Pre-confirmed upgrade for SFO-JFK tomorrow - new policy?
 

I'm on the 6:15am SFO-JFK flight tomorrow, and just got an email saying my upgrade has been confirmed. I've flown this route dozens of times and upgrades have always only been processed at the gate?

Anyone know if there's been a change in policy for these JFK-LAX/SFO routes? I did notice that J is remarkably empty (only 5 seats were apparently paid for according to the seat map yesterday), but this is a first for me having flown this route regularly over the last 3 years.

There's never been a policy that upgrades on this route are done only at the gate. It's just a tough upgrade for medallions and many times they end up happening at the gate. Consider yourself lucky and enjoy the upgrade.

It's rare, but does happen! Congrat's on the upgrade!!

:)

I also fly this route often and can remember one or two times when this has happened before.

It's pretty rare, so enjoy!

Ah, OK. Fair enough. I've been pretty lucky with at-gate upgrades in the past, but this hadn't happened before.

I found where I read that the upgrades on these routes work differently. Re-reading it though, they do mention that advance upgrades do happen occasionally...

http://thepointsguy.com/2012/07/tran...-series-delta/

Elite Benefits
While this route is eligible for Medallion upgrades, they don’t clear in advance like most other Delta flights. Delta normally uses an automatic system to process Medallion upgrades – if seats are available for upgrades (some algorithm which only gives out as many seats as Delta thinks they won’t sell) then Diamonds get them 5 days out (before Platinums), Platinums at 5 days, Golds at 3 days out and Silvers at 1 day in advance.

For the JFK-LAX/SFO routes, however, Delta does not release any advance upgrade space. I think in all the time I’ve been flying these routes, there have been only a handful of reports of any advanced upgrades.

TPG is an independent blogger (who sometimes posts on FT), not an official DL rep. His statement isn't official DL policy. In fact, even though DL gives the upgrade windows as 5, 5, 3, etc. days in advance, they're really at 5 pm ATL time 6, 6, 4, etc. days before the flights.

In fact, I believe that information is wrong. It's just like all of the rest of them and whatever V inventory there is or lack thereof.

Play the lottery tonight !!!!

I got upgraded Sunday afternoon as a GM on a T fare for the 5pm JFK-LAX flight on Monday. I was very surprised. The cabin was booked 13/16 when I was upgraded. It was part of a reroute because of a delayed flight. Ended up flying ATL-JFK-LAX upgraded all the way (ATL-JFK was subbed from 764 flatbeds to international 763 with recliners).

Pre-confirmed upgrade for SFO-JFK tomorrow - new policy?
 

Were you by any change rerouted or SDC'd? I had this happen once when I had a significant international delay and used Delta Assist to request to change my flights, and had an automatic business elite upgrade on a SFO-JFK domestic segment.

I agree. As ThePointsGuy said, upgrade inventory is controlled by an algorithm. But despite what he says, I don't believe LAX/SFO <> JFK flights are any different. It's just that the algorithm used for those flights releases very few upgrades in advance.

Also, I'm not completely convinced that the whole upgrade inventory allocation process is fully automated. I think that sometimes someone or some group goes in to review certain upcoming flights and makes a decision to release more - or possible to reduce - upgrade inventory.

I'm not saying that every flight is looked at individually, but rather someone may be presented with a list of flights that could possibly survive the addition of more upgrade inventory and a decision is made to grant that inventory or not.

There's no reason to behave that JFK-LAX/SFO behave differently than any other route. If DL releases V (now RU or something?) space ahead of time upgrades will clear. On many routes, including JFK-LAX/SFO they usually hold back space because they want to actually sell the seats. Then they clear upgrades at the gate when they can no longer sell more tickets.

If you SDC to a flight and are immediately booked into V that's because there was V available and your upgrade window was open, not because the agent did you favors or something.

My better half was also upgraded on tomorrow's am departure too. I'd bet this was done to free up coach space for re-routes and other displaced guests.

In my experience, SFO-JFK is the easiest of the JFK-LAX/SFO routes. I've never been upgraded in advance LAX-JFK-LAX in advance, but have routinely been upgraded in advance SFO-LAX. I mean, if you lived in SFO would you really choose to fly DL? I wouldn't.

Some of us do :-P

Now if only I could route LA area - JFK via SFO ...

I've never been upgraded in advance on any of these routes, have flown it probably 40-50 times the past 2 years.

Tue 1/29 2:30pm JFK-SFO list cleared 30 min before boarding. Missed the upgrade -- #5 of 28 for 4 seats

I received my upgrade for tomorrow's 1/31 6:15a SFO-JFK T-1 day as a PM.

Edit: Realizing that judging by the post time (and my time zone confusion) that BritishMatt will be on my flight sitting in F with me...

Did a MR Monday-Tuesday and got pre-confirmed upgrade outbound LAX-JFK (11:30pm on Monday) on Sunday, waited out and got the last upgrade JFK-LAX on Tuesday. Was a nice MR with all 4 segments clearing (LAX-JFK-SJU-JFK-LAX). Guy sitting next to me was also surprised to have LAX-JFK clear in advance. Second time I've ever had this on that route.

On the Tuesday 9pm JFK-LAX flight all gate upgrades cleared about 40-45 minutes prior to the flight.

you left out Silver Medallion.

wait until they throw the 767 with 35 flat beds on jfk - lax. I wonder if that will improve the ratio of clearing ahead of the BF UG's? I would imagine that DM's will be a lock for upgrades on all the transcon routes.

