sure I agree with the OP about this. I understand that domestic flights and international flights are very different for upgrade purposes, BUT, in the narrow circumstance of oversell situations with the need for operational upgrades, why should the two situations be handled differently? I cannot imagine in a domestic flight with oversell and operational upgrades that the pre-established waitlist is simply ignored or disregarded. I would also imagine if that waitlist was ignored or disregarded in such a situation people would seriously be up in arms about it. Again, I understand that international and domestic upgrades are different animals, but I do not see why those differences should create a different scenario in how to handle operational upgrades in an oversell situation. Maybe somebody can enlighten me as to what I am missing here.
2) Why are international upgrades handled so opaquely? It seems that Delta preposterously suggests that somehow the issue in this thread was caused by inaccurately communicated information. Putting aside the blatant falseness of Delta's statement, the possibility for such miscommunication is entirely created by Delta. For domestic upgrades and standby, everything is handled very transparently, above board, and in the full glare of public view. For international flights, the whole thing is done as opaquely as possible. Why does Delta choose to be so opaque about something so valuable and important to its customers and shareholders? In domestic flights, you can just sit in the waiting area and see extremely detailed information about who is on waitlist for upgrades who is on waitlist for standby what are the relevant priorities, then you can see who gets what once they clear the lists and who still remains on the lists. It seems to me this can be shown for international too (including operational upgrade priority -- If there is a corporate policy about it). It seems to me that if the international upgrade situation were not so opaque; there would not be room for what happened on this flight to happen (or it would be a lot harder to do or take a lot more brazenness for the employees to steal from the corporation like this). Again, maybe I am missing something here -- wouldn't making all the relevant information public be in the interests of customers and shareholders? The only people who should be against this publicity would be employees who want to use the darkness to cover the theft from the corporation (and customers). By the way, if Delta doesn't do this, there is a self-help way that people here on Flyertalk can do it. All that needs to happen is to create a sticky thread for suspicious opup cases....then as soon as people see a situation like the flight in question...just post it in the sticky thread...then somebody with information about the flight (needs to be within 24 hours) can do the post mortem and let people know here what really happened. Even if those people do not speak up, other passengers can speak up like happened here. I was on the flight that started this thread...I was on a K fare, am diamond medallion and a million miler...I was fortunate enough to get an economy comfort seat. So, we can confirm that at least two diamonds did not get operational upgrades that were doled out. Something lost in all of this is that not only did OP not get the upgrade, the OP did not even get an economy comfort seat. This is particular egregious in light of my report that an upgrade from and reallocation of economy comfort seat 17F was performed at the very latest moment on this flight before the door closed.
Regarding confirming Z UG at the time of purchase, I try to do it when possible, and it would be great if DL released at least some Z inventory on all flights, but the current trend is to leave it to the gate to handle. The ability to UG using SWU at the gate was a welcome improvement, but it should not have come at the price of virtually eliminating advance Z upgrades; yet that's exactly what we have now. I agree with HongKonger that it is a bad gamble, but sometime there is simply no other alternative. I am amazed that DL does that on even very empty flights. They can't be hoping to fill the BE cabin with 15-20+ people in the last hours, so I am not sure what DL's rationale is.
I also agree that international flights should not be handled any differently from domestic. I don't want to accept what happened (and happens) as a simple mistake, but I am sure that DL will formally respond to any inquiry that "it was an operational necessity." Sine there are no published policies regarding waitlist and UG priority for such situations, our arguments will not go very far. There are no UG lists as such on intl flights except for SWUs on high fares, and those are not many. All the standbys are usually NRSAs/buddy passes, and they can fly in BE if space is available. In an oversell situation, GAs priority is to get as many people of the flight as possible without paying too much in compensation. Who is upgraded and why is indeed at the discretion of the GA. There is a multitude of explanations a GA can give if questioned, anus at most might get a finger wag. That wild be difficult to pull off on a domestic flight, oversold or not. I think there is no explicit corporate policy about OPUPs, everything that I ever heard from GAs I personally know is at the level of recommendations. That OPUPs sometime happen not in any particular order is true: on the same flight a few months ago I noticed that a few people were upgraded and I was not (I was on a Q or H fare, so no SWU), asked why, the guy told me "they asked first." You know full well this was a BS answer, but I doubt my arguing wild have changed anything. On the last flight, the one that started this thread, I should have kicked and screamed, and would have probably gotten my UG though. But it should never come to that, and I am sure things work as they should more often than not. Again, I use LAX as an example, which usually functions pretty well.
But, overall, I think it is the general DL attitude which has now changed from "we need you" to "you don't have many choices, so you'll come to us anyway." It is quite noticeable , especially during the last two years. Plus JFK culture. Don't want to make blanket statements, but it has among the least caring ground teams among all the hubs, and I fly though it dozens of times each year.
So, the more vocal we are, both on this board and with Delta about their shenanigans, the more likely the changes will come. Meanwhile, do not make the mistake I made and just accept what you are told as a fact. Fight for it, and it just may pay off!
May 28, 2012, 2:52 am
#64
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 63
What a story! It really is inexcusable. I missed the original thread/discussion, just caught up now. I used to fly this route 4-5 times a year, still do, though not necessarily on Delta.
I am not very surprised by the story though, and agree with the OP's take that oversold flights are handled differently by GAs than normal ops, and all standard procedures/waitlists can be overridden. This is likely what happened to the OP. I do not know why the GA did what s/he did and what favors s/he received, but things do happen, from a cup of coffee and a dessert for overlooking an overweight bag or an extra piece of luggage to a small gift for an upgrade.
