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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 Mar 1, 2018, 7:39 pm
  #1051  
 
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Originally Posted by Zorak
Seems possible your upgrade has cleared and ticket needs reissue, and that it's technically true there is no (remaining) upgrade space available... Seems worth a HUCA if you haven't already...
That's what I'm hoping is the case, but I have yet to call and get a <30min hold time since dropping in status. OT, but I'm tempted to manufacture spend to get back up to at least GM just for better phone lines. Anyway, I might try Twitter and see how that goes. Twitter team was how I got the upgrades waitlisted to begin with.
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Old Mar 20, 2018, 6:14 am
  #1052  
 
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Do RUC's ever clear in advance on the JFK-LAX Delta One route? I'm looking at an AM flight on Tuesday 10/2. Thanks
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Old Mar 20, 2018, 7:10 am
  #1053  
 
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Originally Posted by FLYPWM
Do RUC's ever clear in advance on the JFK-LAX Delta One route? I'm looking at an AM flight on Tuesday 10/2. Thanks
I've cleared JFK-LAX and JFK-SFO (and the other direction) at booking numerous times. Anything from 4 to 16 weeks in advance. I used to be SFO based until a few months ago, so I have more experience with the SFO route than the LAX route, but it seemed that SFO was an easier one to clear ahead of time.

Are you just flying JFK-LAX or are there connections on either end? I ask because one thing I used to do was -- assuming Y prices were the same or close enough -- just book whichever SFO-JFK had availability and then SDC to the one I really wanted (since SDC with an RUC is the same as a paid premium cabin SDC -- even though you'll sometimes want to kill yourself after the 3rd or 4th HUCA with uninformed agents). This carries some risk, because JFK-LAX/SFO do sell out from time to time, but if you have flexibility you won't be totally stuck.
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Old Mar 20, 2018, 8:08 am
  #1054  
 
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Originally Posted by taxicabnumber
I've cleared JFK-LAX and JFK-SFO (and the other direction) at booking numerous times. Anything from 4 to 16 weeks in advance. I used to be SFO based until a few months ago, so I have more experience with the SFO route than the LAX route, but it seemed that SFO was an easier one to clear ahead of time.

Are you just flying JFK-LAX or are there connections on either end? I ask because one thing I used to do was -- assuming Y prices were the same or close enough -- just book whichever SFO-JFK had availability and then SDC to the one I really wanted (since SDC with an RUC is the same as a paid premium cabin SDC -- even though you'll sometimes want to kill yourself after the 3rd or 4th HUCA with uninformed agents). This carries some risk, because JFK-LAX/SFO do sell out from time to time, but if you have flexibility you won't be totally stuck.
I'm going PWM-JFK-LAX-TUS and I didn't want the PWM-JFK and LAX-TUS portions to clear thus me requesting the JFK-LAX portion only
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Old Mar 20, 2018, 9:36 am
  #1055  
 
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Originally Posted by taxicabnumber
I've cleared JFK-LAX and JFK-SFO (and the other direction) at booking numerous times. Anything from 4 to 16 weeks in advance.
Were any of these weekday flights? I've cleared JFK-LAX at booking, but only on holidays or weekends.
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Old Mar 20, 2018, 2:30 pm
  #1056  
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Originally Posted by FLYPWM
Do RUC's ever clear in advance on the JFK-LAX Delta One route? I'm looking at an AM flight on Tuesday 10/2. Thanks
I've cleared JFK-SFO well in advance, albeit not that far in advance.
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Old Mar 20, 2018, 2:49 pm
  #1057  
 
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Originally Posted by Bicoastal Yokel
Were any of these weekday flights? I've cleared JFK-LAX at booking, but only on holidays or weekends.
For the most part, yes (although none were Monday morning or Thursday evening). I've cleared Friday evening JFK-SFO a couple times too. Also cleared a Thursday morning JFK-LAX (this past January actually) on the A330, which was pretty nice.
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Old Mar 20, 2018, 2:58 pm
  #1058  
 
