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Using Regional Upgrades on Delta (pre 2/1/2022)

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Old Oct 15, 2016, 9:00 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: Utskicat
FEB 1, 2022 New GUC/RUC Inventory Rules

*****GUC*****

Flight has First Class
MC/C+ = Purchased
First = Last Seat J (Old Policy = OY)

Flight has DPS only
MC/C+ = Purchased
DPS = Last Seat (GUC=P / RUC=G) (Old Policy = RY)

Flight has D1 with no DPS
MC/C+ = Purchased
D1 = Z (Old Policy = OY)

Flight has D1 with DPS
MC/C+ = Purchased
DPS = Last Seat (GUC=P / RUC=G) (Old Policy = RY)
D1 = OY @ T-24h15m

Flight has D1 with DPS
DPS = Purchased
D1 = Z (Old Policy = OY)

Note: If GUC applied to domestic flight, it has better inventory than RUC (better chance for D1 transcon or to Hawaii)

*****RUC*****

Flight has First Class
MC/C+ = Purchased
First = Z (Old Policy = OY)

Flight has D1 with no DPS
MC/C+ = Purchased
D1 = OY (no change in old policy = OY)

New Delta.com Upgrade Availability Indicators that appeared 2/1/22 and what they mean

Dom D1 Tag meaning:
Global Upgrade Certificate Available = GUC in Z (OY = 0 for RUC)
Upgrade Certificate Available = GUC in Z /or/ RUC in OY both available

Dom F Tag meaning:
Global Upgrade Certificate Available = GUC in Last Seat J (Z = 0 for RUC)
Upgrade Certificate Available = GUC in last seat J /or/ RUC in Z both available

Example D1 Flights from JFK - LAX (flight numbers are fictitious)

DL 01
Dom D1 flight
Actual Availability: J5 C4 D4 Z3
Hidden Availability: OY2
Website indicator: Upgrade Certificate Available
Actual decode: (2 RUC (OY) open, 3 GUC (Z) open)

DL 02
Dom D1 flight
Actual Availability: J5 C4 D4 Z3
Hidden Availability: OY0
Website indicator: Global Upgrade Certificate Available
Actual decode: (0 RUC (OY) open, 3 GUC (Z) open)

DL 03
Dom D1 flight
Actual Availability: J3 C2 D2 Z0
Hidden Availability: OY0
Website indicator: No flag - neither is available GUC (Z0) and RUC (OY0)

DL 04
Dom First flight
Actual Availability: J3 C2 D2 Z1
Hidden Availability: n/a
Website indicator: Upgrade Certificate Available
Actual decode: (1 RUC (Z) open, 3 GUC (J) open)

DL 05
Dom First flight
Actual Availability: J3 C2 D2 Z0
Hidden Availability: n/a
Website indicator: Global Upgrade Certificate Available
Actual decode: (0 RUC (Z) open, 3 GUC (J) open)

DL 06
Dom First flight
Actual Availability: J0 C0 D0 Z0
Hidden Availability: n/a
Website indicator: No flag - neither is available
Actual decode: (0 RUC (Z) open, 0 GUC (J) open)

Apparently Delta is using public inventory buckets J Z P G (and non-public bucket OY in some cases) to determine GUC/RUC availability. However once they have confirmed you the system converts the segment in your reservation to a different bucket. Here is the class mapping:


GUC Usage
MC or C+ purchased / Upgrade to DPS / P class needed / Books into RV (Clears at T-24.15 into D1 as OX if OY available)
MC or C+ purchased / Upgrade to D1 (no DPS) / Z class needed / Books into OK
DPS purchased / Upgrade to D1 / Z class needed / Books into OK
MC or C+ purchased / Upgrade to FC (no D1/DPS) / J class needed / Books into OV

RUC Usage
MC or C+ purchased / Upgrade to DPS / G class needed / Books into RX (Clears at T-24.15 into D1 as OX if OY available)
MC or C+ purchased / Upgrade to D1 (no DPS) / OY class needed / Books into OX
DPS purchased / Upgrade to D1 / OY class needed / Books into OX
MC or C+ purchased / Upgrade to FC (no D1/DPS) / Z class needed / Books into OL

