Upgrade windows changed?
Apr 29, 2015 | 9:13 pm
#16
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Twin Cities
Programs: Delta DM MM, IHG Plat, Hilton DM, Marriott SE, Emerald EE, Oakdale Gun Club, NRA & GOA Life Member
Posts: 3,870
I may be misunderstanding what you're saying, but I book many tickets 21+ days in advance, and many other tickets <5 days in advance. The last-minute tickets are of course more expensive in general, but the difference between a coach and first class ticket always seems to be anywhere from $100 to $300 depending on route, and this difference does not seem to change the closer in I book. And, even when only P fares are available in FC, they are still substantially cheaper than a full Y fare (and even a BM fare most of the time).
Could be route and schedule dependent, but IME, YBM fares are still a bit higher than discount first fares.
Apr 29, 2015 | 9:32 pm
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card
Posts: 10,803
I was just pointing out that my experience with premium fares changing/dropping closer to departure and being cheaper than full Y fares does not match yours. If anything, I've noticed that premium cabin fares increase in a similar way to coach fares most of the time, and that full Y is generally more expensive than anything other than full F.
As someone else said, the FCM offers are relatively consistent at all times on the routes I fly. It's usually $50-$200 over whatever the best coach fare is at any given time, without no extra incentive in or around the medallion UG windows. I guess the % difference decreases since both coach and FC fares are higher.
We've certainly established several times in the past that our experiences come from very different markets and perspectives, so I'm assuming that's the difference.
Apr 29, 2015 | 9:37 pm
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: IND
Programs: DL PM & 2MM™, Lifetime HHonors Diamond
Posts: 21,130
What, you are still seeing UG's? 
AFAIK, nothing has changed except that they are fewer and fewer. This has been building for the past few years and it is now the exception that I see UG's at the early window. Much more often at the gate, especially when flying out of/to hubs.
AFAIK, nothing has changed except that they are fewer and fewer. This has been building for the past few years and it is now the exception that I see UG's at the early window. Much more often at the gate, especially when flying out of/to hubs.
I am about 80% in advance this year another 10% at the gate and about 10% miss.
Apr 29, 2015 | 9:41 pm
#19
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Twin Cities
Programs: Delta DM MM, IHG Plat, Hilton DM, Marriott SE, Emerald EE, Oakdale Gun Club, NRA & GOA Life Member
Posts: 3,870
Apr 29, 2015 | 10:47 pm
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, MM, NR; HH Diamond, Bonvoy LT Gold, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Diamond, others
Posts: 12,163
It's in quotes for a reason. In the past, Delta held about 50% of it's FC cabin for Medallion upgrades. They don't do that any more on many flights so I think I'm being accurate when I say "FCM Window" as it relates to Medallion upgrades and FCM. Typically the discount F fares drop near the DM/PM window from what I've noticed.
Delta used to make a lot more seats available for Medallion upgrades, figuring it wouldn't sell too many F seats at high prices at the last minute.
Apr 29, 2015 | 11:07 pm
#21
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Twin Cities
Programs: Delta DM MM, IHG Plat, Hilton DM, Marriott SE, Emerald EE, Oakdale Gun Club, NRA & GOA Life Member
Posts: 3,870
Delta never held seats for Medallion upgrades. If you called a week before the flight and wanted to buy all the (unsold) seats in F they'd gladly sell them to you.
Delta used to make a lot more seats available for Medallion upgrades, figuring it wouldn't sell too many F seats at high prices at the last minute.
Delta used to make a lot more seats available for Medallion upgrades, figuring it wouldn't sell too many F seats at high prices at the last minute.
Apr 30, 2015 | 6:00 am
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card
Posts: 10,803
Apr 30, 2015 | 6:09 am
#23
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 102,617
If it's FCM (and it very well might be) then DL IT has figured out a way to have upgrades available for full Y tickets, and restrict them for Medallions. This is certainly something I have not seen in the past -- and it might just be a new practice.
The thing is that in the past one was able to see if there was upgrade availability for Medallions by choosing a full Y ticket and doing a dummy booking. If this has changed, there really is no way to determine when upgrades might be available outside of the booking window (with the hope of booking something at T-4 and getting the upgrade the next day).
Thanks
The thing is that in the past one was able to see if there was upgrade availability for Medallions by choosing a full Y ticket and doing a dummy booking. If this has changed, there really is no way to determine when upgrades might be available outside of the booking window (with the hope of booking something at T-4 and getting the upgrade the next day).
Thanks
Apr 30, 2015 | 8:09 am
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: CHI
Posts: 501
The upgrade cleared after I booked (later that evening between T-4 days after 5pm ET and before T-72), so it might have been that the sweep of the system had not finished for GMs while I was looking with the Y fare.
Apr 30, 2015 | 8:31 am
#25
Join Date: Jun 2013
Programs: AA Plat Pro, ex DL Plat, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat
Posts: 1,448
I had a flight on Monday with a "Y" fare and didn't get upgraded at the window, but got the upsell at check in for $99. I didn't take it and ended up getting the only upgrade on the flight (there were 4 seats available at check in, don't know how many of those seats went to FCM vs. late purchases or SDC). It kind of rubbed me the wrong way to see them selling check in upgrades when I had a Y ticket and hadn't gotten the bump, since my Y ticket was already more expensive than discounted F.
Apr 30, 2015 | 8:32 am
#26
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Twin Cities
Programs: Delta DM MM, IHG Plat, Hilton DM, Marriott SE, Emerald EE, Oakdale Gun Club, NRA & GOA Life Member
Posts: 3,870