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Originally Posted by FLYPWM
Do RUC's ever clear in advance on the JFK-LAX Delta One route? I'm looking at an AM flight on Tuesday 10/2. Thanks
I booked a 6/17 trip from SFO to STT through JFK on 2/19. I called to apply a RUC for the SFO-JFK segment. It cleared a week later on 2/26. It then took another couple of weeks for the JFK-STT leg to clear. I'm still waiting for the RUC to clear for the return flight on 6/28.
Last edited by KevinSFO; Mar 20, 2018 at 3:00 pm Reason: typos
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Old Mar 20, 2018, 4:41 pm
  #1059  
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
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Posts: 1,495
Originally Posted by Billy Mumphrey
I called again and same response. This time the agent elevated to a supervisor without my asking for it, and they again offered to make the change but waitlist the upgrade. Since the RUC has already expired I didn't think that was a good idea. It's odd that the DCA-ATL flight has all 20 seats available on the seatmap but no RUC space (early morning flight on a Sunday). I will try calling back closer to the date to see if availability opens up.
Another schedule change on Saturday pushed my flight a further 20 minutes earlier (wrong direction), so I tried calling again. This time the agent moved me to the DCA-ATL flight I wanted no questions asked. The fare class for that segment changed from RY to C, presumably because there was still no RUC availability.
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Old Apr 2, 2018, 12:53 pm
  #1060  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
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Question
Originally Posted by bretthexum
With RUC's almost never clearing in advance anymore... I usually call first to see if it will clear immediately. Then I just wait until check-in and see where I am on the list. If I am low I'll call in and apply the RUC to get to the top of the list.

Honestly I can't remember the last time a RUC cleared in advance for me.
I'm going to be using RUC's for the first time. Platinum last year, but only FO this year. Do I call in before booking and tell the agent the itinerary (BOI-BOS-BOI) I'm looking at and the dates (late October) and just ask them to look for flights that will clear immediately? I read previously that agents on the "regular" line are not as familiar with with applying RUC's as agents on the PM or DM lines.
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Old Apr 2, 2018, 1:33 pm
  #1061  
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Originally Posted by kchoya
I'm going to be using RUC's for the first time. Platinum last year, but only FO this year. Do I call in before booking and tell the agent the itinerary (BOI-BOS-BOI) I'm looking at and the dates (late October) and just ask them to look for flights that will clear immediately? I read previously that agents on the "regular" line are not as familiar with with applying RUC's as agents on the PM or DM lines.
That's the basic idea. If you can wait until after the northeast weather situation is over, you have a better chance of getting a more knowledgeable agent (or just not being on hold as long).

I've found that it helps if you have a list of flights you want the agent to check on and can feed them flight #s to check for inventory on. IIRC they should be looking for available "RP" inventory which will allow you to clear the upgrade immediately upon applying the RUC.
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Old Apr 2, 2018, 1:57 pm
  #1062  
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Originally Posted by gooselee
IIRC they should be looking for available "RP" inventory which will allow you to clear the upgrade immediately upon applying the RUC.
It's RY now (or OY if the flight happens to be coded as biz).
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Old Apr 2, 2018, 3:59 pm
  #1063  
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Originally Posted by Zorak
It's RY now (or OY if the flight happens to be coded as biz).
Dammit. I remembered wrong.

Thanks for correcting!
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Old Apr 8, 2018, 7:57 am
  #1064  
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Just called the diamond desk to check RY availability, the voice robot guy said the usual "thanks for for calling the delta, klm and air france yada yada..." and then, before it even said the usual "Welcome back, pvn" it dumped me straight to the "on a scale of 1 to 5" survey.

Called back, found availability both ways for a trip to SFO this month, which I was pretty shocked at considering how close in we are.
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Old Apr 8, 2018, 8:02 am
  #1065  
 
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Originally Posted by pvn
Just called the diamond desk to check RY availability, the voice robot guy said the usual "thanks for for calling the delta, klm and air france yada yada..." and then, before it even said the usual "Welcome back, pvn" it dumped me straight to the "on a scale of 1 to 5" survey.

Called back, found availability both ways for a trip to SFO this month, which I was pretty shocked at considering how close in we are.
The phone system has been really bad lately. I've had to call the normal line cold several times to get through.
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