BusTrav8yrs

Well it is yet to be seen whether the service is worth it. FYI its B6 not JB

DL2SXM

Does it matter? this isn't airliners.net

wilsonnyc

So I'm just in the beginning stages of planning my first transcon (JFK>SFO in mid-June) since the rule change and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of O avails on the dates/times I was looking at. 4 flights on outbound and 1 on the return had 5+ seats - not too bad.

If this keeps up, and they keep adding more O avails as time goes on, it's not a terrible tradeoff, all things considered. Just Buy K+ (i was looking at $695), look for availability, and use miles (or old SWUs until they run out) for a confirmed BE seat at the time you purchase...it's really not a bad tradeoff from having to deal with the usual nailbiter gate upgrades on this route(s). def missed my share as a diamond on a K+ fare in the past...

roknroll

I agree with that. Not thrilled about losing comp upgrades but if we can use miles or certs AND get confirmed upgrades far in advance I am happy. Plus E+ has really stepped up on these routes with expanded free IFE, free booze, and free light meals.

j.bell

Intermediate update wrt upgrading w miles standby:

A GM line agent said I couldn't get on the standby list at T-24. Skyclub agent at T-2 said I was on it but it looked like an unlikely agent. At T-60 min the GA said I should be on the list but was coded wrong and referred me to the service desk. Service desk referred me to the GM line. GM agent apologized for the inconvenience and after 5 mins had me on the list. At T-45 I'm now #2/4 for 4 seats. Not sure how that worked. But. We will see.

j.bell

Update: as I was typing that I cleared into BE at the gate for my JFK-SFO. Call it shenanigans or call it corrected policy, but it worked. It had been suggested to me that they could clear the mileage upgrade here as long as it was properly requested by the phone agents. Maybe IT has changed such that even though the gate agents can't pull miles, processing a mileage upgrade will automatically do so?

j.bell

Further update: The miles just posted as deducted for award redemption, associated with this ticket, posting as of the date that the upgrade was requested.

So, it definitely was not some SHENA situation where I got upgraded out of pity b/c the agent couldn't deduct the miles. The miles were deducted, and I was upgraded. At the gate. JFK-SFO. 4/10/14.

jdrtravel

I'm curious who you had upgrade priority over? Would non-revs also be on the upgrade list?

DeltaWings

I have a mileage upgrade waitlisted on a BOS-JFK hop that connects to a JFK-SEA transcon that is confirmed... sure would be nice if I could get them to send my UG request to the gate. Highly doubt RP will open up on a flight that is F3 and on a Monday.

j.bell

I assume a GM or PM with a non-status companion? Or maybe 2 silvers? They went on the list right when I did, so I assume that the agent that moved me over moved them over too.

Keep calling until they do it. It was made pretty clear to me that nobody at the airport could/would do it (GA/Cust Service desk/Sky Club). I have my return tomorrow and assume I'll have to jump through the same hoops again.

DeltaWings

Non-revs should not be on the UG list, but they do clear directly into BE from the standby list.

He could have been above a GM in a lower fare bucket, Silvers or a non-status flyer using miles to upgrade (they exist!). I've just never seen mileage upgrades go to the gate, but if the agents are coding these to transfer to gate control, that is very interesting.

It's just odd that two other people could have had the same luck getting on the gate UG list with miles. The person above you could easily have been using a SWU or GUC.

CabinCaptive

To clarify and combine some things stated earlier:

1. Upgrades with miles are now officially (?) available on these T-CON routes if
a. The fare is K+
b. O is available (or they'll be moved to the window if not available earlier on)

2. The UG list will be by the usual factors (SWU, GU, Miles -- all by DM/PM/GM/FO etc).

Does anyone think that with miles UGs available and all the miles that DMs have in reserve (my wife has nearly 150K as just an FO) we will start seeing long upgrade lists? Maybe this is how DL wants to protect a premium product and remove a bunch of miles from its books?

jdrtravel

I would put money on them raising the mileage upgrade level to be in line with other BE products.....25K each way.

j.bell

The upgrade definitely doesn't automatically transfer. For tomorrow's return SFO-JFK though the twitter agents transferred it quickly and without objection.

DeltaWings

No matter who and how many times I asked, this was never possible previously. Glad there is now hope.

How far in advance of departure did they do this for you?