Upgrade Processing
 

I just booked K and B fares for TUL-IAH outbound this Thursday and return on Friday. As a Gold I am already inside the 3 day upgrade window and there are multiple F seats showing open on each segment. I still see Medallion Upgrade Requested.

Question - Is it even possible that an upgrade could process within seconds or minutes of booking or do those process in batch on a nightly or periodic basis?

Question 2 - when I'm within the upgrade window is it possible to tell on which flights I would get the upgrade processed immediately?

Upgrade Processing
 

Yes, it usually processes as soon as ticketing is complete.

And yes, you can see as you hover the "Upgrade Eligibilty". If it's eligible then nothing available. If it says upgrade available then it'll clear at booking.

You can check before your window by doing a dummy booking with a FULL Y fare, although on some routes this will default to a G A P if that's cheaper. Sometimes checking the refundable box helps, but some markets have refundable P fares that can be cheaper than full y, so full Y won't show up when you search on delta.dumb. [I guess they've never heard of travel policies that insist on coach fares.]

It is very common on certain routes for DL to hold several F seats to be sold last minute or to accommodate passengers with IROPS. These seats will not go for upgrades until the gate agents processes them 30 minutes before the flight (if they are still open).

Chances are there are DM and PM who have been in their window for longer than you and are also waiting. Therefore showing higher than you in the upgrade wait list that will be available at check in.
First class seat available does not mean upgrade available. These seats are going for sale and might not be released for up agree until 30min before departure (start of boarding)

Or ever ... Someone can jump in and pay $119 at checkin to upgrade if they give that offer.

I had never noticed that status before. As a Gold, I had to search tons of same day flights and eventually found a couple empty SLC to west coast routes that showed "available" for me instead of just "eligible" or "Not-eligible" or "airport only".

So I guess if I check in and show up 10th on the upg list with 3 seats available, then I can search other flights that same day for the "upg available" status and try to SDC?

It's going to be very unlikely to find any flight with immediate "upgrade available" on day of departure. It would mean that all medallions waiting for an upgrade have already been upgraded, first class seats are still available for upgrade and not for sale.
Most likely at this points, either no seats will be left to upgrade into or there will be wait lists for upgrades until boarding.
Finally, the right fare will have to be available to be able SDC. Not easy either...
One can always try.

As a former DM, now GM I can tell you being a Gold Medallion is a "Kettle with "benefits" medallion status.

I am AA Plat Exec now but booked 2 RTs from MCO/MSP to avoid connections in CLT/PHL. Don't need to miles to qualify for plat/exec so I said, whet the heck lets try DL on a soft route.

FC in the 757 for tomorrows flight was basically empty at the 7 day window. As the DM and PM cleared it got down to 8 opens seats at T-3. Today is T-1 and 7 seats still show as open. Me? Still in Kettle class but was able to snag an E+ seat, which is essentially the "Kettle with benefits" status.

I like DL and achieve 800K+ miles with them. We shall see how the new AA works out for me since I am based in PHL and the US program was magnifico for upgrades at the top tier level.

Curious about your position on the list though. AHev you checked in yet? With most DM/PM already upgraded and still 7 open seats at T-1, your odds must be good, no?

Depends on the route / time. As DM on B fare I've seen 6+ open FC on an RJ at check-in while still not being upgraded. They are holding more and more inventory back at the 7/3/1 day windows, so assuming that because there are 7 open seats 25 hours ahead of time means that all DM/PM have cleared is not a very good assumption.

Yeah, if there are 10 ahead of me on the upg list at checkin on a CRJ 900, that means the PMs haven't been processed yet. There can't be 10 Golds ahead of me on any flight with the level of fares I usually purchase.

Also, just to verify - Does a Y class clear upgrades for any medallion before K or Q for a DM or PM?

Does it really mean that or does it mean that all medallions at my level or higher have been processed. Don't they sometimes hold back on Silvers but would process a GM or PM at booking? Or can that only happen if its inside the PM/GM window but outside the 1 day silver window?

I was citing PepeBorj who is stating that DM and PM have already cleared (see below). I just assume he had other data to support his claims. I'm totally with you you that 7 open seats at T-1 does not mean by itself that all PM and DM have already cleared.