PRE FEB 1, 2022 WIKI
More information and discussion about using same-day change after applying regional upgrades can be found in this thread: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta-air-lines-skymiles/1709826-sdc-while-using-regional-upgrade-certificates-ruc-definitive-thread.html
  • The clock begins ticking on RUC expiration when you make your choice benefit selection, so it's possible to time your selection when there is a specific need to use them.
  • You can select your 2017 choice benefit as soon as DL recognizes your Plat status. Certificates expire 12 months from date of issue. 2019 choice benefits (earned based on how much one flew in 2018) must be selected by Jan 31, 2020.
  • If you select certificates as your choice benefit late in your Medallion tenure, it will still be valid after your status expires -- so for example if you earn Platinum Medallion in 2018, which is valid through Jan 31, 2020, but then only earn Silver Medallion in 2019, which becomes effective Feb 1, 2020 when your Platinum Medallion status expires, RUCs selected in January 2020 would be valid through January 2021 and could be used once you were only a Silver Medallion member, giving you a much higher upgrade list position on those flights where you attempt to use them.
  • If you request to use a RUC on a flight and do not receive the upgrade, it is returned to your account for future use, but check your account to make sure.
  • RUC may be redeemed for the named Medallion member and up to one travel companion traveling on the same flight (the companion officially no longer needs to be in the same reservation, though that rule was not actually enforced even when it was the official rule). The named member and the companion will each require a separate certificate.

While the RUC process is almost entirely opaque, there are a couple of "hints" of a correctly applied waitlist.

1a) When viewing a waitlisted segment on the DL.com web site (not the app), there may be two seat maps for the same flight. The first seat map shows the coach seat you are currently in, and the second seat map for the same flight says "you may not select seats for this flight" or something like that. This second seat map corresponds to a part of the waitlist process, and indicates that at least one step of the multi-step process to add an RUC waitlist was actually done. Unfortunately, this does NOT indicate that the other manual steps of the RUC waitlist process were successfully completed by the agent (i.e. even if you see the second seat map, there still could be something wrong. There is simply no way for the customer to tell.)

1b) The status for a waitlisted segment should say something like "Upgrade Waitlisted"

2) Assuming the waitlist does not clear prior to check-in, the second hint is the upgrade waitlist. If the RUC waitlist request was coded correctly, you should show up at or very near the top of the upgrade waitlist that you can see on DL.com or the app. If you find yourself at your "usual" spot on the upgrade waitlist, this is a clue that the RUC waitlist request was not coded correctly.

3) The RUC is a form of "payment". Until the RUC clears, it remains "unused" so a waitlisted RUC will still show in your wallet as "open".

You may also wish to peruse the wiki for the GUC success thread as some of the considerations/logistics are similar between RUCs and GUCs.


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Using Regional Upgrades on Delta (pre 2/1/2022)

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Old Apr 17, 2020, 1:03 pm
  #1846  
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There are apparently lazy/incompetent agents who "apply" a RUC by moving the passenger to F without pulling a RUC or getting the ticket re-issued. That bit me once when I tried to SDC; it took hours before someone figured out what happened and was able to correct it.
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Old Apr 30, 2020, 3:46 am
  #1847  
nrr
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RUC "refund" ques.(?)

I'm scheduled to fly JFK-LAS-JFK in early June, which I booked months ago. If LAS casinos have reopened by then I am planning to go. Using RUCs I've just been upgraded to FC. From the seat map I'm guessing row 1 in FC is blocked, I'm the only pax. On the day of travel, if I'm still the only traveler I would (as DM) get a COMP upg--could I swap my RUC for the free FC seat I would have gotten anyway?
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Old Apr 30, 2020, 4:34 am
  #1848  
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My *guess* is generally no. First of all, there's language in the T&C about RUCs/GUCs being considered used so that you can't expect to get them back if you make voluntary changes, especially after the ticket is reissued into the D1/FC upgrade fare class. At best, you can keep the RUC/GUC attached to the ticket number/PNR and then make changes if the agent is willing, so that you're using the GUC/RUC on completely different dates and/or routes, and you risk losing it if the upgrade on the rewritten ticket doesn't clear.

