Delta Simplifies Clearance Priority for Comp Upgrades
May 2, 2016 | 5:24 pm
#61
Join Date: Jul 2015
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From Delta's CORPORATE TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES FORM
IF YOUR COMPANY'S ANNUAL AIR BUDGET IS LESS THAN $400,000, WE RECOMMEND THE SKYBONUS PROGRAM.
May 2, 2016 | 5:29 pm
#62
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Is this section new? It's the 3rd bullet in the "Improving your Priority" section:
"If all else is equal, Card Members who earned the Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) Waiver by spending at least $25,000 in the current calendar year on their Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express will enjoy higher priority."
So that means that at the same medallion level, fare class, etc without a Reserve card, medallions that qualified using AMEX exemption are ranked above those who qualified with normal MQD spend. That has the potential to be HUGE!
"If all else is equal, Card Members who earned the Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) Waiver by spending at least $25,000 in the current calendar year on their Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express will enjoy higher priority."
So that means that at the same medallion level, fare class, etc without a Reserve card, medallions that qualified using AMEX exemption are ranked above those who qualified with normal MQD spend. That has the potential to be HUGE!
May 2, 2016 | 7:42 pm
#63
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: South Central US
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May 3, 2016 | 8:00 pm
#64
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: KATL
Programs: DL DM/2MM
Posts: 2,089
That is far from clear to me based on what they've published, but I believe it means the latter, but I am only about 80% confident in that answer.
I think the best evidence to support that is on this page where they state "Delta Reserve Credit Card Members will still have a higher prioritization within their Medallion peer set for upgrades." which is the same language used for the Corporate Accounts, so it appears that priority is similar to what Reserve members have received, which my understanding (and belief based on personal experience) is that it is just a tie-breaker if you have the same fare class, it doesn't put you above higher fare classes.
I think the best evidence to support that is on this page where they state "Delta Reserve Credit Card Members will still have a higher prioritization within their Medallion peer set for upgrades." which is the same language used for the Corporate Accounts, so it appears that priority is similar to what Reserve members have received, which my understanding (and belief based on personal experience) is that it is just a tie-breaker if you have the same fare class, it doesn't put you above higher fare classes.
Delta Reserve Credit Card Members will still have a higher prioritization within their Medallion peer set for upgrades.2
2 Upgrade Priority within the same Medallion tier and fare class family is applicable only to Basic Card Members.
Anyone have any ideas?
May 3, 2016 | 8:04 pm
#65
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I don't understand the footnote on this one:
Delta Reserve Credit Card Members will still have a higher prioritization within their Medallion peer set for upgrades.2
2 Upgrade Priority within the same Medallion tier and fare class family is applicable only to Basic Card Members.
Anyone have any ideas?
Delta Reserve Credit Card Members will still have a higher prioritization within their Medallion peer set for upgrades.2
2 Upgrade Priority within the same Medallion tier and fare class family is applicable only to Basic Card Members.
Anyone have any ideas?
May 3, 2016 | 8:09 pm
#66
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: KATL
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Posts: 2,089
Ah, thanks! I was interpreting a "Basic" card member to mean "Non-Reserve" card member, and that didn't make any sense in the context of the footnote.
May 4, 2016 | 7:34 am
#67
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: MSP
Programs: DL SM
Posts: 91
If they are a "Preferred Carrier" there is almost certainly some sort of contract (likely a rebate scheme -- see below)
IME, most corporate contracts (save for very large corporations) provide savings in the form of rebates and not discounts off of fares at the time of purchase. DL keeps track of the tickets booked by a company or travel agency and then rebates (usually in airline credits but also sometimes in cash) on an annual or quarterly interval provided the account meets certain booking ($) thresholds. The company/TA can then determine how to use the rebate (my firm usually gives most of them away as incentives but I am sure a lot use them to credit future travel).
IME, most corporate contracts (save for very large corporations) provide savings in the form of rebates and not discounts off of fares at the time of purchase. DL keeps track of the tickets booked by a company or travel agency and then rebates (usually in airline credits but also sometimes in cash) on an annual or quarterly interval provided the account meets certain booking ($) thresholds. The company/TA can then determine how to use the rebate (my firm usually gives most of them away as incentives but I am sure a lot use them to credit future travel).
Her Concur rep (on the phone while booking) specified the flight wouldn't show any discounts, but they (wife's company) would see a rebate, and would likely just be rolled back into the travel budget.
Last edited by RuesterGAGT; May 4, 2016 at 7:41 am
May 4, 2016 | 12:02 pm
#68
Join Date: Mar 2008
Programs: 1 MM Skymiles,Marriott GLD
Posts: 116
I think I encountered this re priority last week. My flight was cancelled by delta and was re-booked the next day. Arrived at the hotel and ask a friend of mine who works at a Software company how he got here. Delta booked me on the later flight that day. He was Silver I was PM.
We requested a business program from Delta;1000 people of which 25% travel once a year.Well Delta corporate sales told my company we were too small( < 400K spend on delta, though on united we spend 200K+ a year), so now I am being informed to use our preferred partners (United, Southwest and Jet blue). Fighting it, but next year I might have no choice.
