Delta Revises Complimentary Upgrade Policy for Silver Medallions on Award Tickets
Oct 10, 16, 9:53 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
Posts: 993
Delta Silver Medallions Now Eligible for Upgrades on Award Tickets
Great news from Delta today with their latest enhancement to award travel for Silver Medallions.
Starting today, Silver Medallions will be eligible for upgrades on award tickets, which was previously limited to only Gold, Platinum, and Diamond Medallion members.
Similar to upgrades on paid tickets for Silvers, these will clear 24 hours in advance if available, otherwise will be added to the airport standby list for same day travel.
I think this is an extremely generous move on Delta's part! What does everyone else think?
Starting today, Silver Medallions will be eligible for upgrades on award tickets, which was previously limited to only Gold, Platinum, and Diamond Medallion members.
Similar to upgrades on paid tickets for Silvers, these will clear 24 hours in advance if available, otherwise will be added to the airport standby list for same day travel.
I think this is an extremely generous move on Delta's part! What does everyone else think?
Oct 10, 16, 10:09 pm
#2
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: 5,052
While a nice gesture, given it will only matter on lightly booked F cabins with few medallions on board (rather rare these days) I wouldn't call it "extremely generous". It's more of a "token gesture with minimal actual cost to DL".
Oct 10, 16, 10:11 pm
#3
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL Diamond 1.7MM, Starlux Insighter, Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,935
This is good news, but the number of these upgrades that will be handed out seems vanishingly slim: FO passengers on an award ticket will be all the way at the end of the queue, beyond even companion upgrades of higher tier elites.
Might prove nice for the occasional Saturday morning CRJ-900 flight from nowhere to nowhere else, though. There wasn't really a good justification for excluding Silvers from this benefit, so I'm glad to see they simplified the rules.
Now, can we remove the upgrade inhibitor on Amex companion certificates, please?
Might prove nice for the occasional Saturday morning CRJ-900 flight from nowhere to nowhere else, though. There wasn't really a good justification for excluding Silvers from this benefit, so I'm glad to see they simplified the rules.
Now, can we remove the upgrade inhibitor on Amex companion certificates, please?
Oct 10, 16, 11:22 pm
#4
Join Date: Nov 2014
Programs: DL DM, UA, AA EXP, AS MVP75K GOLD, HHonors Diamond, BW Diamond, SPG Gold, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 377
Delta Revises Complimentary Upgrade Policy for Silver Medallions on Award Tickets
From my own blog:
Tonight's Breaking News!
Delta Revises Award Ticket Upgrade Policy for Silver Medallions
I try to monitor the many changes that Delta Air Lines continues to throw at their loyal SkyMiles members. Tonight I have the pleasure of announcing that Delta has improved their policy for Silver Medallions who are travelling on Award tickets.
The previous policy locked Silver Medallions into their travel without the possibility of receiving any complimentary upgrades when traveling on an award ticket, as shown below:
The new policy states:
Starting October 10, 2016, Silver Medallion Members are eligible for Complimentary Upgrades to First Class on Award Travel, 24 hours prior to departure.
Tonight's Breaking News!
Delta Revises Award Ticket Upgrade Policy for Silver Medallions
I try to monitor the many changes that Delta Air Lines continues to throw at their loyal SkyMiles members. Tonight I have the pleasure of announcing that Delta has improved their policy for Silver Medallions who are travelling on Award tickets.
The previous policy locked Silver Medallions into their travel without the possibility of receiving any complimentary upgrades when traveling on an award ticket, as shown below:
The new policy states:
Starting October 10, 2016, Silver Medallion Members are eligible for Complimentary Upgrades to First Class on Award Travel, 24 hours prior to departure.
Last edited by laptoptravel; Oct 10, 16 at 11:35 pm
Oct 10, 16, 11:27 pm
#5
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: ATL
Programs: DL PM, 2+MM, AA Gold 1+MM, HH Diamond, MHG Silver,
Posts: 231
Good luck with that - I would bet the amount of Slivers who see an upgrade would be approaching zero percent.
