Upgrade not honored - no reason
Jul 23, 2016, 11:14 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2016
Programs: DL,SPG
Posts: 27
Upgrade not honored - no reason
I have a complaint into DL corp for this one, but want to solicit feedback from the community.
Booked SRQ-ATL-SAT and back on a last minute trip - booked 1 day out and was in SAT for only 16 hrs. Purchased H fare out of SRQ as it's my home airport (note: flying out of TPA would have been $60 cheaper).
Used a regional to UP to first - no confirmed seats available, so was wait listed on SRQ-ATL and ATL-SAT. Confirmed that I was #1 on the UP list at check-in and <3 hours from scheduled departure.
Day of departure, receive an alert that flight was delayed by 30 mins, then 60 mins then 4 hours - missing my connection and putting the entire trip in jeopardy.
Naturally, I called in and the SM desk agent re-routed my outbound TPA-ATL-SAT (the same route that was $60 cheaper) for an even exchange 90 mins before the TPA flight took off under IROPS. He also re-applied my regional cert and I was able to check in with a current seat of 29D and showing #1 of 49 on the UP list with 5 open seats -- SM agent was also able to see that there were 5 OPEN (not unassigned) seats available.
Still driving to the airport (45 mins from wheels up) I looked for other open seats close up front - none. I re-verified I was still on the UP list and was still #1 of 49...
I ran through TPA and made it to the gate just as they were pre-boarding. The cleared list showed 5 CLEARED upgrades, with me NOT BEING ONE.
I asked for a red coat and she said "they didn't book my ticket correctly, because I paid H fare but was showing a Y-fare"... naturally, I commented that both a Y-fare and a regional UP cert would trump other platinums and the UP cert would trump diamonds without a cert applied. The red coat said "I'm not going to upgrade you, plus all the seats are now full".... Naturally I was less than pleased with this comment.
Having no time to figure this out since the flight was boarding, I flew in 29D. I was upgraded on the ATL-SAT leg via my cert which now renders my cert "closed".
On the way back, I contacted the DL corp and spoke with a supervisor that said my ticket clearly was IROPS w/ a regional and that I was checked in with noted on my PNR of why it was rebooked. The DL corp supervisor acknowledged that "something really wrong" happened to me and she was going to escalate this and have a manager call me back next week..
Did I miss something here?
ADDITIONAL INFO:
1. SM supervisors initially offered my 10k miles as an "apology" - I declined them, advised would take up with Corp.
2. Due to the last minute of the rebook (<2 hrs from wheels up), no one could have applied a REGIONAL or GLOBAL UP to their PNR.
Booked SRQ-ATL-SAT and back on a last minute trip - booked 1 day out and was in SAT for only 16 hrs. Purchased H fare out of SRQ as it's my home airport (note: flying out of TPA would have been $60 cheaper).
Used a regional to UP to first - no confirmed seats available, so was wait listed on SRQ-ATL and ATL-SAT. Confirmed that I was #1 on the UP list at check-in and <3 hours from scheduled departure.
Day of departure, receive an alert that flight was delayed by 30 mins, then 60 mins then 4 hours - missing my connection and putting the entire trip in jeopardy.
Naturally, I called in and the SM desk agent re-routed my outbound TPA-ATL-SAT (the same route that was $60 cheaper) for an even exchange 90 mins before the TPA flight took off under IROPS. He also re-applied my regional cert and I was able to check in with a current seat of 29D and showing #1 of 49 on the UP list with 5 open seats -- SM agent was also able to see that there were 5 OPEN (not unassigned) seats available.
Still driving to the airport (45 mins from wheels up) I looked for other open seats close up front - none. I re-verified I was still on the UP list and was still #1 of 49...
I ran through TPA and made it to the gate just as they were pre-boarding. The cleared list showed 5 CLEARED upgrades, with me NOT BEING ONE.
I asked for a red coat and she said "they didn't book my ticket correctly, because I paid H fare but was showing a Y-fare"... naturally, I commented that both a Y-fare and a regional UP cert would trump other platinums and the UP cert would trump diamonds without a cert applied. The red coat said "I'm not going to upgrade you, plus all the seats are now full".... Naturally I was less than pleased with this comment.
Having no time to figure this out since the flight was boarding, I flew in 29D. I was upgraded on the ATL-SAT leg via my cert which now renders my cert "closed".
On the way back, I contacted the DL corp and spoke with a supervisor that said my ticket clearly was IROPS w/ a regional and that I was checked in with noted on my PNR of why it was rebooked. The DL corp supervisor acknowledged that "something really wrong" happened to me and she was going to escalate this and have a manager call me back next week..
Did I miss something here?
ADDITIONAL INFO:
1. SM supervisors initially offered my 10k miles as an "apology" - I declined them, advised would take up with Corp.
2. Due to the last minute of the rebook (<2 hrs from wheels up), no one could have applied a REGIONAL or GLOBAL UP to their PNR.
Last edited by imseanbrown; Jul 23, 2016 at 11:21 am Reason: Additional information
Jul 23, 2016, 12:12 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2008
Location: CHA, MAN;
Programs: Delta DM 1 MM; Hz PC
Posts: 11,169
Jul 23, 2016, 12:16 pm
#5
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL PM, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 8,414
I think that OP should have a new RCU issued for future use, since OP was unfairly denied an upgrade on a portion of the trip and yet still lost the RCU.
Jul 23, 2016, 12:32 pm
#6
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: San Diego
Programs: IHG Spire Amb, HH Diamond, DL Diamond and 1MM
Posts: 3,611
I'd take the offered 10k miles, and then write in later to ask for my RUC back. If I could get both, then I'd be satisfied. I'd be less concerned about what happens to the Redcoat because at the end of the day, he or she is Delta's problem.
As a aside, the name "Redcoat" is a little strange for a customer-forward assistance person. First thing that comes to mind is a British nasty with a musket and bayonet.
Jul 23, 2016, 1:26 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL Diamond 1.7MM, Starlux Insighter, Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,947
The same thing that has happened to many of us, including myself: page #5 on the list, apologize for the inconvenience but tell them another passenger has showed up who needs their seat, and hand them a new boarding pass for their seat in Y.
Jul 23, 2016, 2:38 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: UA Plat 2MM. DL Plat, AS MVP
Posts: 12,752
Well, that's fine if the original seat is still available. But chances are the original seat has been given away and the only available seat is 29d.
Jul 23, 2016, 3:17 pm
#10
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: delta dm
Posts: 1,677
The the GA/redcoat should have taken the last upgrade back, gave them a ticket in Y and gave the OP the FC seat. I have seen this exact scenario happen on more than one occassion when a mistake is made.
Last edited by dzflyer; Jul 23, 2016 at 3:51 pm
Jul 23, 2016, 5:14 pm
#15
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: NYC
Programs: DL DM, AA PLT, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,056
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...-upgraded.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...owngraded.html
But you seem to believe agents never go rogue or bend rules
Last edited by clr4t8koff; Jul 23, 2016 at 5:27 pm