RUC usage strategy
 

Searched previous posts but could not really find what i was looking for, forgive me if i missed an obvious post....

Just made platinum and intend to take the 4 RUC's as my choice benefit.

But just what is the best strategy to use these? Apply them to a booking well in advance, or wait till a few days before flying if the upgrade list is long and I am way down on it? Or wait till the day of flying?

Any insight is appreciated!

I won't use a RUC until the day of flying. Wait until check-in, see the UG list and if you won't clear, call your Medallion line to apply the cert. I've always been No. 1 or 2 using a RUC.

Yup! ^^^

That's exactly what I've done. Used them at T-1hr with the Diamond line on JFK-PHX flights (Scheduled for 5hrs 23 mins!)

Made PM 4 weeks ago. When do these appear on your account? I already received my new credentials in the mail last week. No mention of RUC's.

If you want them, you need to choose them as your choice benefit. You don't get them automatically.

http://www.delta.com/skymiles/about_...fits/index.jsp

So I had a strange one two weeks ago.

Was on the RUC waitlist for outbound and return flights. The outbound cleared as a Complimentary upgrade just inside T-24h. The inbound cleared as a Cert Upgrade probably around T-18h or so.

It was good because I only burned 1 certificate (and that one was tight so I may not have made it as a complimentary).

So how did the complimentary one happen? Did they only release R inventory and not O? If so, do they reshuffle the upgrade list to ignore the priority UP2A (or whatever it is) since that would only apply for certificate upgrades?

The only downside of this strategy comes from deciding when to make the selection since they don't post instantly, so you need to have them already in your account as a "just in case." This poses a problem only because they expire a year after selection.

Another option, and the one that I intend to use, is to use them in advance when traveling with a companion. My wife and I don't travel together all that often, but we should be make a transcon (not DL's definition) within the next year, so I'll try to book flights on which we can confirm into F at booking.

I do the opposite, I usually use them on flights where I might otherwise pay for the GAP fare (redeyes mostly, since I have trouble sleeping on planes and the extra space is nice). Upfare on my flights is usually $100-200 per segment, so saving on average about $150 per RUC ($600 for the lot) is a lot more valuable to me than a $200 DL gift card.

Also, in this case the seat selection is actually important, so using them early ensures I don't get stuck with whatever seats are left (windows are best for sleeping).

I believe you mean RP/RU, not R/O. I do believe if you are SWU waitlisted that it is possible for them to release RU (complimentary upgrade inventory) within the medallion window without releasing RP (swu/miles inventory) and you could receive a complimentary upgrade.

However, it does seem a bit strange that it happened after T-24 and after you checked in (I assume).

Yes, yours are the correct codes. I hadn't checked in and it cleared about T-23:50 actually. I hadn't experienced a complimentary upgrade when I've been on the certificate waitlist, so it was unexpected.

So that was one situation where getting on the waitlist early didn't do me any harm, but that was probably a fluke and so not a good example to base a strategy on.

I have always applied my SWUs as early as possible but I always had them to burn. I never got to the point that I ran out of them, so it never hurt me if one got used unnecessarily, i.e. when I would have gotten the complimentary upgrade anyway.

But that may be different with the RUCs, so the strategies that people have mentioned here are helpful.

One thing I have done is put myself on the SkyMiles upgrade list for times when I'm on a K+ fare. If it clears, then I haven't used a certificate for it. If it doesn't clear, then I would call back and get on the certificate list on the day of travel.

I always apply them to long legs only. On HSV-ATL-LAX, I will ask for them to be applied only to ATL-LAX as I don't want to burn one for HSV-ATL and then not have the long leg clear the upgrade.

I did burn an SWU on HSV-ATL once, but that was okay because most of them expired unused.

I expect to find a good use for all my remaining RUs.

David

I look at the RUC and GUC as trump cards to be played in the game of upgrades.

Factors which I consider:

• Complimentary upgrade clearing at airport
• Load of flight
• Need for F/BE due to schedule before or after flight
• How close am I to the coupon's expiry date

My understanding is that if you actually cleared into RP on ATL-LAX in advance (say two weeks out) you could call back and have the RUC "extended" to include HSV-ATL as well. Can you or anyone else confirm that this is true? It seems like a solid strategy if so.

How can you acquire GUCs? (Other than the 4 you can get from qualifying as Diamond)?

Also, are GUCs good for an entire one-way itinerary or just a single segment?

I would think you could, but IME RP is rarely available a couple of weeks in advance on that route. The trump card only comes into play when it's time for gate upgrade lotto.

But it's been a good year - I actually used an SWU which scored an HSV-ATL upgrade in advance and an ATL-LAX upgrade at the gate. A second SWU scored an LAX-ATL upgrade on the 777 at the gate. Though that was not a total win, as the GA switched me to a broken seat. :(

David

RUC usage strategy
 

Interesting read. I'm pondering taking the RUCs this year and was just trying to figure out the best way/time to use them. I have pretty good UG % by myself, so I think most of mine would be to help bump us up when flying with Mrs. Lee.

Any success in applying a RUC to a companion and then clearing your own complimentary UG with PM priority?