I flew myself in EC on this very route on an M fare in November, also an oversold flight, also many OPUPs, non-revs and others, but not a DM on M/SWU. Seems like this was not a singular occurrence.
The additional loopholes opened up with the recent changes in Delta's practice to hold the upgrades until the last minute at the gate, even when it is SWU and when there are plenty of seats in BE available (often 50% load, and the SWU waitlists still do not clear). Anything that is done at the gate is more prone to ... mistakes
. Had to take less convenient flights on partners from Europe the other month even though DL's BE was 80% or so open. The upgrade did not clear even 6-7 hours before the flight, with the J9C9D9I9S9 cabin. Wonder if it went empty or was filled with the "usual clientele."
Sorry OP, what happened is not fair, but c'est la vie at Delta. Why would you fly DL to Moscow anyway, it still puts old and dilapidated 763s with those lousy seats on this quite long fight? One of the reasons I left it and either fly SU or UA. At least you get fully flat seats on UA and can UG to First, which is quite nice. SU is much, much nicer than DL now too.
I am not very surprised by the story though, and agree with the OP's take that oversold flights are handled differently by GAs than normal ops, and all standard procedures/waitlists can be overridden. This is likely what happened to the OP. I do not know why the GA did what s/he did and what favors s/he received, but things do happen, from a cup of coffee and a dessert for overlooking an overweight bag or an extra piece of luggage to a small gift for an upgrade.
I flew myself in EC on this very route on an M fare in November, also an oversold flight, also many OPUPs, non-revs and others, but not a DM on M/SWU. Seems like this was not a singular occurrence.
The additional loopholes opened up with the recent changes in Delta's practice to hold the upgrades until the last minute at the gate, even when it is SWU and when there are plenty of seats in BE available (often 50% load, and the SWU waitlists still do not clear). Anything that is done at the gate is more prone to ... mistakes
. Had to take less convenient flights on partners from Europe the other month even though DL's BE was 80% or so open. The upgrade did not clear even 6-7 hours before the flight, with the J9C9D9I9S9 cabin. Wonder if it went empty or was filled with the "usual clientele."Sorry OP, what happened is not fair, but c'est la vie at Delta. Why would you fly DL to Moscow anyway, it still puts old and dilapidated 763s with those lousy seats on this quite long fight? One of the reasons I left it and either fly SU or UA. At least you get fully flat seats on UA and can UG to First, which is quite nice. SU is much, much nicer than DL now too.
Jul 4, 2012, 12:49 am
#65
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 82
................
But, overall, I think it is the general DL attitude which has now changed from "we need you" to "you don't have many choices, so you'll come to us anyway." It is quite noticeable , especially during the last two years. Plus JFK culture. Don't want to make blanket statements, but it has among the least caring ground teams among all the hubs, and I fly though it dozens of times each year.
So, the more vocal we are, both on this board and with Delta about their shenanigans, the more likely the changes will come. Meanwhile, do not make the mistake I made and just accept what you are told as a fact. Fight for it, and it just may pay off!
But, overall, I think it is the general DL attitude which has now changed from "we need you" to "you don't have many choices, so you'll come to us anyway." It is quite noticeable , especially during the last two years. Plus JFK culture. Don't want to make blanket statements, but it has among the least caring ground teams among all the hubs, and I fly though it dozens of times each year.
So, the more vocal we are, both on this board and with Delta about their shenanigans, the more likely the changes will come. Meanwhile, do not make the mistake I made and just accept what you are told as a fact. Fight for it, and it just may pay off!
Sep 2, 2012, 10:08 am
#66
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,774
Call and ask a rep (or tweet @DeltaAssist) and ask how your SWU is coded. The response should be UP2A for a DM or UP2B for a PM. If it isn't, tell them they need to code it properly. Never tell them the answer you want to hear in advance as they may "confirm" without even checking.
When I spoke to the next agent, who was a supervisor, she told me there was no code, just that I was properly waitlisted. I finally asked about UP2B and she claimed no knowledge of this for international flights, and said it was only valid for domestic flights when they needed to distinguish between a person waitlisted for an SWU upgrade vs. complementary upgrade.
It seems to be a little different (and easier) for some reason to get an SWU coded properly for international flights. They just have to active the priority waitlist and enter the SWU number into the PNR, and if it hasn't cleared by checkin then it should be automatically passed to the airport standby gate upgrade list. At this point, according to the SWU terms and Delta internal procedures, you are ahead of any non-rev upgrades or other operational upgrades.
In fact, from my experience if op-ups are needed the people on the SWU waitlist are usually given the upgrade without using the SWU.
In fact, from my experience if op-ups are needed the people on the SWU waitlist are usually given the upgrade without using the SWU.
Should I be calling back tonight or early tomorrow, before heading to the airport, to again ask if I'm coded UP2B? There are seven unclaimed seats in BE as of now.
Sep 8, 2012, 3:56 pm
#67
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 82
JFK->SVO Sept 9 DL30 -- OpUp and Volunteer situation
I just checked in online to DL30 from JFK to SVO tomorrow (Sept 9) and was greeted with a vague message seeking volunteers to take an "alternative flight" in exchange for a voucher for "another flight." Furthermore, the wording of the offer was confusing as to whether a person could rescind their offer to volunteer if, upon learning the details, the alternative flight and/or voucher turned out to be unsatisfactory. I ended up declining to volunteer because I did not want to risk a perfectly acceptable flight and seat in exchange for something so vague that it could be anything.