But it may also mean more paid customers. I just helped someone switch from a Virgin America LAX-JFK-LAX to DL because the seats are the same and the price was significantly less. We'll see how prices change, maybe we'll actually be able to get a revenue LAX-JFK ticket for less than a revenue LAX-JFK-LHR ticket!

that was included in the "etc."

FO's... that's really about all their worth. :eek:

Well, I have been on a flight with 8 people on the upgrade list and 7 seats. I was third on the list and cleared at the gate. It was JFK-SEA, so it was irritating because if I had cleared in advance I could have gone to the Skyclub.

DAWS (Displaying a Wry Smile, in contrast to LMAO)...

Does anyone else see the irony in someone getting an advanced UG, rather than a battlefield UG, and asking if there has been a new policy implemented?

;)

The 757 transcons are 158Y/16C (Y includes Economy Comfort).

The 767-300ERs are 175Y/36C, don't know if this is what DL will use on these transcons.

So for 17 more Y seats, there are 20 more C seats.

DL will be flying 76Z aircraft with 26J/200Y. So that is only 10 more seats up front and 42 more seats in coach.

75E: 16J/158Y = 9.2% of plane J seats
76Z: 26J/200Y = 11.5% of plane J seats

It will be slightly better but not sure if it will be as great as some think. I think you will see DL having more and more DMs and PMs in NYC as that is their focus right now so if that number continues to increase UGs may become more difficult.

Thanks for the corrected numbers -- it is definitely a better ratio. Don't forget that AA will keep 3-class service so they might take HVCs away. However, DL is offering direct-aisle access for everyone in J, which AA only offers in F.

Had asked on a related thread, are ugprade chances decent for PMs on SFO-JFK then? Or pretty much 75-100% for DM and mixed (~50%) for PMs?

I am contemplating SFO-JFK direct vs SFO-EWR or SFO-LGA with connection. EWR and LGA are more convenient for where I am going, but SFO-JFK direct up front is very tempting.

I'd say it depends on time of day. 6am flight out of SFO on Thursday had first class pretty much empty up until Wednesday, so a lot of upgrades got processed and my lowly PM status got me up front. I suspect a later flight on Friday would be highly competitive.

There have been some amazing SFO-EWR A fares (sub-$500 rt). You won't get on the direct, but it might be worth considering. Check the mileage run premium deals subthread.

Are you saying there were a bunch of EUA's at 24 hours?

Hi skyvanman! congrats on the rare nyc upgraded mileage run! Did you wait in the gate area until the last passenger boarded or were you upgraded 30 mins prior? Were some passengers on the upgrade list removed when they boarded the plane?

Thanks!

Yes. Both the thread starter and I got upgraded at T-1.

So it is not SFO/JFK but my parents (both FO) on U fares got upgraded DCA/JFK on Friday evening for a Sunday evening flight

Nice, I've found weekend JFK/DCA flights to be easy upgrades even as a low-tier. Friday night is within the normal FO window for a Sunday departure.

The reason why many of us are surprised by pre-confirmed upgrades on SFO/LAX-JFK is because upgrades have been held back until the gate for many years now. I've heard of a few instances but those were on days like Thanskgiving where cabins were empty. Not only did OP get an upgrade, so did another pax on that flight, and so did myself + another FTers on a flight the day before.

Yup, picked a 6am departure on a tuesday and hoping for the best!

Unrelated, but first flights on Delta as PM trial I'm 3/4 at 5 days out, hoping I'll get the last one (MSP-STL) at the gate at the least. Pretty cool! ^

Wow, will let you all know my results in a couple of weeks. Though this policy is not so good for ppl like me that like to SDC into these routes. Given what I see on EF for tomorrow though it appears this is not widespread.

So now that the change in inventory code has happened and the possibilities of going to town on a potential mistake is gone, I have a confession to make ...

The day before my JFK-LAX flight, I switched from my original routing to ATL-JFK-LAX because of a potential delay. I checked EF and both my ATL-JFK and JFK-LAX flight were V0 and X0. However, as soon as I switched, I was upgraded into V and X, even though they were 0 on EF. This is before the switch to RU and OU happened, and both my boarding passes from that day (1/29) show V and X, which just so happen to be the future lowest tier coach fare codes.

I'm thinking mine may have been a glitch, especially since I was UG on ATL-JFK and JFK-LAX. I'm a GM and when I got to the JFK-LAX gate, the UG list was 20 long. No way there weren't DMs/PMs on that list that should have been upgraded before me. When I was upgraded, I was the 14th passenger in a 16 passenger cabin, it's not like it was an empty flight.

I made the switch around 4pm eastern on Sunday and was upgraded on the 12:30pm ATL-JFK and the 5pm JFK-LAX on Monday.

FYI, if the glitch is still happening, I don't mind deleting this post ... send me a PM if so.

Had a strange experience at the gate today for SFO-JFK. I'm a PM on a Y fare, and I was #1 on the UG list for most of the past 24 hours. Then starting around T-8, the UG list for this flight stopped loading on delta.com and on the mobile app. Got to the SFO SC at T-1 and asked the agent where I was on the UG list. She confirmed my spot as #1 with 9 seats remaining, so I figured the upgrade was likely to clear.

Then I got to the gate just 15 minutes later, and the screen showed me as #7 with only 7 seats remaining. I was completely flummoxed. Was it really possible that in those 15 minutes, 8 DMs on full Y fares and/or DMs/PMs on SWUs suddenly checked in, and 2 of those 8 were upgraded?

Ultimately I did make the upgrade by the skin of my teeth, but the experience of moving from #1 for 9 seats to #7 for 7 seats in just 15 minutes was certainly a surprise...