In your case, I think you would need to qualify for a new coach fare that's available on the day of departure. Most gate agents aren't qualified on ticketing and there's also some rule about needing to request upgrades at least three hours in advance, although this isn't always enforced. Moreover normally GAs are busy, so they won't have time to follow the steps to essentially return the RUC/GUC and give you the free upgrade at the gate, even if they know how to do this. They could also be confused about what you're trying to do and assume that when you cancel the instrument supported upgrade, it means that you don't want a free elite upgrade either; perhaps you prefer to be able to raise the armrests and stretch out on three seats together in coach.
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Old Apr 30, 2020, 5:42 pm
  #1849  
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Originally Posted by nrr
I'm scheduled to fly JFK-LAS-JFK in early June, which I booked months ago. If LAS casinos have reopened by then I am planning to go. Using RUCs I've just been upgraded to FC. From the seat map I'm guessing row 1 in FC is blocked, I'm the only pax. On the day of travel, if I'm still the only traveler I would (as DM) get a COMP upg--could I swap my RUC for the free FC seat I would have gotten anyway?
Generally once your cert clears and the ticket is reissued, that's it -- no takebacks, the certificate is used. If they haven't reissued the ticket yet you might be able to get the RUC upgrade rescinded. There is zero chance of having this happen at the gate though since you won't even be able to check in unless the ticket has been reissued. Given what loads apparently are right now, personally I would pull back the cert if it's still possible.
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Old Apr 30, 2020, 8:00 pm
  #1850  
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Originally Posted by nrr
I'm scheduled to fly JFK-LAS-JFK in early June, which I booked months ago. If LAS casinos have reopened by then I am planning to go. Using RUCs I've just been upgraded to FC. From the seat map I'm guessing row 1 in FC is blocked, I'm the only pax. On the day of travel, if I'm still the only traveler I would (as DM) get a COMP upg--could I swap my RUC for the free FC seat I would have gotten anyway?
In general, no. Once the RUC has cleared it's gone.

However, if your flight is canceled and you switch to a different flight (more than 90 minutes difference), you might be able to get the RUC back from the new flight. That's only a maybe. And if you do, your medallion upgrade might not clear (they're fiddling around with seating and might prefer to leave F seats empty for distancing).

There's a wildcard possibility of getting it back based on an oversold flight (happened to me once), but the likelihood of that is rather small.
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Old Jul 10, 2020, 6:24 am
  #1851  
 
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Stupid first timer question but does a connecting flight use one or two certificates and if it’s two must you use both on the same ticket
For example DCA-LAX-SMF; clearly it’s the the DCA-LAX portion that matters, but would it be one certificate or two if the whole thing was upgraded

Follow up question how likely are DCA-LAX upgrades with an RUC

I’m sure this is a stupid question but as someone who thanks to rollover miles will hit PM early in 2021 I’m trying to think through what will be the wisest use of choice benefits and/or upgrade certificates
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Old Jul 10, 2020, 6:36 am
  #1852  
 
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Originally Posted by DCAJen
Stupid first timer question but does a connecting flight use one or two certificates and if it’s two must you use both on the same ticket
For example DCA-LAX-SMF; clearly it’s the the DCA-LAX portion that matters, but would it be one certificate or two if the whole thing was upgraded

Follow up question how likely are DCA-LAX upgrades with an RUC

I’m sure this is a stupid question but as someone who thanks to rollover miles will hit PM early in 2021 I’m trying to think through what will be the wisest use of choice benefits and/or upgrade certificates
Uses 1 RUC. Call or tweet to apply RUC to the long leg. When it clears, call or tweet to apply to short leg.
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Old Jul 10, 2020, 11:01 am
  #1853  
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Originally Posted by DCAJen
Stupid first timer question but does a connecting flight use one or two certificates and if it’s two must you use both on the same ticket
For example DCA-LAX-SMF; clearly it’s the the DCA-LAX portion that matters, but would it be one certificate or two if the whole thing was upgraded

Follow up question how likely are DCA-LAX upgrades with an RUC

I’m sure this is a stupid question but as someone who thanks to rollover miles will hit PM early in 2021 I’m trying to think through what will be the wisest use of choice benefits and/or upgrade certificates
As long as this is normal domestic connection (ie under 4 hours) you'll only use one. If you have a broken fare (domestic connection over 4 hours breaks the fare rules, thus two oneway fares must be used, one for each segment) then you need two.