However, the episode triggered some questions in my mind that perhaps the cognoscenti here know the answers to (apologies if these have already been answered elsewhere)
1) Volunteering -- If you put yourself on the list of volunteers, can you rescind your offer of volunteering and stick with your original flight and seat if you do not like what they offer you when you discover what the fine print is?
2) Parameters of offer -- are there any parameters about what the alternative flight can be or what the voucher can be? For example, will the flight get you in within 6 hours of your original plan? within 24 hours? Is the voucher good for any flight internationally? the same flight you agreed to forgo? Is fareclass an issue? for example, if i agree to get booted when a T fare is $500 can i use the voucher for a T fare on the same route when it is more than double that?
3) Impact on OpUp -- does the decision to place yourself on the volunteer list affect the priority of a person for being allocated an OpUp?
4) Post Mortem -- Is there a way to ask the people, with access to the relevant data, to post what ends up happening on this flight in terms of OpUp? In the past, people have been able to post the status of flyers who were upgraded at the gate and the status of flyers who "just missed" the OpUp. Given the history of this gate on this route as evidenced by this thread....it would be interesting to see what criteria the gate uses in awarding OpUps (I presume there will be OpUps since Delta is seeking volunteers and ExpertFlyer is showing J4 C4 D3 I2 S0 Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 K0 L0 U0 T0 E0 on the flight -- this is the same situation that was showing for the same route of the original posting).
However, the episode triggered some questions in my mind that perhaps the cognoscenti here know the answers to (apologies if these have already been answered elsewhere)
1) Volunteering -- If you put yourself on the list of volunteers, can you rescind your offer of volunteering and stick with your original flight and seat if you do not like what they offer you when you discover what the fine print is?
2) Parameters of offer -- are there any parameters about what the alternative flight can be or what the voucher can be? For example, will the flight get you in within 6 hours of your original plan? within 24 hours? Is the voucher good for any flight internationally? the same flight you agreed to forgo? Is fareclass an issue? for example, if i agree to get booted when a T fare is $500 can i use the voucher for a T fare on the same route when it is more than double that?
3) Impact on OpUp -- does the decision to place yourself on the volunteer list affect the priority of a person for being allocated an OpUp?
4) Post Mortem -- Is there a way to ask the people, with access to the relevant data, to post what ends up happening on this flight in terms of OpUp? In the past, people have been able to post the status of flyers who were upgraded at the gate and the status of flyers who "just missed" the OpUp. Given the history of this gate on this route as evidenced by this thread....it would be interesting to see what criteria the gate uses in awarding OpUps (I presume there will be OpUps since Delta is seeking volunteers and ExpertFlyer is showing J4 C4 D3 I2 S0 Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 K0 L0 U0 T0 E0 on the flight -- this is the same situation that was showing for the same route of the original posting).
Sep 8, 2012, 5:02 pm
#68
Join Date: May 2008
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, HH Diamond, MR Titanium, MR LTP, AA EP, UA Silver
Posts: 743
I just checked in online to DL30 from JFK to SVO tomorrow (Sept 9) and was greeted with a vague message seeking volunteers to take an "alternative flight" in exchange for a voucher for "another flight." Furthermore, the wording of the offer was confusing as to whether a person could rescind their offer to volunteer if, upon learning the details, the alternative flight and/or voucher turned out to be unsatisfactory. I ended up declining to volunteer because I did not want to risk a perfectly acceptable flight and seat in exchange for something so vague that it could be anything.
However, the episode triggered some questions in my mind that perhaps the cognoscenti here know the answers to (apologies if these have already been answered elsewhere)
1) Volunteering -- If you put yourself on the list of volunteers, can you rescind your offer of volunteering and stick with your original flight and seat if you do not like what they offer you when you discover what the fine print is?
2) Parameters of offer -- are there any parameters about what the alternative flight can be or what the voucher can be? For example, will the flight get you in within 6 hours of your original plan? within 24 hours? Is the voucher good for any flight internationally? the same flight you agreed to forgo? Is fareclass an issue? for example, if i agree to get booted when a T fare is $500 can i use the voucher for a T fare on the same route when it is more than double that?
3) Impact on OpUp -- does the decision to place yourself on the volunteer list affect the priority of a person for being allocated an OpUp?
4) Post Mortem -- Is there a way to ask the people, with access to the relevant data, to post what ends up happening on this flight in terms of OpUp? In the past, people have been able to post the status of flyers who were upgraded at the gate and the status of flyers who "just missed" the OpUp. Given the history of this gate on this route as evidenced by this thread....it would be interesting to see what criteria the gate uses in awarding OpUps (I presume there will be OpUps since Delta is seeking volunteers and ExpertFlyer is showing J4 C4 D3 I2 S0 Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 K0 L0 U0 T0 E0 on the flight -- this is the same situation that was showing for the same route of the original posting).
However, the episode triggered some questions in my mind that perhaps the cognoscenti here know the answers to (apologies if these have already been answered elsewhere)
1) Volunteering -- If you put yourself on the list of volunteers, can you rescind your offer of volunteering and stick with your original flight and seat if you do not like what they offer you when you discover what the fine print is?
