2013 Upgrade Success Thread
#121
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: PIT, BWI, or IPT
Programs: Dividend Miles, WorldPerks
Posts: 1,303
#122
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: FLL
Programs: Delta GM, (fmr US CP/PP/GP!), DL SkyClub, Marriott Lifetime Platinum, Avis Chairman's Club
Posts: 5,162
0/20! What a FLYing shame! (A crying shame too!) Yes, hopefully being GM will yield better results for you! I am working on getting up to PM this year for the same reason. I will be about half way there by the end of May.
#123
Join Date: May 2009
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP, DL DM HH Gold, Marriot Titanium
Posts: 1,298
We'll see what happens - I've been seriously contemplating getting to 50,000 miles (should happen within the next month) and status matching to UA. I haven't decided on whether I should do this. I know that the UG on UA isn't much better overall, but the flights out of STL i've been on have been pretty light in F.... and they haven't been trying to screw over their elites as much as DL of late.
#124
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: FLL
Programs: Delta GM, (fmr US CP/PP/GP!), DL SkyClub, Marriott Lifetime Platinum, Avis Chairman's Club
Posts: 5,162
We'll see what happens - I've been seriously contemplating getting to 50,000 miles (should happen within the next month) and status matching to UA. I haven't decided on whether I should do this. I know that the UG on UA isn't much better overall, but the flights out of STL i've been on have been pretty light in F.... and they haven't been trying to screw over their elites as much as DL of late.
PS. Oh, there is also a third reason, often the airlines do status matches for pax on a "once in a lifetime" basis, so status match with care!
Last edited by USirritated; May 10, 2013 at 9:28 am Reason: added PS.
#125
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 4,918
My fares are a mix of low and high fares. I travel for a petty even mix of business and leisure... I think that many of my routes are not elite heavy, or I am traveling during elite light times. Also, though I may be wrong, I think there may be fewer Delta elites at LGA than other Delta hubs (ATL, SLC, MSP, etc) given there is a lot of competition here
#127
Join Date: May 2009
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP, DL DM HH Gold, Marriot Titanium
Posts: 1,298
Of course there are at least two problems with that. First, is it really any better over the fence or septic tank? Second, splitting your loyalties could easily turn you into a FN ('F' NOTHING) with every airline!
PS. Oh, there is also a third reason, often the airlines do status matches for pax on a "once in a lifetime" basis, so status match with care!
PS. Oh, there is also a third reason, often the airlines do status matches for pax on a "once in a lifetime" basis, so status match with care!
#128
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: FLL
Programs: Delta GM, (fmr US CP/PP/GP!), DL SkyClub, Marriott Lifetime Platinum, Avis Chairman's Club
Posts: 5,162
My fares are a mix of low and high fares. I travel for a petty even mix of business and leisure... I think that many of my routes are not elite heavy, or I am traveling during elite light times. Also, though I may be wrong, I think there may be fewer Delta elites at LGA than other Delta hubs (ATL, SLC, MSP, etc) given there is a lot of competition here
#129
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 4,918
Okay, that is great, a mix of low and high fares, but which fares are actually getting you all or most of your upgrades, the low fares or the high fares? 5 out of 12 is 42% success, but if all of the failures are LUT fares, and the successes are all higher, then that would be a different story, and a much more meaningful story too, don't you think?
My upgrade this morning was on an X fare
Two other upgrades were on LUT fares
I think factors like routing and number of absolute elites is more important
#130
Join Date: May 2009
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP, DL DM HH Gold, Marriot Titanium
Posts: 1,298
Absolutely agreed. I'm just surprised to see anything in/out ATL. My lack of success as an FO is not a shock to me given the routes I've been flying and the times of the week I've been flying them, and I'm doubtful a move from an X fare to a T fare would be a smart move...
#131
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Platinum, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 4,918
Absolutely agreed. I'm just surprised to see anything in/out ATL. My lack of success as an FO is not a shock to me given the routes I've been flying and the times of the week I've been flying them, and I'm doubtful a move from an X fare to a T fare would be a smart move...
#132
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: LAX
Programs: DL PM | Marriott Gold | Alaska Gold
Posts: 758
Up until the last two weeks my UG's this year have been pathetic. Although this last weekend, I actually UG on 3/4 legs including ATL-LAX! Maybe I'll stop complaining about UG's now
#133
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: FLL
Programs: Delta GM, (fmr US CP/PP/GP!), DL SkyClub, Marriott Lifetime Platinum, Avis Chairman's Club
Posts: 5,162
#134
Join Date: May 2009
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP, DL DM HH Gold, Marriot Titanium
Posts: 1,298
Wow.... that's phenomenal. I am (to some small degree) wondering if I should have risked not buying an A fare this week for my SEA-MSP flight. I'll be watching the upgrade screen carefully to see what happens
#135
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: LAX
Programs: DL PM | Marriott Gold | Alaska Gold
Posts: 758
Got to the gate and asked the GA about the UG list because I didn't see my name anywhere - more out of curiosity than anything else. That's when she confirmed I cleared. Somehow moved up to #2 with 2 seats remaining. Thought I was going to have a heart attack when she told me I made my UG. Only the second time I've ever made the ATL-LAX UG. Nice way to finish off and MR. Granted, the F seats on the 76Q aren't the greatest, but better than Y any day.
Now if I only I hadn't screwed up and pulled a rookie move - miscalculated my MQM's and fell a few hundred short of GM. Oh well, my J flight to Italy next month will more than cover that.