RUC Hack
 

I haven't done this but I was in a situation where I might have considered it under slightly different circumstances.

There are 3 flights from AAA to BBB: 8 AM, noon, 4 PM. Pax is on the noon flight, and wants to fly at 8 AM. Unfortunately, Pax's fare class isn't available on that flight. Nor are RUC upgrades available on the noon flight.

Pax does an SDC to the 4 PM flight, applies a RUC (getting F), and then does SDC to the 8 AM flight using the enhanced ability to switch to any flight with available F.

I have a flight to BUF Monday and purchased the cheapest fare, used a RUC, and will call in at 6:15am EST to get on the flights I want, having saved about $350 and I will be sitting in F.

Same trick as buying a G A P fare that is less than the cost of Y on the flights you want, SDCing, sitting in F and hauling in bonus miles.

Sounds like it would work, but the chances of RP/OP availability still existing on day of departure probably severely limit the number of situations where this would even be possible. The other question is whether it's worth burning an RUC just to SDC, as opposed to trying an SDS. I guess if you're desperate it's a good one to have in your back pocket.

Policy recently changed that an F ticket only needs F availability in any fare class to SDC. Since RUC/GUC tickets are reissued, you could SDC into the very last F seat being sold.

This worked for me even on mileage upgrades since the change, and on a RUC three weeks ago.

This morning, though, I'm dealing with uninformed agents searching for the original U class and trying to put me back in Y. So now I get to play the HUCA game. Currently trying DeltaAssist.

I don't think you understood what I was saying. If you're on the noon flight and want the 8:00 AM flight, and hope to get there via the 4:00 PM flight, the 4:00 PM flight needs to have RP/OP inventory for you to confirm the upgrade. Sure, once you have it, you can switch to the 8:00 AM flight with F1, but the chances of the 4:00 PM flight having instrument upgrade availability on day of departure is quite small.

Good luck with DeltaAssist. They haven't been on top of their game this weekend.

I'm not sure why anyone would want to discuss ways to game the system on FT. It's pretty clear that DL has very specific ways it wants customers to interact with their opaque Kafkaesque systems and are intent on shutting down ways that run counter.

It's not a hack at all. It's the same as buying a cheaper fare hopeful to SDC or Standby onto a more desirable higher cost flight. You aren't guranteed the convenience due to the last minute nature of the requirements and may end up stuck with your less diserable flight.

And touting it here where we know DL reads the threads, though rarely comments anymore.