We requested a business program from Delta;1000 people of which 25% travel once a year.Well Delta corporate sales told my company we were too small( < 400K spend on delta, though on united we spend 200K+ a year), so now I am being informed to use our preferred partners (United, Southwest and Jet blue). Fighting it, but next year I might have no choice.
May 10, 2016 | 2:34 pm
#69
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 95
I think the best evidence to support that is on this page where they state "Delta Reserve Credit Card Members will still have a higher prioritization within their Medallion peer set for upgrades." which is the same language used for the Corporate Accounts, so it appears that priority is similar to what Reserve members have received, which my understanding (and belief based on personal experience) is that it is just a tie-breaker if you have the same fare class, it doesn't put you above higher fare classes.
I am a current PM with the AMEX Delta Platinum card. I opted for the platinum card over the reserve as I will likely hit the $50k in spend needed for the 20k MQMs on the platinum card, but wasn't sure if I would hit the $60k in spend needed for the 30k MQMs on the reserve card. If the reserve card would cause a PM on a U class to upgrade before an L class, then I would be more likely to look into it. If the priority is only between medallion and fare class, why don't they say anything about the fare/ticket class in the wording?
Also, how can we tell if we have the Corporate Ticket Designator?
May 10, 2016 | 2:48 pm
#70
Join Date: Nov 2009
Programs: DL DM 1MM
Posts: 3,561
You need to look at what ITA Matrix calls "Fare construction". Look for something like this:
In this example, SA0NX0MP and QA3NX0MP are the two fares for this particular trip.
When a fare has a code appended with a slash, that's called a "ticket designator". A made up example: SA0NX0MP/XX123 and QA3NX0MP/XX123. In this made up example, XX123 would be the ticket designator.
A corporate ticket designator is appended to fares when there is a discount arrangement between the company and DL.
Fare Construction (can be useful to travel agents)
LAX DL JFK 525.58SA0NX0MP DL LAX 386.05QA3NX0MP USD 911.63 END ZP LAX JFK XT 68.37US 8.00ZP 11.20AY 9.00XF LAX4.50 JFK4.50
LAX DL JFK 525.58SA0NX0MP DL LAX 386.05QA3NX0MP USD 911.63 END ZP LAX JFK XT 68.37US 8.00ZP 11.20AY 9.00XF LAX4.50 JFK4.50
When a fare has a code appended with a slash, that's called a "ticket designator". A made up example: SA0NX0MP/XX123 and QA3NX0MP/XX123. In this made up example, XX123 would be the ticket designator.
A corporate ticket designator is appended to fares when there is a discount arrangement between the company and DL.
May 10, 2016 | 2:58 pm
#71
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: San Diego
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No, not at least for the particular ticket. Not in the sense it was replied to as paying more money.
Corp's get discounts - they don't pay more. They buy more tickets, if they're big, but what they really have going for them is if they can steer business in a group, whereas if you're buying on your own and getting reimbursed you're paying more (and now getting less). Another FU from DL.
Corp's get discounts - they don't pay more. They buy more tickets, if they're big, but what they really have going for them is if they can steer business in a group, whereas if you're buying on your own and getting reimbursed you're paying more (and now getting less). Another FU from DL.
Aug 28, 2016 | 8:58 am
#72
Join Date: Jan 2010
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Yes, the "fare class family" language is suspiciously vague, though my guess is that Delta is currently still segmenting upgrade priority by each individual fare class.
Delta doesn't expressly publish fare class groupings/families, but this breakdown sounds about right based on fare restrictions and how Delta has structured past promotions:
YB: Full fares (with Y being the "rack rate")
MSHQK: Discounted fares
LUTXVE: Deeply discounted fares (with "E" being the rock bottom and most restrictive rate)
You could argue that M belongs in the "Full fares" section, but given that Delta has devalued M by eliminating the 50% MQM bonus and will soon allow mileage upgrades to Delta One on SHQK fares, I think M belongs with the "discounted fares" group.
Delta doesn't expressly publish fare class groupings/families, but this breakdown sounds about right based on fare restrictions and how Delta has structured past promotions:
YB: Full fares (with Y being the "rack rate")
MSHQK: Discounted fares
LUTXVE: Deeply discounted fares (with "E" being the rock bottom and most restrictive rate)
You could argue that M belongs in the "Full fares" section, but given that Delta has devalued M by eliminating the 50% MQM bonus and will soon allow mileage upgrades to Delta One on SHQK fares, I think M belongs with the "discounted fares" group.
Aug 28, 2016 | 9:26 am
#74
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There are no comp upgrades to J on long haul international (if that's what you are thinking). For the domestic segments, upgrade priority is suspected to be based on the underlying fare coding of the W fare (but no one is entirely sure and DL doesn't say).
Mar 7, 2017 | 8:45 pm
#75
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 698
sorry to bump this old thread...but figured the folks in it may be knowledgeable on my question: my company has an agreement with delta for preferred seating and priority 1 boarding even on the lowest discount fare. Is there any way to get that if I don't book through our Concur travel portal?