Nice gesture - but I'm betting it won't happen but a few times a year.
Nice gesture - but I'm betting it won't happen but a few times a year.
Oct 10, 16, 11:34 pm
#6
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL PM, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 8,401
There was no reason for them not to offer this. As love2fly points out, these will be rare upgrades, though there are certainly routes where you could get them at certain times. For that early Saturday morning fight, there is no reason to leave an FO in the back and fly out with an empty F seat. This only generates ill will. They should also allow upgrades on Amex companion certs.
Oct 10, 16, 11:38 pm
#7
Join Date: Nov 2014
Programs: DL DM, UA, AA EXP, AS MVP75K GOLD, HHonors Diamond, BW Diamond, SPG Gold, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 377
Perhaps,
But it is a positive gesture. On my most recent flights to Latin America and the Caribbeans, we did fly out with a few empty seats in the forward cabin. I asked the GA on my last outbound flight and she stated "no more eligible Medallions to upgrade."
Now with this new policy, eligible Silver Medallions might get some of those seats, travelling on award tickets to some of these vacation destinations; not competing with business flyers.
But it is a positive gesture. On my most recent flights to Latin America and the Caribbeans, we did fly out with a few empty seats in the forward cabin. I asked the GA on my last outbound flight and she stated "no more eligible Medallions to upgrade."
Now with this new policy, eligible Silver Medallions might get some of those seats, travelling on award tickets to some of these vacation destinations; not competing with business flyers.
Oct 10, 16, 11:45 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 22,072
There are quite a few intra-west routes (through LAX and SEA hubs) where AS flyers regularly get upgrades. DL Silver Medallions on award tickets will now be able to trump them.
Oct 11, 16, 3:21 am
#10
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Santo Domingo, Dom. Rep. / Washington, DC
Programs: AA PPro/DL PLT, PPass, Marriott / Hilton Gold, JetBlue Mosaic, Hertz Presidents Circle, Amex Plat
Posts: 4,623
Perhaps,
But it is a positive gesture. On my most recent flights to Latin America and the Caribbeans, we did fly out with a few empty seats in the forward cabin. I asked the GA on my last outbound flight and she stated "no more eligible Medallions to upgrade."
Now with this new policy, eligible Silver Medallions might get some of those seats, travelling on award tickets to some of these vacation destinations; not competing with business flyers.
But it is a positive gesture. On my most recent flights to Latin America and the Caribbeans, we did fly out with a few empty seats in the forward cabin. I asked the GA on my last outbound flight and she stated "no more eligible Medallions to upgrade."
Now with this new policy, eligible Silver Medallions might get some of those seats, travelling on award tickets to some of these vacation destinations; not competing with business flyers.
Oct 11, 16, 6:25 am
#11
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Now in SLC
Programs: DL FO 1MM, MR LT Titanium
Posts: 3,999
Oct 11, 16, 7:06 am
#12
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,103
At least the waiting for upgrade displays will have a few more names on the lists than ever before. Should make those who get the upgrades feel all the more about being DL's idea of ubermensch customers.
Oct 11, 16, 7:09 am
#13
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Atlanta, GA
Programs: DL DM & 5MM, WN
Posts: 1,450
A thought: Why not have Silvers win x per cent of all upgrades, instead of always be shoved to the back of the e-line? It would give someone a reward for reaching Silver and it would stop all the worrying about the order of the upgrade line that we see reflected on this forum.
Oct 11, 16, 7:51 am
#15
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Seattle
Programs: DL DM, Marriott Gold
Posts: 607
Maybe it's because there's just too much capacity, but I was 100% for upgrades for both SEA<>LAX and SEA<>SFO as an FO. Ironically, the only time so far I missed an upgrade on those routes was when I was a GM, and ended up as first runner up from SFO to SEA.