Only apply it (or waitlist it) to the long segment. You then can apply to short later. This way you dont waste it if it only clears on the short segment.
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Old Jul 10, 2020, 4:22 pm
  #1854  
 
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Originally Posted by MarkCron
Uses 1 RUC. Call or tweet to apply RUC to the long leg. When it clears, call or tweet to apply to short leg.
I thought Delta no longer communicates on Twitter?
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Old Jul 10, 2020, 7:09 pm
  #1855  
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Originally Posted by MarkP24
I thought Delta no longer communicates on Twitter?
This really new, doubt everyone events knows, muchless has changed habits yet.

Also Twitter says this is temporary (auto reply when texted).
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Last edited by flyerCO; Jul 10, 2020 at 7:15 pm
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Old Jul 11, 2020, 8:43 pm
  #1856  
 
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Originally Posted by flyerCO
This really new, doubt everyone events knows, muchless has changed habits yet.

Also Twitter says this is temporary (auto reply when texted).
Hopefully they bring it back, as this was one of the most efficient means of communication in the past
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Old Oct 13, 2020, 8:29 am
  #1857  
 
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A little confused since Delta extended the status. I am a platinum medallion, so I have the status for this year as well as 2021 (Actually through Jan 31 2022). I believe I need to pick my choice benefit prior to January 31st 2022? I just wanted to make sure if I picked a benefit prior to Jan 31 2021, I would not get another choice benefit prior to Jan 31 2022. Also, if I make platinum in 2021, do I need to select the first choice benefit prior to qualifying, or can I hold on to two choice benefits at once. So if I qualify for PM next year I would have one benefit expiring Jan 31 2022 and one expiring Jan 31 2023?

First time getting to pick a Choice Benefit so appreciate the help this forum has provided!
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Old Oct 13, 2020, 9:00 am
  #1858  
 
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Originally Posted by flynhigh
A little confused since Delta extended the status. I am a platinum medallion, so I have the status for this year as well as 2021 (Actually through Jan 31 2022). I believe I need to pick my choice benefit prior to January 31st 2022? I just wanted to make sure if I picked a benefit prior to Jan 31 2021, I would not get another choice benefit prior to Jan 31 2022. Also, if I make platinum in 2021, do I need to select the first choice benefit prior to qualifying, or can I hold on to two choice benefits at once. So if I qualify for PM next year I would have one benefit expiring Jan 31 2022 and one expiring Jan 31 2023?

First time getting to pick a Choice Benefit so appreciate the help this forum has provided!
See this page
https://www.delta.com/us/en/travel-u...?src=benefits2

Did you earn PM based on travel last year (2020 Status) or travel this year (2021 Status)? My understanding is for PMs who earned 2020 Medallion Status based on travel in 2019, you need to elect your choice benefit (but not necessarily use it) before end of January 2021. Those who were PM in 2020 based on 2019 travel will get another Choice Benefit in early February 2021 in addition to the one they got when they were granted status. The second Choice Benefit needs to be elected by end of January 2022.

If you earned 2021 PM status based on travel this year (which it sounds like is the case), my understanding is you will only get the one Choice Benefit (awarded when status is achieved) that needs to be elected by end of January and you won’t get another in February.

Because all MQMs roll over, if you spend enough MQDs or hit the AmEx spend waiver in 2021, then you could qualify for PM again (qualify in 2021 for 2022 status) and get another Choice Benefit whenever you hit that threshold.

Not sure on your question regarding holding onto two choice benefits—perhaps those who qualified for DM would know since they would get to select Choice Benefits twice in a year.
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Old Oct 13, 2020, 9:03 am
  #1859  
 
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Thanks, I earned PM this year so I am a 2021 PM. The link you sent confirms that I have to pick the benefit prior to Jan 31, 2022. So I guess my only unanswered question is do I need to select that benefit prior to making 2022 PM, or can I hold two choice benefits, for example if I make 2022 PM in June 2021, I would still have 7 months to go before my 2021 PM Choice benefit would need to be selected.

Thanks again
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Old Oct 13, 2020, 9:11 am
  #1860  
 
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Originally Posted by flynhigh
Thanks, I earned PM this year so I am a 2021 PM. The link you sent confirms that I have to pick the benefit prior to Jan 31, 2022. So I guess my only unanswered question is do I need to select that benefit prior to making 2022 PM, or can I hold two choice benefits, for example if I make 2022 PM in June 2021, I would still have 7 months to go before my 2021 PM Choice benefit would need to be selected.

Thanks again
You do not have to select the '21 benefit before earning '22 status. When you earn '22 status, both benefit selections will show up in your account.
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