GUC Advice Needed
 

I'm considering going for the 4 GUCs as one of my choice benefits this year. I have a flight from SEA-HKG in late January, and a flight from ICN-DTW in early February. I called to check and there is no upgrade availability on either of these flights, but I can be waitlisted. Anyone care to hazard a guess at my likelihood of success if I go this route? I will also be trying to get my wife upgraded.

If my odds are slim, I will likely choose a different benefit.

Thanks.

It's impossible to say for any given flight, and you'll get anecdotes from some posters here about how easily they cleared and from others about how their certs went into the trash unused.

The way I would look at it is this: If you're OK with sitting in Y if they don't clear, go for the certs. If at least one cert clears, you've gotten better value than any other choice benefit. If you're not OK with sitting in Y if they don't clear, then find another way into a premium cabin (pay for J outright, buy W on another carrier, redeem miles, etc) and don't bother with the certs.

No guarantees, of course, but it seems most folks that waitlisted with GUC's had success.
Here's a thread to check for some success stories:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...yay-i-got.html

Solid advice. Thanks.

If there is no availability now keep calling and checking - you don't have to pick the benefit until January 2017 (I believe).

So you can hold off on choosing which benefit you want until closer to the time. Keep an eye on seats, keep calling and checking. If it opens up pick the benefit and have them apply it.

If it looks like a lot of seats are open closer to your flight then wait list and roll the dice, maybe you'll get lucky.

Remember they expire a year from when you choose them so I'd wait until the last minute you need them or when you have confirmation of availability.

Thanks. Does the time of the upgrade request factor into your chances of success? I.e., if I make the upgrade request earlier, is it more likely to clear?

I am not sure - I think it is based on status and time of being added to the waitlist - so a MM DM would have a better chance than a DM even if they were added to the waitlist after the regular DM. Or someone that got the GUC's as a DM but is now a PM would be behind everyone else.

But you should call and ask.

GUC are (in my opinion) the most valuable choice benefits. Definitely go for it, unless you're sure you'll have access to J in another way.

Success with GUC depends on route and day/date of travel. I've been cleared far in advance and at the gate as well. Additional upside with being cleared at the gate is that they sometimes don't mark them as used :)

FWIW, I got the upgrade on SEA-HKG last week even when applying the GUC on the day of flight, so either I got lucky or it might be a fairly easy one to get. Bonus in that it's one of the few routes with the D1 pajamas.

Shhhhhhhhhhh don't give away that secret!

Every route is different but I'm mostly flying between the US and NRT and I was about 50% this last year. Year before that, I was 4/6 so the odds have gotten worse for me. Europe looks much easier than Asia because the routes are shorter (if you're on the East Coast). If you do go for them, you should definitely waitlist ASAP. There were times when I cleared months out and then the flight became booked solid (i.e., no way it would have cleared if I waited). The plus with clearing early (especially on a 747) is the ability to choose the best seat instead of at the gate, when you'll get the worst.

Thanks. Does the time of the upgrade request factor into your chances of success? I.e., if I make the upgrade request earlier, is it more likely to clear?
My understanding is that time of request is a major factor.
I've also recently learned that MM status is also a factor - but don't know where in the hierarchy it plays.

As for getting them, using them: GO!

Upon approaching DM, I looked into GUCs as my wife and I (both DMs) hop across the lake (TPAC) twice a year and heard that LAX-SYD (15hr flight) is VERY hard to get, yet we are 10/10 this year (3 of those were NRT)
specifically, here is our history:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/27548421-post1894.html

You can wait for as long as you want to select your benefit. It does take up to 24 hours before you get them so there is a chance that you might miss the upgrade seat....

FYI, AMS lounge agents are good at getting you upgraded with GUCs too