addicoe

As a silver medallion I'm trying to choose between either the 757-200 or the 767-400 flight between LAX and HNL. Which flight gives me a 1) better chance of free upgrade and/or 2) better chance of first class upgrade?

I count 20 first and 27 comfort plus seats on the 757-200, and 33 delta one and 18 comfort plus seats on the 767-400 available on each respective plane (this is already excluding the seats blocked off due to coronavirus). I don't know if there are special rules or if it is harder to get a free upgrade to delta one (compared to regular first class), but assuming it is not it seems like taking the 767-400 flight gives me a higher chance of getting delta one but lower chance overall of getting any upgrade. And the 757-200 gives me a higher chance overall of getting an upgrade but lower chance of getting first.

garykung

B752 is a better choice. Don't forget - even D1 is available for MCU , it also means it is available for sales as well. It basically means that even you are DM or PM, the free upgrade may not come as easy as you think (Don't forget those who use RUC/GUC). So as a FO, your chance is extremely slim (COVID-19 situation may help).

I would aim for C+ only.

GagaPilot

Personally I would choose the 767-400 in your position. As a Silver your odds are low for both, but I tend to think with the layout of the 767-400 your UG odds would be higher, especially if travel is relatively soon with Covid still going on.

Ultimately choose whichever flight would work best for your timing and schedule, but all things being equal, I would vote 767-400.

PHXflier

If there are 20 First seats in the B757, then it is regular first and not with flatbed seats. The 764 has flatbeds in first. The choice seems to be simple: take the 767-400, just in case you are very lucky and score an upgrade to first.

blitzcon

I'd take a widebody every time!

DavidDTW

Last month DL was running a 767-300 between DTW and MCO on certain flights. As silver I was upgraded to F without even getting C+ first. Different market for you, but I would go with the 767. Based on my previous experiences as silver, domestic widebody upgrades happen more often than on narrowbody flights.

pgh234

If you are flying with one companion, definitely the 764 so you get a pair of two seats all alone. If you are alone (and flying before April), I may take either an aisle on the 764 or a window on the 757 depending on which schedule works better since middle seats are blocked through March. April and later...only the 764.

ATOBTTR

If you are flying on a 767-400 domestically that has been reconfigured, the "Comfort Plus" seats are actually Premium Select seats (Premium Economy) and the "Preferred" seats are actually Comfort Plus seats in the main cabin with extra legroom and you can select those "Preferred" seats at booking!

I.e. - go for the 767-400! Worst case, you'll have access to selecting "Preferred" seats which will have extra legroom. If you score an upgrade, it will be to C+, which will be like a domestic FC seat.
Conversely, on the 757-200, Comfort Plus seats are exactly as advertised: seats in the main cabin with extra legroom, and you might get upgraded to that a T-24 hours. Again, on the 767-400, you'll be able to select such a seat at booking and maybe get an upgrade to a better seat. I would put the chances of an upgrade to the seats marketed as C+ or to F at low though admittedly have little insight especially since travel numbers are all out of whack, but after booking, you may also get a cheap buy-up offer to Comfort Plus to then be able to select one of those 18 seats marketed as C+ or even to FC for the lie-flat.

Yellowjj

757 seats are still blocked in FC, so reduce that 20 figure to 10 actually being available at worst (depending on if couples get upgraded). Your odds are greater on the 764 all around, especially if it is the non suite config which has 40 D1 seats.

addicoe

I didn't know that, good to know! I have flown premium select before a few years ago. Only complaint is that the footrest was pretty useless for me.

N590UA

As a Platinum, I got upgraded to J for a JFK-LAX flight this afternoon at around 10am on a 764. They have new interiors in Delta One with a door so I'm excited to try it out (despite no food.) I love the 757 but the upgrade chances aren't great simply because the cabins aren't as big as the 767s flying the route.

FYI: I got an automated email stating I was upgraded to C+ about 15 minutes after booking a coach ticket on Friday night haha.

MSPeconomist

The 767 D1 cabins are larger, but I suspect more elites pick these flights because of this and because D1 is nicer on such aircraft, so on balance one's upgrades could be higher or lower. The same phenomena arises when international wide body aircraft appear on domestic routes, such as ATL-LAX.

Zorak

The 764 seats don't have doors...

N590UA

Yeah I eventually found that out. I'm not sure why I thought that the 764 had doors, my bad.

I have to say, that new seat wasn't my favorite either. I was constantly playing with the seat controls the entire flight to get comfortable and the isle divider kept falling down unexpectedly. For whatever reason, my lower back just didn't gel right with these new suites.

DiverDave

However, the 764 is much more comfortable in coach than the 757.