Checking for R class availability
 

I apologize in advance if this has already been asked. Since Expertflyer no longer is able to show Delta award/fare availability, is there any way to check to see if there is R availability on a flight other than calling DL?

I have a flight planned for this fall that I'm watching and would like to be able to see if R becomes available so that I can use one of the regional upgrade certificates. If anyone has any suggestions on how to check fare class availability outside of calling DL and could let me know it would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Are you looking for award or upgrade space? For award space (which AFAIK was never on EF for DL), in principle what DL releases to partners should be a subset of DL's low award space for its own FFers, so finding DL award availability for some partner's FF program should mean that there's low DL award space. [The converse is not true.]

KVS should also show DL award space.

For upgrades, upgrades on partner metal for DL FFers tend to require low award space on the partner carrier, so again one could search for this if the flight isn't DL operated.

Thanks. I'll try KVS. I used Expertflyer in the past to search for the fare award buckets and it worked fine so I believe at one point it was there. This may have been a couple of years ago but I remember checking DL and AF for a couple of flights to Europe.

I was specifically looking for the R bucket since that's what the DL rep said had to be available for me to use the regional upgrades. I was looking a booking a coach fare and using the certificate right away to confirm the upgrade but there wasn't anything released yet. She did say I could book the coach ticket and they'd put me on the waitlist in the event that it opened up but I'm not sure I want to go that route even though "supposedly" the regional certificates trump all others in the upgrade queue.

Thanks for the info on KVS. I forgot that was out there. Take care and safe travels.

KVS will not show you DL upgrade inventory. ExpertFlyer did until Delta shut that down.

The inventory bucket for first class mileage/instrument upgrades is RP internally, but R when accessed through a GDS.

Confusingly, First Class tickets book into R, but award and upgrade space are separate.

There is presently no way to find mileage/instrument upgrade inventory without having a GDS subscription (not cheap or for the faint of heart), or contacting DL.

By the way, the "waitlist" for upgrades (at least for Global Upgrades) doesn't seem to work very well. If you do decide to waitlist, I'd call 1-2x per week until it clears.

That never worked.


The only other thing you can try on domestic flights is making a booking attempt for FULL Y. If you hover over the upgrade section it may say UPGRADE AVAILABLE. If so, it is likely inventory is there.

Not perfect match though, but at least a starting point