2) Parameters of offer -- are there any parameters about what the alternative flight can be or what the voucher can be? For example, will the flight get you in within 6 hours of your original plan? within 24 hours? Is the voucher good for any flight internationally? the same flight you agreed to forgo? Is fareclass an issue? for example, if i agree to get booted when a T fare is $500 can i use the voucher for a T fare on the same route when it is more than double that?
3) Impact on OpUp -- does the decision to place yourself on the volunteer list affect the priority of a person for being allocated an OpUp?
4) Post Mortem -- Is there a way to ask the people, with access to the relevant data, to post what ends up happening on this flight in terms of OpUp? In the past, people have been able to post the status of flyers who were upgraded at the gate and the status of flyers who "just missed" the OpUp. Given the history of this gate on this route as evidenced by this thread....it would be interesting to see what criteria the gate uses in awarding OpUps (I presume there will be OpUps since Delta is seeking volunteers and ExpertFlyer is showing J4 C4 D3 I2 S0 Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 K0 L0 U0 T0 E0 on the flight -- this is the same situation that was showing for the same route of the original posting).
2. Voucher terms are disclosed at the time the deal is made.
3. Shouldn't.
4. Flight is quite oversold and only 4 BE seats remain.
Sep 8, 2012, 5:09 pm
#69
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: OKC
Programs: DL DM/2.768MM, Global Entry, Titanium_Marriott, GHertz
Posts: 6,752
I tried to do this today with two agents, and could not get a proper answer out of either one. I'm Platinum on a B fare, waitlisted to use SWU for CPH-JFK tomorrow. The agent just insisted that I was "priority waitlisted" for upgrade, but when I tried to press for the code, she just kept reiterating that I was coded correctly. I then asked what the 4-digit code beginning with 'U' was, and she said "UP03" and had no idea what UP2B was.
When I spoke to the next agent, who was a supervisor, she told me there was no code, just that I was properly waitlisted. I finally asked about UP2B and she claimed no knowledge of this for international flights, and said it was only valid for domestic flights when they needed to distinguish between a person waitlisted for an SWU upgrade vs. complementary upgrade.
This is interesting because when I initially waitlisted for the SWU upgrade, about a week ago, I asked if the agent wanted the SWU number and she said no, that if Z became available and it cleared, they would take it at that time. So my SWU certificate number was not annotated for this flight at all. Now that it is one day out and it looks like it may not clear before check-in, I asked them to enter one of my SWU numbers which they finally agreed to do today.
Should I be calling back tonight or early tomorrow, before heading to the airport, to again ask if I'm coded UP2B? There are seven unclaimed seats in BE as of now.
When I spoke to the next agent, who was a supervisor, she told me there was no code, just that I was properly waitlisted. I finally asked about UP2B and she claimed no knowledge of this for international flights, and said it was only valid for domestic flights when they needed to distinguish between a person waitlisted for an SWU upgrade vs. complementary upgrade.
This is interesting because when I initially waitlisted for the SWU upgrade, about a week ago, I asked if the agent wanted the SWU number and she said no, that if Z became available and it cleared, they would take it at that time. So my SWU certificate number was not annotated for this flight at all. Now that it is one day out and it looks like it may not clear before check-in, I asked them to enter one of my SWU numbers which they finally agreed to do today.
Should I be calling back tonight or early tomorrow, before heading to the airport, to again ask if I'm coded UP2B? There are seven unclaimed seats in BE as of now.
I have only waitlisted for domestic and intra-Europe flights and would encourage you to call and/or tweet to make certain you are coded properly show space open up. I know that ATH-JFK on Monday that two BE passengers cancelled in the middle of the night before departure and their replacements were interesting as one was my seatmate.
Sep 8, 2012, 5:13 pm
#70
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 82
If the flight is very much oversold, how are non-revenue tickets handled in such a situation? Presumably, oversold means there are more revenue tickets than there are total seats on the plane. Am assuming, if nothing changes, they will op up 4 economy passengers into the 4 BE seats and then bump volunteers to other flights. If that is the case, are non-revs not allowed on the flight? Can non-revs take the BE seats with more passengers getting voluntarily bumped?
Thanks again for answering and apologies for rewarding you with more questions.
Sep 10, 2012, 4:40 am
#71
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: London
Programs: DL FO, BA Bronze, Avis Preferred
Posts: 851
Two questions here for people who are more knowledgeable than me on this topic --
1) Why should the scenario be different in an oversell situation as the OP accepts? I am not so sure I agree with the OP about this. I understand that domestic flights and international flights are very different for upgrade purposes, BUT, in the narrow circumstance of oversell situations with the need for operational upgrades, why should the two situations be handled differently? I cannot imagine in a domestic flight with oversell and operational upgrades that the pre-established waitlist is simply ignored or disregarded. I would also imagine if that waitlist was ignored or disregarded in such a situation people would seriously be up in arms about it. Again, I understand that international and domestic upgrades are different animals, but I do not see why those differences should create a different scenario in how to handle operational upgrades in an oversell situation. Maybe somebody can enlighten me as to what I am missing here.
