Y Class Upgrades Discontinued April 30th
Apr 28, 2016, 9:08 pm
#31
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: XXX and sometimes YYY
Programs: DL DM, Hilton DM
Posts: 440
New upgrade order for upgrades that favors medallion members..
New upgrade order rumor on Points miles and martinis... any ideas if this is true?
Full Y fares on May 1 no longer trumps medallion status...
http://pointsmilesandmartinis.boardi...572.1403225619
Full Y fares on May 1 no longer trumps medallion status...
http://pointsmilesandmartinis.boardi...572.1403225619
Apr 28, 2016, 10:07 pm
#32
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: ATL
Programs: Bonvoy Ambassador, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Gold, AA EXP, UA Silver, former DL DM
Posts: 2,001
The article mentions some other surprising changes as well:
"Delta corporate partner travelers will now have a higher prioritization within the Medallion peer set for upgrades", and
"If all else is considered equal, members who have spent at least $25,000 in the current calendar year on their Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express will enjoy higher priority"
Even if the changes are true, it is unclear whether Medallions on Y fares will remain able to access RU/OU inventory to upgrade before the DM upgrade window opens.
"Delta corporate partner travelers will now have a higher prioritization within the Medallion peer set for upgrades", and
"If all else is considered equal, members who have spent at least $25,000 in the current calendar year on their Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express will enjoy higher priority"
Even if the changes are true, it is unclear whether Medallions on Y fares will remain able to access RU/OU inventory to upgrade before the DM upgrade window opens.
Apr 28, 2016, 10:10 pm
#33
Join Date: May 2013
Location: DTW
Programs: AMEX, Ritz LT-Plat Prem, Hyatt Plat, SPG Plat, Hilton Diamond, Delta Plat, United Gold, Sixt Plat
Posts: 866
New upgrade order rumor on Points miles and martinis... any ideas if this is true?
Full Y fares on May 1 no longer trumps medallion status...
http://pointsmilesandmartinis.boardi...572.1403225619
Full Y fares on May 1 no longer trumps medallion status...
http://pointsmilesandmartinis.boardi...572.1403225619
Apr 28, 2016, 10:18 pm
#34
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: MCO
Programs: DL-DM/1MM, HILTON-DIA, .HYATT-DIA/GLOB , IHG-PLT,HERTZ 5*, NATIONAL ES
Posts: 8,691
Not sure if I like this or not. I suspect the number of fu'll Y pax on my routes is minimal, while those who play the CC game may be higher... I will withhold my opinion on this for a while....
Last edited by Crazyhotelguy; Apr 29, 2016 at 5:43 am
Apr 29, 2016, 12:12 am
#36
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
Very disappointed by this news--my company (~100,000 employees) purchases Y fares by default. I got the bump to F >40% of the time as an FO under this system. That's high, but the average ticket we bought cost ~60 CPM (before rebates)--we've been very profitable for DL and I hope their new system is still able to reward our extraordinary levels of DL spend.
Apr 29, 2016, 12:22 am
#37
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: 100,417
My company (~140,000) has us purchasing the cheapest coach tickets (within an ever changing dollar amount of the cheapest seat...used to be up to $100 more but has since shrunk and expanded). They feel change fees and canceled ticket fees are better than paying exorbitant prices for refundable fares. Now they are even pooling the leftover ticket values of canceled flights and applying that to existing tickets.
Apr 29, 2016, 12:31 am
#38
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: 100,417
I'm confused. Is the preference for Reserve cardholders and corporate travel partners applied within each Medallion level independently of the fare class purchased? It sounds to me like the $25K DL AmEx spend criteria is the tiebreaker just before it goes to time of upgrade request, but would a DM corporate travel partner on a V fare beat a DM who isn't a corporate travel partner on a Y fare, assuming for fun that both have the Reserve card?
Apr 29, 2016, 12:53 am
#39
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: DL DM MM
Posts: 184
Everyone seems shocked that Y, by itself, is no longer at the top of the heap because it doesn't make business sense. On the contrary, this change incentivizes more frequent business flights on Delta or for companies to spring for 1st class if not. Currently, Y is a way to get first class at a discount, even if you're not a Delta FF. Delta is #1 in monetizing everything. I'm sure they figured out that this will help their bottom line.
Apr 29, 2016, 1:25 am
#40
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 don't know but they do. I've been contacted via email telling me that a credit was applied to my ticket from a soon to be expiring credit from someone else. I've also canceled flights and have not been able to apply the credit to another flight. It showed in "My Wallet" on delta.com for a few days then disappeared. I ended up paying the full fare for the next flight because there was no credit to apply even though in Concur, like on the Delta website, it showed there being a credit. That credit disappeared in Concur too. Others in my company have told me the same thing. It must be some deal my company has worked out with Delta.
Apr 29, 2016, 6:03 am
#41
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Mostly living in the basement
Programs: Newly minted free agent; MR LT(!)TE, HH SE, BA SECM, DL MM, UA PS, 2V Fanboi, CBP GE
Posts: 5,109
Apr 29, 2016, 7:14 am
#42
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: Delta, AA-Gold, Hilton-Gold
Posts: 93
Unless a government employee travels the same route all the time, they're unlikely to be a high level airline FF program elite because they must split their travel among carriers based on who has the government contract fare for the city pair.
Some other carriers don't prioritize government YCA fares as Y for upgrades and other benefits. YCA means last seat availability; HCA is also flexible.
I recall some reports here of GAs moving people with YCA fares farther down the gate upgrade lists.
Some other carriers don't prioritize government YCA fares as Y for upgrades and other benefits. YCA means last seat availability; HCA is also flexible.
I recall some reports here of GAs moving people with YCA fares farther down the gate upgrade lists.
Apr 29, 2016, 7:40 am
#43
Join Date: Mar 2008
Programs: DL DM, SPG Plat
Posts: 696
I was hopeful that they were fixing this. It seems insane that it's impossible for a DM to get an upgrade on the shuttle because of these items. I think they should remove the "Y trumps all medallions" rule on the shuttle, at least.
Apr 29, 2016, 7:51 am
#44
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: New York, western US
Programs: DM/3MM
Posts: 4,246
The article mentions some other surprising changes as well:
"Delta corporate partner travelers will now have a higher prioritization within the Medallion peer set for upgrades", and
"If all else is considered equal, members who have spent at least $25,000 in the current calendar year on their Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express will enjoy higher priority"
Even if the changes are true, it is unclear whether Medallions on Y fares will remain able to access RU/OU inventory to upgrade before the DM upgrade window opens.
"Delta corporate partner travelers will now have a higher prioritization within the Medallion peer set for upgrades", and
"If all else is considered equal, members who have spent at least $25,000 in the current calendar year on their Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express will enjoy higher priority"
Even if the changes are true, it is unclear whether Medallions on Y fares will remain able to access RU/OU inventory to upgrade before the DM upgrade window opens.
Apr 29, 2016, 7:58 am
#45
Join Date: May 2013
Location: DTW
Programs: AMEX, Ritz LT-Plat Prem, Hyatt Plat, SPG Plat, Hilton Diamond, Delta Plat, United Gold, Sixt Plat
Posts: 866