"FC in the 757 for tomorrows flight was basically empty at the 7 day window. As the DM and PM cleared it got down to 8 opens seats at T-3. Today is T-1 and 7 seats still show as open. Me? Still in Kettle class but was able to snag an E+ seat, which is essentially the "Kettle with benefits" status."

If the upgrade is available, it means it's available. So anyone who is next on the list and within their window would clear at the time it becomes available (even silver). For you to see it available on the day of departure, when every medallion is within their window, therefore means everyone has cleared their upgrade (in other words, the wait list is empty).
Unless I'm missing something.

So "available" isn't specific to my medallion level - except for when its inside my window but not inside a lower medallions window?

I think so. Once it's within everyone's window, it's either available for everyone or not available.

I don't think so. Upgrade Available will show if there is RU/OU available and you're within your 5/3/1 day window. Similar to how you would not see any upgrade information unless you're logged in with you medallion account.

So at T- 2 days, a GM could show upgrade available while an FO would still show Upgrade Eligible.

I'm willing to believe that if someone watches a bunch of FC seats get filled at about 5:20 pm ATL time T-6 and almost simultaneously a bunch of coach seats, including C+ and preferred aisles become empty, then it's fair to conclude that they have witnessed a bunch of upgrades clearing. However, there could be more DMs and PMs who still haven't cleared yet, so a GM could nevertheless be far down on the upgrade list.

It's a mystery and keeps skymiles fun. Where would be fun be just being upgraded in the window! It's so much more exciting when there's 12 open seats in J day of! (kidding....)

I have to agree with some others, there seems to be inconsistency and DL performs the sweeps whenever it works for them based off of some sort of finanical models.

I have a silly little mileage run coming up Saturday. I'm a PM on a V fare: PWM>ATL>LAX>SEA>LAX>ATL>PWM

Sunday night at 5:59pm I got an email that my upgrade was confirmed SEA>LAX segment. Cool!

This morning (Weds) at 2:52am I received an email that my upgrade is confirmed ATL>PWM (final segment). Also cool.

The ATL>PWM segment is technically on Sunday, so if anything I would have expected to get that upgrade on Monday,yet it came in on Weds. Why?

I've also been eyeing the ATL>LAX seg and there are still 13 open seats according to the seat map. I'm planning on 0 chance of an upgrade being a PM on a V fare but will still keep my fingers crossed.

Ahh Delta, never a dull moment!

OP was asking about an SDC on day of departure. Not at T-2.
Which is why as said "Once it's within everyone's window, it's either available for everyone or not available.". Day of departure is everyone's window, including FO.

It's supposed to.

and for more details, the priority is detailed here:
http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_...-upgrades.html

I wouldn't call it common, but it's not very unlikely either. The best hopes for finding them is to look at connections through DTW/MSP vs ATL. I've done several SDCs that cleared immediately this year. Flying to a city that's located between UA, AA, and WN hubs helps. @:-):D

That's pretty old, isn't it? It not only says PWM is at the end (independent of fare class) (is that still true now that PWM earns just like cash?) and it doesn't mention the Amex card as a tie-breaker.

That's a good point about PWM. I'm not really sure what the real thing is re: upgrade priority.
I just booked a trip over thanksgiving and used a few miles to offset some of the (outrageous) cost. I know that PWM are now earning miles on the $ paid portion and are eligible for upgrade but there is still a warning in my itinerary telling me of the opposite. Plus, I see no FCM offer for this itinerary, making me think that PWM is not eligible (or the target of) FCM, just as they are not eligible for RUC.
Does anyone have actual data that PWM get the booked fare priority, not going to the bottom?

As far as the Amex tie-breaker, I think that language as pretty much disappeared from everywhere, to the point that some here wondered if it were still a benefit. Is it?

Sure, accuracy of posted information decays as policies change etc. but if they haven't updated the site, as a general rule* I'd feel comfortable relying on it, maybe print/screenshot for backup.

*Realizing, as I said, policies change, and that printed policy != implemented policy, yada yada yada.

I don't think it appears anywhere on a Delta web page but:

https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c.../delta-reserve

Funny/sad, the "Learn More" button just takes you to the Delta home page.