2) Why are international upgrades handled so opaquely? It seems that Delta preposterously suggests that somehow the issue in this thread was caused by inaccurately communicated information. Putting aside the blatant falseness of Delta's statement, the possibility for such miscommunication is entirely created by Delta. For domestic upgrades and standby, everything is handled very transparently, above board, and in the full glare of public view. For international flights, the whole thing is done as opaquely as possible. Why does Delta choose to be so opaque about something so valuable and important to its customers and shareholders? In domestic flights, you can just sit in the waiting area and see extremely detailed information about who is on waitlist for upgrades who is on waitlist for standby what are the relevant priorities, then you can see who gets what once they clear the lists and who still remains on the lists. It seems to me this can be shown for international too (including operational upgrade priority -- If there is a corporate policy about it). It seems to me that if the international upgrade situation were not so opaque; there would not be room for what happened on this flight to happen (or it would be a lot harder to do or take a lot more brazenness for the employees to steal from the corporation like this). Again, maybe I am missing something here -- wouldn't making all the relevant information public be in the interests of customers and shareholders? The only people who should be against this publicity would be employees who want to use the darkness to cover the theft from the corporation (and customers). By the way, if Delta doesn't do this, there is a self-help way that people here on Flyertalk can do it. All that needs to happen is to create a sticky thread for suspicious opup cases....then as soon as people see a situation like the flight in question...just post it in the sticky thread...then somebody with information about the flight (needs to be within 24 hours) can do the post mortem and let people know here what really happened. Even if those people do not speak up, other passengers can speak up like happened here. I was on the flight that started this thread...I was on a K fare, am diamond medallion and a million miler...I was fortunate enough to get an economy comfort seat. So, we can confirm that at least two diamonds did not get operational upgrades that were doled out. Something lost in all of this is that not only did OP not get the upgrade, the OP did not even get an economy comfort seat. This is particular egregious in light of my report that an upgrade from and reallocation of economy comfort seat 17F was performed at the very latest moment on this flight before the door closed.
1) Why should the scenario be different in an oversell situation as the OP accepts? I am not so sure I agree with the OP about this. I understand that domestic flights and international flights are very different for upgrade purposes, BUT, in the narrow circumstance of oversell situations with the need for operational upgrades, why should the two situations be handled differently? I cannot imagine in a domestic flight with oversell and operational upgrades that the pre-established waitlist is simply ignored or disregarded. I would also imagine if that waitlist was ignored or disregarded in such a situation people would seriously be up in arms about it. Again, I understand that international and domestic upgrades are different animals, but I do not see why those differences should create a different scenario in how to handle operational upgrades in an oversell situation. Maybe somebody can enlighten me as to what I am missing here.
2) Why are international upgrades handled so opaquely? It seems that Delta preposterously suggests that somehow the issue in this thread was caused by inaccurately communicated information. Putting aside the blatant falseness of Delta's statement, the possibility for such miscommunication is entirely created by Delta. For domestic upgrades and standby, everything is handled very transparently, above board, and in the full glare of public view. For international flights, the whole thing is done as opaquely as possible. Why does Delta choose to be so opaque about something so valuable and important to its customers and shareholders? In domestic flights, you can just sit in the waiting area and see extremely detailed information about who is on waitlist for upgrades who is on waitlist for standby what are the relevant priorities, then you can see who gets what once they clear the lists and who still remains on the lists. It seems to me this can be shown for international too (including operational upgrade priority -- If there is a corporate policy about it). It seems to me that if the international upgrade situation were not so opaque; there would not be room for what happened on this flight to happen (or it would be a lot harder to do or take a lot more brazenness for the employees to steal from the corporation like this). Again, maybe I am missing something here -- wouldn't making all the relevant information public be in the interests of customers and shareholders? The only people who should be against this publicity would be employees who want to use the darkness to cover the theft from the corporation (and customers). By the way, if Delta doesn't do this, there is a self-help way that people here on Flyertalk can do it. All that needs to happen is to create a sticky thread for suspicious opup cases....then as soon as people see a situation like the flight in question...just post it in the sticky thread...then somebody with information about the flight (needs to be within 24 hours) can do the post mortem and let people know here what really happened. Even if those people do not speak up, other passengers can speak up like happened here. I was on the flight that started this thread...I was on a K fare, am diamond medallion and a million miler...I was fortunate enough to get an economy comfort seat. So, we can confirm that at least two diamonds did not get operational upgrades that were doled out. Something lost in all of this is that not only did OP not get the upgrade, the OP did not even get an economy comfort seat. This is particular egregious in light of my report that an upgrade from and reallocation of economy comfort seat 17F was performed at the very latest moment on this flight before the door closed.
Sep 10, 2012, 6:28 am
#72
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,774
A seatmap is not the best way to check the BE cabin as EF shows much fewer seats available.
I have only waitlisted for domestic and intra-Europe flights and would encourage you to call and/or tweet to make certain you are coded properly show space open up. I know that ATH-JFK on Monday that two BE passengers cancelled in the middle of the night before departure and their replacements were interesting as one was my seatmate.
I have only waitlisted for domestic and intra-Europe flights and would encourage you to call and/or tweet to make certain you are coded properly show space open up. I know that ATH-JFK on Monday that two BE passengers cancelled in the middle of the night before departure and their replacements were interesting as one was my seatmate.
I called Delta Platinum line before departure for the airport, about 5 hours before flight time as EF was still showing 7 unclaimed BE seats and the upgrade didn't come through overnight, Z still showing 0. I was advised that my standby airport upgrade with SWU was correctly coded and that there were indeed many BE seats left, but I'd have to go to the airport and ask at check-in as they could not process the upgrade for me.
Arrived at the check-in counter 3 hours prior to flight time, and was the 2nd person in the Sky Priority queue to check in. When I advised that I was waitlisted for an SWU upgrade if a BE seat was available, the agent didn't have a clue what I was referring to, nor did her colleague who was stated to be the 'supervisor'. They could both look up my record and see the two entries for my flight, i.e. the B fare confirmed and the Z fare waitlisted, but had no idea what an SWU was, or a standby upgrade, etc.
