uppereastsider

I have very mixed feelings about this.

First, the companion part sucks. It just does. I've already changed one vacation flight to the Cayman Islands to JetBlue with my girlfriend instead of flying JFK-ATL-GCM on Delta (VOTE WITH YOUR WALLET!!!)

Banning the +8 I get (which i've gotten to use once - C+ for me, my GF and my parents on JFK to SAN - I admit, that was awesome). The +1 I don't get it (especially since we would view that as a "Reward" for a significant other who had to deal with all of that travel).

I'm on a flight from MSN to LGA booked in late July with my non status GF and there isn't even an option to request an upgrade for us 24 hours to check in. It just says not upgrade eligible. Fortunately, still got an exit row. Preferred seats aren't an upgrade for a companion... yet....

However, 90-95% of my travel on Delta otherwise is for business (OPM) as a solo traveler. My corporate travel service (Egencia) doesn't auto-book me into C+ - I need to go to Delta.com to check the upgrade box before I can get an "upgrade". So, I'm at no risk of a C+ middle seat and can feel comfortable knowing that my aisle exit row is still mine if I get it.

I now feel C+ will be even emptier - and feature a ton of rows with empty middle seats. Most of my travel is booked 3-5 days before flying, so hopefully I'll be getting more choices of "better" C+ seats, and particularly those w/o people in the middle (people refusing to "check the box"). I'm on SFO to JFK for May 18th in the afternoon and C+ is wide open. Was able to get the first row of C+.

Maybe I'm the target market for Delta with these changes? I benefit greatly from the change to earning miles based on ticket price since all of my travel is last minute - I often hit the MQD requirements way before the MQM requirements. And now, I should be able to request an upgrade to C+ only when I see a seat I want, and "theoretically", should have a wider inventory of C+ seats (on my flight on May 15th, booked on 4 days notice, I was unable to get any C+ seats)

Now.. if Delta starts restricting upgrade inventory on C+... especially when i see the seat I want... that changes everything. Especially since I can't pay to upgrade w/o a change fee. My company requires us to buy the cheapest coach ticket, and premium economy or first class are prohibited. If that starts happening, then yes Delta, we have a problem.

sdix

So, DL is still going to sell every seat on the plane right? It's unlikely that C+ seats will be empty isn't it?

My experience on AA is that if only MCE seats are available as a non status pax and you do not buy up you wait until you get to the airport for assignment. At that point you may well end up with a MCE seat for free.

Will C+ not be the same? Just don't select a seat and wait for coach to fill up. Then you should be assigned a C+ seat by default shouldn't you?

Widgets

No. GAs have been told to do everything possible to avoid that. The Comfort+ upgrade list will be used to fill those seats.

TrojanTraveler

Your assumption of more C+ seats available may or may not be true. It could be that DL doesn't want elites in those seats, especially the windows and aisles taken in advance, so that they can upsell those to any traveler (to DL, preferably at the time of booking). In the short-term, DL makes more money upselling those seats to anyone, even at a nominal price, rather than having an elite in them. I would also think that DL studied this enough that they are doing revenue mgmt on these seats, meaning that those seats will be available to elites in advance likely proportional to the history of a certain flight having them not sell out.

It could also be that as DL watches the behaviors closely, how they manage C+ inventory will change over time. If they see elites starting to pay for those seats since they might not get them, well, if I were DL I would make sure that elites keep having incentives (even if negative) to pay for them.

jrl767

so YBYL won't apply to C+? the term "hypocrite" comes to mind
or will this add to the GA's workload starting at ~T-30?

Carpboy823

Maybe that would happen before there was an official upgrade list, but pretty much no chance of that now unless it's A) a full flight other than C+ and B) nobody on the C+ upgrade list. I really doubt that's been happening much, even before the upgrade list, ever since free booze was added as a C+ benefit.

Widgets

Since Comfort+ can't be paid upgraded starting at D-180, it should be easy to fill the seats when the gate opens. Or, just finish before boarding.

Carpboy823

The latter. It's another upgrade list to process for seats that weren't cleared and/or purchased ahead of time. The GIDS displays two separate, distinct upgrade lists now: one for FC, one for C+.

DL2SXM

and where there are only single middle seats available and no one is on the C+ upgrade list because people realize they will be split up, then what are you going to do? If I am traveling as a DM with my non medallion wife, we would rather sit together in preferred or the main cabin as opposed to having two separate middle seats in C+. Good luck, this is going to be a nightmare.

And chances are, that's all there will be is single middle seats.

So, you will wind up upgrading single, non status people to C+. Oh how wonderful that will be, DM's in the rear, general members to the front!



It leaves a very bitter taste in your mouth. From now on, when traveling with family, I will avoid flying DL like the plague.

Ysitincoach

Made a booking today that auto upgraded to C+. Crap seat availability in C+ on one segment, decent selection on another segment.

Twitter direct messaged DL, gave them my confirmation number and seat downgrade requests. They confirmed the request to downgrade. Then proceeded to downgrade the wrong itinerary. This one from F to C-

So, by the virtue of calling C+ an upgrade they've confused their own Twitter agents.

Thankfully the Twitter desk was able to fix their mistake, but fundamentally calling C+ a Medallion Upgrade is misleading and counter to decades of this airline's marketing.

Which is a better hashtag?
#dontFwithmyseat
#middleseatsarenotupgrades

Too wordy?

Widgets

If you don't want the Comfort+ middle seats, why does other people sitting in them leave a bad taste in your mouth?

DL2SXM

Look at Delta flight 492 for tomorrow, JFK-SEA, only middle seats in C+ with the exception of one row. I just don't see how this can be any fun for GA'S. There is going to be a lot of unhappy folks at the gate.

DLdweeb

I agree, but as long as all those unhappy folks keep buying DL tickets, DL couldn't care less.

DL2SXM

how does MCE work on AA? Similar to DL's new policy or more in line with the old?

KDCAflyer

Same as DL's old policy. Higher-tier elites get it at booking, golds at T-24.

It is considered an upsell, not a separate cabin.