thesaints

It is not just a terrible idea, but also kind of stupid.
All it takes to see a complete seatmap is a search for a new booking.
Net result for DL is p155ed off customers, without any added secrecy regarding seat assignment.

jfadool

Just a data point, but in the app on Android I am able to see seats in all cabins.

I checked several flights I have booked, all just the same, no issues seeing seats in other cabins.

donsullivan

As a PM, I have my profile set to only auto-upgrade to First, not C+ due to lousy seats often in c+. I used the seat map to determine if decent seats were available and then if they were I'd select the option and do the immediate upgrade to C+ right after booking. If this profile affects everyone (no reason to believe it doesn't) I'll loose my option for immediate C+ upgrades going forward since I can't see what seats are available. I'm not giving up my exit row for a C+ middle seat.

HornsKeith

Ugh. I'll have to email DL.

So only options are present are EF or a dummy booking?

Keith

anon2k2

Maybe it's the app version? My android phone app has all the seats greyed out in the cabin I'm not booked.

dinanm3atl

Exactly. This is precisely what I do as a PM. And while it's not a guarantee to 'upgrades' you can still glance and see how many seats delta has 'for sale'. It's silly to just not show how full the plane is.

I think it's geared towards FCM offers. If I saw one that I was considering a few days before I'd check the map and decide based on experience if I was interested. Sure I can dummy book or use the app and see the upgrade list but adding those steps for no real reason seems silly.

xliioper

You can now downgrade yourself on the website if you don't like your C+ seat. There's little reason to turn off the request for C+ upgrades at this point other than in gate upgrade situations where you may not have a chance to reverse it. By the way, I have no problem seeing available seats in lower classes of service, contrary to OP's claim. Also, flights where there are upgrade offers to F are showing the F seatmaps for me. Don't know if my case is unusual, but all my domestic bookings are currently showing upgrade offers. It's only my international flights (where there are no upgrade offers), where they are showing D1 as full.

By the way, there are already two existing threads on this topic. OP you are a bit late with your "scoop".

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...ctly-full.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...ap-issues.html

ryanfinger

IIRC Delta tried to do this a couple of years ago and reversed course when a bunch of us complained. Either they forgot or more likely they are aware of the backlash and don't care.

It's stupid because the data is still available. You just have to do a dummy booking in the class to see the seat map. One extra step in a system that already needlessly complicated.... IE using certificates.

GatorBlues

I liked being able to look at the seat map a day or two out to get a feel for my upgrade chances. Was it accurate? Of course not. A single flight cancellation could have wiped out all of the open seats. But most of the time, it was a good barometer of the odds.

As another poster mentioned above, I also leave C+ off my upgrade choices until I see the seat map. If a middle seat is all that's available, I don't want the "upgrade" to a less desirable seat. Jumping through extra hoops to see the C+ map by going most of the way through a dummy reservation is a hassle.

Is Delta getting a benefit here? I'm struggling to see what it would be. I'm not unreasonable. If there's a good reason for this, then I'll just jump through the extra hoops to see the seat map and not worry about it. However, since I'm not seeing how this change is of any material benefit to Delta, I'm annoyed, and will be annoyed every time I have to tinker with a faux reservation to see the seat map.

SuperG1955

If you're booking, you can see the seat map. Once you've booked, it may or may not be grayed out.
There is no consistency. Right now I have 10 booked trips.

Trip 1 - Outbound is in the process of a weekend change, possible equipment change. No seat maps are available and no seat is assigned. Return shows seats in C+, where I'm seated, RUC pending on return is grayed out.
Trip2 - Outbound shows all seats, and I got moved. Was just able to move back to my original seat in C+. Return, only open seats in class of service are showing.
Trip 3 - One way, only open seats in class of service are showing.
Trip 4 - One way. all open seats showing.
Trip - 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9 - Outbound and Inbound, All open seats are showing.
Trip 10 - Outbound and Inbound, only open seats in class of service are showing. TATL F with GUC's.

Note: I'm glad I checked and got my seat back on trip 2. Now I have to keep checking on trip 1 where I'm anticipating a downgauge equipment change.
I may also get screwed on some possible SDC's.

essexnyc

Agree 100%! I would much rather have Delta IT spend their time giving me a selection option to auto-upgrade to C+ ONLY if aisle or window were available!

xliioper

As I noted above, you can now downgrade yourself out of C+ if you don't like your seat. I see little reason to turn off the C+ upgrade option at this point other than in gate upgrade situations.

davetravels

On the very first page, where you view the list of flight choices, there's a link that says "View Seats", and it shows the seat map for the whole plane. Still a pain, though.

xliioper

Sounds like some of the issues that you and others are experiencing may be due to the fact that it is Schedule Change Saturday -- http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...ain-today.html

In my case, it seems fairly consistent. I can see all seats in lower classes of service. I can see F seats where there are FCM/upgrade offers (which are present on all my domestic flights). It's only international flights where there are no upgrade offers that D1 shows as full.

CarmenOM

I think it's a glitch.

I have a reservation that I booked a couple of weeks ago. I have both F and C+ upgrade requests checked. When I made the reservation I got an auto upgrade instead of having to go back in and change to C+ seats. At first I could see the entire seat map and all types of availability and changed one seat assignment. Then for several days I could see available F, C+, and non-preferred seats, but preferred seats showed as not available. Then it changed back to showing all availability. Then yesterday I could not see any available seat; it looked like the flights were entirely sold out (for ALB on a Sunday morning!). Today the seat map is back to showing all available seats.

I don't think this is an intentional change; I hope this wonkiness will get worked out.

This is on an iPad Delta app.