The supervisor told the agent to call 'Ken' who was stated to be the Delta local rep, to ask him how to process my boarding pass using the Z coded line. At the other end of the phone, Ken told them that there was no Z availability and it could not be done. I explained that they no longer needed Z availability, that my standby upgrade should be processed as long as there was a BE seat available. I was advised that there was "thousands of dollars" of difference between the fare for a Z class up to a BE seat, and they certainly could not give me a BE seat.
After much, much begging, pleading and explanation on my part, they agreed to call the "Delta representative" on site at the airport. After discussion on the phone with her, where I again could tell from the one side of the conversation that it wasn't going well, I was told that this Delta rep would be at the gate one hour before flight time, and she would look into my request at that time.
Without a BE boarding card, I did not have access to the BE lounge, but used my Elite+ status to access the lesser Novia lounge where I called the Platinum line again. By this time, it was two hours prior to flight time. Initially, the Platinum desk agent told me that everything was coded right, there were still 7 unclaimed BE seats, and he was sure they'd process the upgrade at the gate - all said in a very optimistic and knowledgeable voice. When I explained to him my lack of faith that the CPH gate agents would come through, he put me on hold and made a call.
When he came back on the line, I could hear in his voice that he obviously was not so sure any more, as he did not sound so optimistic. He said that KLM agents were contracted to manage the Delta flights in CPH, and that it was up to the GA's discretion whether or not to process the upgrade. I asked him if it wasn't Delta's policy when a Platinum or Diamond elite is on the standby waitlist for a SWU upgrade, that it will be processed if there is a seat available, and that a BE seat should not go out empty if an elite is waitlisted to use an SWU? He said yes, that is the policy, however it is still the discretion of the KLM GA to do what she wants. I asked if these contracted KLM agents shouldn't be required to follow Delta's rules for a Delta flight, and he agreed they should, but that there was nothing DL could do if they didn't.
Before we hung up, about 1 hour 40 minutes prior to flight time, he confirmed that there were still many open BE seats.
I headed to the gate where the 'supervisor' agent with whom I had spoken at check-in saw me told me that the "Delta" representative had not yet arrived (about 1 hour 5 minutes prior to flight time), but that I should go ahead and proceed into the gate area and she would come and get me with my new boarding pass if it was processed. Note that at CPH, when you arrive at the gate, they scan your boarding pass and you are sent into a secure gate area where you wait until the aircraft is ready to board - so once you do this, the system shows you as 'boarded.'
I told her I did not want to do this as once I've 'boarded' I was concerned that my upgrade request would fall out of the system (plus once they had me out of sight and unable to approach the desk from inside the secure area, I knew I'd be out of mind), so she allowed me to wait in the outer gate area, where I actually was able to sit in view of her and the other GAs who were helping passengers with last minute requests (eg. different seat assignments, etc.). The "Delta" representative (who I now knew was really a KLM representative) never turned up, but the 'supervisor' GA finally called my name and gave me a BE boarding pass.
Once on board, I looked around BE and all BE seats were filled. I am guessing that there were many op-ups, as Y was completely full the prior day based on EF's seat map. Also, I doubt they sold 6 BE seats within 1 1/2 hours of the flight.
Ok, so at the end of the day, I flew in BE, but was it really necessary to put me through such agony for something that should have been straightforward? I am certain that a less persistent person would not have gotten the standby SWU upgrade as should be automatic under these circumstances. And I have a hard time believing that the other 6 BE seats were all filled by other Diamond / Platinum members using SWUs.
Another minor issue was that when I was confirmed in B fare and waitlisted, I had selected an Economy Comfort seat in advance, just to be sure I had it in case the BE upgrade did not come through. My seat choice was still showing on DL.com before I left for the airport (about 4 hours prior to flight time), yet when I checked in, I was given a boarding pass with a different EC seat assignment than my selected seat. And I know I was one of the first people to check in at the airport because when I arrived, they were still setting up the queue and passengers were not yet starting to be helped at the check-in desks. When I questioned the seat assignment on the initial BP given to me, the agent snapped at me that she didn't know what my original seat request was, but that this was now my seat.
I usually only buy Y/B/M if I can confirm Z at time of booking, and only once previously did I buy my own ticket with one leg waitlisted (which came through 3 days before departure). But this was a last-minute business trip with my work having to buy a B fare.
I don't know how most non-U.S. stations handle these, but I recommend ensuring your SWU upgrades are processed in advance, if at all possible, when travelling out of CPH.
Sep 10, 2012, 6:50 am
#73
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 82
I thought that SWUs and being able to upgrade on a YBM fare internationally are in fact a published medallion benefit. In fact, I thought customers paid Delta a premium for the chance to pay a certificate for such an upgrade, so I am not even sure if this type of upgrade is considered complimentary. This thread is about a flyer who paid for a B fare and offered an SWU and was waitlisted and then was bypassed by a bunch of operational upgrades. The operational upgrades are only relevant in this thread because operational upgrades were allowed to bypass a customer who paid Delta a premium for the chance to be on a priority waitlist for international upgrades. Delta admitted that what happened here was wrong. I was pointing out that if the process were not so opaque, the wrong that Delta itself admitted was perpetrated would have been a lot harder to pull off.
Sep 10, 2012, 7:02 am
#74
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 82
Reporting back on what happened last week on my CPH-JFK SWU-waitlisted upgrade.
