gooselee

I see lots of these going to E fares.

Remember that a major priority for GAs is just to fill whatever seats are available and dispatch the flight on time. They're not going to poll the whole gatehouse to see who wants what seats after UGs clear.

If you are eligible and want the seat vacated by an UG, asking the GA ahead of time is the best bet.

dtabbs

It is funny to see the responses on here depending on ones Elite Status.

DMs and PMs seem to be of the opinion of tuff luck, let them go to the stand by's first since they are ones who can either do SDC or SB at no cost and would have very little skin in the game, getting to choose these seats at the time of booking.

GMs like myself would like the opportunity to have a C+ seat before a standby as I rarely book a trip more than a week out.

FOs basically now are just screwed and at the mercy of the GAs.

Now that there is actually more value to these seats, this is not something that should be given away for free to kettles.

I will often check the seat map up to and including during boarding, if the agent has not taken control of the flight and may move myself to a different seat while standing in line if one becomes available. It is even possible to do this after boarding.

laptoptravel

And this is the exact dilemma that Gate Agents are put in having to deal with all of these last-minute, partially thanks to Delta Corp Mgt marketing First Class Monetization (FCM) and pushing things off on the gate agents.

I find it really is a mad rush for them in many instances; dealing with other passenger issues...at that point, they are really trying to do it as efficiently as possible to get the flight full, cleared and push-out ON-TIME.

I have a lot of sympathy for them these days...a lot more than when Upgrades used to clear much earlier.

laptoptravel

I have never seen where the seatmap is operational (whereby you can make changes) once they begin boarding. The seatmap is usually "locked-out" by then, in my experience.

jn in ca

Yup. I see a number of the later posters in the thread have noted time is of the essence if you are a GA. The idea of filling all the F seats, then refilling all the C+ seats from a full coach section, before getting to the standby list would be a nightmare. Not gonna happen. Fast boarding is essential. Really, really essential.

IMHO, all the F and/or C+ upgrades should be done at the gate, before boarding. IF I ran an airline (ha ha ha), from a time standpoint, there would never be upgrades for people after boarding starts. Jeez, push back from the gate and let's get going already. Heck, offer upgrades after take off, but let's get going.


Oh, and add me as one more vote against a C+ middle seat. I'd take an aisle in economy before a middle seat in C+ every time.

bgriff

It will also be interesting as Basic Economy fares are rolled out more...there could easily be a case where someone on a Basic Economy fare has a seat request card at the gate, and only C+ seats are available -- will GAs just give them C+, or since BE is supposed to mean no C+, will GAs move someone else from Y to C+ to make room for the BE passenger?

I suspect they won't bother to make the move, not least because the passenger moved up to C+ might not have wanted it for all of the reasons discussed upthread, but the result will be that on elite-light, leisure-heavy flights BE passengers will probably pretty consistently get to sit in C+ (even more so if speculation in other threads of Delta adding more C+ seats to some aircraft types comes true).

Ben and Jerry

+3

I have done this a bunch of times and they were always able to do so. To improve your odds, try to get to the gate early and ask them then, before it gets too busy.

I always start with "May I ask for a favor?".

404flyer

I commented earlier, but I wasn't saying "tuff luck". As others have mentioned to handle the C+ movement as an additional standby list has significant negative operational consequences.

If you're booking within a week, you are able to select C+ at T-72. Ultimately, there is nothing that prevents GMs or FOs to pay for C+ if they would like to access it outside of the T-72/T-24 windows, respectively.

Most GAs in my experience are happy to accommodate people who politely request an C+ seat as they're clearing the UG list - unless operational concerns make it prohibitive. This was true before the change, and after.

miraclebear2003

I think things are going to have to sort themselves out. As mentioned earlier, it will often be hard for the agent to handle everything and moving people to c+ is probably not going to be their primary concern. Also mentioned is the fact that a lot of upgrades now happen at the last minute and that makes thing difficult.

I think on occasion you might be able to ask to be moved into c+ if a seat opens up. I usually travel with my wife and since we want to sit together that becomes problematic. We have turned down the last FC seat and would turn down the last c+ seat if that even becomes an option.

Right now most people aren't aware of this change. On MCO-ATL and ATL-LIT today there was no announcement and the seat covers had not been changed. They didn't say drinks were free, but I asked on the first flight and didn't even ask on the second (getting free drinks on both). More significant to this discussion is the fact that I saw at least five empty seats in c+ on the ATL-LIT flight. I think there had been 4 empty FC seats this morning so this might be due to last minute upgrades. I didn't even look on the MCO-ATL flight because it's so unusual to see any empty seats most of the time.

Often1

It would be far better if DL established a policy and made it known to all (including pax) that once you board, you don't get to swim upstream. That applies to F and C+ alike. While it's a nice gesture when a GA does it when there is time, it creates an expectation that this is the norm and it should not be.

If you are on the UG list and your chances for an UG are still reasonably in play, either you wait at the gate for the UG or you board and lose the UG opportunity.

The downside of OH space would be largely cured if DL also enforced its carry-on rules uniformly. Not saying that there will always be space, but it should not be a problem most of the time.

houserulz77

I have changed seats after upgrades have been cleared. Also, I regularly pull up the seat map after I have boarded (usually when i have an empty seat next to me and I want to see if it's going to stay that way); but like you said, it's read-only at that point.

FWIW, I expect GAs to be much more stingy with gate assigning C+ for non status pax now that there is an added cost for DL.

Also, (and while I hate to give away the secret I think it has already been mentioned several times) anyone who wants a C+ seat need only check in exactly at T-24. Every aircraft type has between 2 and 6 C+ seats held back until check-in begins.

Esltroy

This whole thread makes my head ache. I have seen this so many times in various private and pubic sector areas where I have worked. Someone makes a decision, management thinks its a great idea, does not get feedback from the people on the line, and then rolls it out and expects the front line people do deal with the aftermath. And if they can't get it right, (GA, FA, Pilots, Customers) it is their fault for not implementing a change that did not have input from a variety of stakeholders. (and not just the "yes men" look to enron) This is what happens! I have seen it too many times to not call it out. I know that Delta has decided that FT is persona non grata, what a waste. It really is time for them to change their paradigm of what is an airline in the new world.

CMK10

I think vigilance on our part will help. I will be checking the seatmap frequently and be ready to pounce on any seat that's opened up. That and saying to the gate agent after they start calling upgrades "have any C+ aisles or windows opened up?".

bbriscoe34

For those who have flown C+ in the past 5 days (since it begun) is the free alcohol like in FC where they ask if you would like a drink after boarding, or is it only with the normal economy beverage service?

MSPeconomist

A lot of the angst over C+ seats and musical chair attempts could be avoided if DL would have FAs offer drinks and snacks to DMs and maybe more on the manifest like AA does for EXPs.