I called Delta Platinum line before departure for the airport, about 5 hours before flight time as EF was still showing 7 unclaimed BE seats and the upgrade didn't come through overnight, Z still showing 0. I was advised that my standby airport upgrade with SWU was correctly coded and that there were indeed many BE seats left, but I'd have to go to the airport and ask at check-in as they could not process the upgrade for me.
Arrived at the check-in counter 3 hours prior to flight time, and was the 2nd person in the Sky Priority queue to check in. When I advised that I was waitlisted for an SWU upgrade if a BE seat was available, the agent didn't have a clue what I was referring to, nor did her colleague who was stated to be the 'supervisor'. They could both look up my record and see the two entries for my flight, i.e. the B fare confirmed and the Z fare waitlisted, but had no idea what an SWU was, or a standby upgrade, etc.
The supervisor told the agent to call 'Ken' who was stated to be the Delta local rep, to ask him how to process my boarding pass using the Z coded line. At the other end of the phone, Ken told them that there was no Z availability and it could not be done. I explained that they no longer needed Z availability, that my standby upgrade should be processed as long as there was a BE seat available. I was advised that there was "thousands of dollars" of difference between the fare for a Z class up to a BE seat, and they certainly could not give me a BE seat.
After much, much begging, pleading and explanation on my part, they agreed to call the "Delta representative" on site at the airport. After discussion on the phone with her, where I again could tell from the one side of the conversation that it wasn't going well, I was told that this Delta rep would be at the gate one hour before flight time, and she would look into my request at that time.
Without a BE boarding card, I did not have access to the BE lounge, but used my Elite+ status to access the lesser Novia lounge where I called the Platinum line again. By this time, it was two hours prior to flight time. Initially, the Platinum desk agent told me that everything was coded right, there were still 7 unclaimed BE seats, and he was sure they'd process the upgrade at the gate - all said in a very optimistic and knowledgeable voice. When I explained to him my lack of faith that the CPH gate agents would come through, he put me on hold and made a call.
When he came back on the line, I could hear in his voice that he obviously was not so sure any more, as he did not sound so optimistic. He said that KLM agents were contracted to manage the Delta flights in CPH, and that it was up to the GA's discretion whether or not to process the upgrade. I asked him if it wasn't Delta's policy when a Platinum or Diamond elite is on the standby waitlist for a SWU upgrade, that it will be processed if there is a seat available, and that a BE seat should not go out empty if an elite is waitlisted to use an SWU? He said yes, that is the policy, however it is still the discretion of the KLM GA to do what she wants. I asked if these contracted KLM agents shouldn't be required to follow Delta's rules for a Delta flight, and he agreed they should, but that there was nothing DL could do if they didn't.
Before we hung up, about 1 hour 40 minutes prior to flight time, he confirmed that there were still many open BE seats.
I headed to the gate where the 'supervisor' agent with whom I had spoken at check-in saw me told me that the "Delta" representative had not yet arrived (about 1 hour 5 minutes prior to flight time), but that I should go ahead and proceed into the gate area and she would come and get me with my new boarding pass if it was processed. Note that at CPH, when you arrive at the gate, they scan your boarding pass and you are sent into a secure gate area where you wait until the aircraft is ready to board - so once you do this, the system shows you as 'boarded.'
I told her I did not want to do this as once I've 'boarded' I was concerned that my upgrade request would fall out of the system (plus once they had me out of sight and unable to approach the desk from inside the secure area, I knew I'd be out of mind), so she allowed me to wait in the outer gate area, where I actually was able to sit in view of her and the other GAs who were helping passengers with last minute requests (eg. different seat assignments, etc.). The "Delta" representative (who I now knew was really a KLM representative) never turned up, but the 'supervisor' GA finally called my name and gave me a BE boarding pass.
Once on board, I looked around BE and all BE seats were filled. I am guessing that there were many op-ups, as Y was completely full the prior day based on EF's seat map. Also, I doubt they sold 6 BE seats within 1 1/2 hours of the flight.
Ok, so at the end of the day, I flew in BE, but was it really necessary to put me through such agony for something that should have been straightforward? I am certain that a less persistent person would not have gotten the standby SWU upgrade as should be automatic under these circumstances. And I have a hard time believing that the other 6 BE seats were all filled by other Diamond / Platinum members using SWUs.
Another minor issue was that when I was confirmed in B fare and waitlisted, I had selected an Economy Comfort seat in advance, just to be sure I had it in case the BE upgrade did not come through. My seat choice was still showing on DL.com before I left for the airport (about 4 hours prior to flight time), yet when I checked in, I was given a boarding pass with a different EC seat assignment than my selected seat. And I know I was one of the first people to check in at the airport because when I arrived, they were still setting up the queue and passengers were not yet starting to be helped at the check-in desks. When I questioned the seat assignment on the initial BP given to me, the agent snapped at me that she didn't know what my original seat request was, but that this was now my seat.
I usually only buy Y/B/M if I can confirm Z at time of booking, and only once previously did I buy my own ticket with one leg waitlisted (which came through 3 days before departure). But this was a last-minute business trip with my work having to buy a B fare.
I don't know how most non-U.S. stations handle these, but I recommend ensuring your SWU upgrades are processed in advance, if at all possible, when travelling out of CPH.
I called Delta Platinum line before departure for the airport, about 5 hours before flight time as EF was still showing 7 unclaimed BE seats and the upgrade didn't come through overnight, Z still showing 0. I was advised that my standby airport upgrade with SWU was correctly coded and that there were indeed many BE seats left, but I'd have to go to the airport and ask at check-in as they could not process the upgrade for me.
Arrived at the check-in counter 3 hours prior to flight time, and was the 2nd person in the Sky Priority queue to check in. When I advised that I was waitlisted for an SWU upgrade if a BE seat was available, the agent didn't have a clue what I was referring to, nor did her colleague who was stated to be the 'supervisor'. They could both look up my record and see the two entries for my flight, i.e. the B fare confirmed and the Z fare waitlisted, but had no idea what an SWU was, or a standby upgrade, etc.
The supervisor told the agent to call 'Ken' who was stated to be the Delta local rep, to ask him how to process my boarding pass using the Z coded line. At the other end of the phone, Ken told them that there was no Z availability and it could not be done. I explained that they no longer needed Z availability, that my standby upgrade should be processed as long as there was a BE seat available. I was advised that there was "thousands of dollars" of difference between the fare for a Z class up to a BE seat, and they certainly could not give me a BE seat.
After much, much begging, pleading and explanation on my part, they agreed to call the "Delta representative" on site at the airport. After discussion on the phone with her, where I again could tell from the one side of the conversation that it wasn't going well, I was told that this Delta rep would be at the gate one hour before flight time, and she would look into my request at that time.
Without a BE boarding card, I did not have access to the BE lounge, but used my Elite+ status to access the lesser Novia lounge where I called the Platinum line again. By this time, it was two hours prior to flight time. Initially, the Platinum desk agent told me that everything was coded right, there were still 7 unclaimed BE seats, and he was sure they'd process the upgrade at the gate - all said in a very optimistic and knowledgeable voice. When I explained to him my lack of faith that the CPH gate agents would come through, he put me on hold and made a call.
When he came back on the line, I could hear in his voice that he obviously was not so sure any more, as he did not sound so optimistic. He said that KLM agents were contracted to manage the Delta flights in CPH, and that it was up to the GA's discretion whether or not to process the upgrade. I asked him if it wasn't Delta's policy when a Platinum or Diamond elite is on the standby waitlist for a SWU upgrade, that it will be processed if there is a seat available, and that a BE seat should not go out empty if an elite is waitlisted to use an SWU? He said yes, that is the policy, however it is still the discretion of the KLM GA to do what she wants. I asked if these contracted KLM agents shouldn't be required to follow Delta's rules for a Delta flight, and he agreed they should, but that there was nothing DL could do if they didn't.
Before we hung up, about 1 hour 40 minutes prior to flight time, he confirmed that there were still many open BE seats.
I headed to the gate where the 'supervisor' agent with whom I had spoken at check-in saw me told me that the "Delta" representative had not yet arrived (about 1 hour 5 minutes prior to flight time), but that I should go ahead and proceed into the gate area and she would come and get me with my new boarding pass if it was processed. Note that at CPH, when you arrive at the gate, they scan your boarding pass and you are sent into a secure gate area where you wait until the aircraft is ready to board - so once you do this, the system shows you as 'boarded.'
I told her I did not want to do this as once I've 'boarded' I was concerned that my upgrade request would fall out of the system (plus once they had me out of sight and unable to approach the desk from inside the secure area, I knew I'd be out of mind), so she allowed me to wait in the outer gate area, where I actually was able to sit in view of her and the other GAs who were helping passengers with last minute requests (eg. different seat assignments, etc.). The "Delta" representative (who I now knew was really a KLM representative) never turned up, but the 'supervisor' GA finally called my name and gave me a BE boarding pass.
Once on board, I looked around BE and all BE seats were filled. I am guessing that there were many op-ups, as Y was completely full the prior day based on EF's seat map. Also, I doubt they sold 6 BE seats within 1 1/2 hours of the flight.
Ok, so at the end of the day, I flew in BE, but was it really necessary to put me through such agony for something that should have been straightforward? I am certain that a less persistent person would not have gotten the standby SWU upgrade as should be automatic under these circumstances. And I have a hard time believing that the other 6 BE seats were all filled by other Diamond / Platinum members using SWUs.
Another minor issue was that when I was confirmed in B fare and waitlisted, I had selected an Economy Comfort seat in advance, just to be sure I had it in case the BE upgrade did not come through. My seat choice was still showing on DL.com before I left for the airport (about 4 hours prior to flight time), yet when I checked in, I was given a boarding pass with a different EC seat assignment than my selected seat. And I know I was one of the first people to check in at the airport because when I arrived, they were still setting up the queue and passengers were not yet starting to be helped at the check-in desks. When I questioned the seat assignment on the initial BP given to me, the agent snapped at me that she didn't know what my original seat request was, but that this was now my seat.
I usually only buy Y/B/M if I can confirm Z at time of booking, and only once previously did I buy my own ticket with one leg waitlisted (which came through 3 days before departure). But this was a last-minute business trip with my work having to buy a B fare.
I don't know how most non-U.S. stations handle these, but I recommend ensuring your SWU upgrades are processed in advance, if at all possible, when travelling out of CPH.
Sep 10, 2012, 7:33 am
#75
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: DL DM 2MM, Marriott LT Titanium, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 15,202
This is just one of those threads that gets my blood boiling at Delta. Susan's experience is totally unacceptable, I seriously hope you write a letter to DL detailing what happened. Its absurd that the Z airport waitlist for intl flights is STILL not being handled properly with agents.