Flying out of JAX - Upgrades
Jun 5, 2017, 2:36 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2014
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Flying out of JAX - Upgrades
Does this make sense?
Talked to the gate agent yesterday, she told me, as a GM, that I would basically never see an upgrade out of JAX, since it has the 2nd most DM's in the US... I asked who is first? Being from MKE, I thought I'd be safe.. but no, she said MKE is #1 in Diamonds.
Really, MKE is #1 and JAX is #2 ? Does that even make sense? I would have guessed ATL for sure.....
But if it is true, it makes me wonder if it is worth trying to attain status on Delta (all my travel is personal, so it is all I can do to attain GM or PM in a given year). Of course, the only other option in MKE is Southwest. Yuk.
Talked to the gate agent yesterday, she told me, as a GM, that I would basically never see an upgrade out of JAX, since it has the 2nd most DM's in the US... I asked who is first? Being from MKE, I thought I'd be safe.. but no, she said MKE is #1 in Diamonds.
Really, MKE is #1 and JAX is #2 ? Does that even make sense? I would have guessed ATL for sure.....
But if it is true, it makes me wonder if it is worth trying to attain status on Delta (all my travel is personal, so it is all I can do to attain GM or PM in a given year). Of course, the only other option in MKE is Southwest. Yuk.
Jun 5, 2017, 2:48 pm
#3
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I have no inside data. No way MKE is number one in pure numbers. It could be #1 as a percentage share but I actually doubt that too. The thing is there is no reason to believe that the GAs have access to those numbers either.
Jun 5, 2017, 2:49 pm
#4
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JAX is a very heavy DM market. I can't get an upgrade into there on a Saturday night as a DM. Despite being a small airport, JAX has a SkyClub and they still will fly 757s into there from ATL. I think it's due to the being close to ATL and yet since it's Florida, there is no state income tax.
Jun 5, 2017, 2:52 pm
#5
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Outside of the hubs and focus cities (like RDU) I would say go and look at where there are non-hub flights, like DFW (which sees LAX and LGA service), MKE (which sees LGA service) and PIT(which sees JFK/LGA as well as TATL service).
It would surprise me if JAX was in the top 10, but then again they do have a Skyclub there and it's only a short hop to ATL.
It would surprise me if JAX was in the top 10, but then again they do have a Skyclub there and it's only a short hop to ATL.
Jun 6, 2017, 11:28 am
#6
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I'd also guess that JAX probably has a much higher business-to-leisure passenger ratio than other Florida airports, so more elites. I used to live in Jacksonville; you mostly don't go there unless you're told to.
Jun 6, 2017, 11:53 am
#8
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I don't think Jacksonville is a terrible place to live. There are plenty of beaches and the cost of living is low for being on the coast. I agree that there isn't a lot of tourist traffic, but there are plenty of pleasant places to live that aren't tourist meccas.
Jun 6, 2017, 12:05 pm
#9
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If the OP is a GM, what matters is the fraction of DMs and PMs, not just how many DMs are on his/her flights. His/her fare class of course also matters plus, at the cusp, whether he/she has a Reserve card as the tiebreaker.
Periodically there are claims about which airports are the most elite heavy, but I would expect DL to consider this information as proprietary, like the numbers of elites at each level. I don't think DL would share the numbers with a GA at an outstation because doing so would serve no purpose for DL.
Periodically there are claims about which airports are the most elite heavy, but I would expect DL to consider this information as proprietary, like the numbers of elites at each level. I don't think DL would share the numbers with a GA at an outstation because doing so would serve no purpose for DL.
Jun 6, 2017, 12:34 pm
#10
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If the OP is a GM, what matters is the fraction of DMs and PMs, not just how many DMs are on his/her flights. His/her fare class of course also matters plus, at the cusp, whether he/she has a Reserve card as the tiebreaker.
Periodically there are claims about which airports are the most elite heavy, but I would expect DL to consider this information as proprietary, like the numbers of elites at each level. I don't think DL would share the numbers with a GA at an outstation because doing so would serve no purpose for DL.
Periodically there are claims about which airports are the most elite heavy, but I would expect DL to consider this information as proprietary, like the numbers of elites at each level. I don't think DL would share the numbers with a GA at an outstation because doing so would serve no purpose for DL.
Jun 6, 2017, 1:42 pm
#11
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Why would JAX be so DM heavy? If there some corporate HQ with lots of employees doing really heavy travel that has a DL corporate contract? I tend to think of JAX as somewhat of a leisur destination.
Jun 6, 2017, 3:03 pm
#12
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Why is that? JAX is a city of nearly a million people and no one I know when they say they are going to Florida on vacation says they are going to Jacksonville. Not consistently warm enough in the winter. It has a major seaport and military operations.
Jun 6, 2017, 3:22 pm
#14
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JAX is close to ATL and Florida has no state income tax, so as a it has an ideal location to be a consultant.
Jun 6, 2017, 3:25 pm
#15
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I fly to JAX once a month and can vouch for how DM heavy it is. As a DM I clear UGs about 50% of the the time JAX-ATL and when I don't I've been as far as #12 down the UG list on a 757. JAX is DM heavy because a lot of folks who live in JAX and travel for business do so via ATL due to the frequency of JAX-ATL service as a reflection of service to proximate hubs for other carriers (CLT, IAD, DFW, IAH). ATL just makes easy sense for north-bound and west-bound flights.
Interestingly, when I fly LGA-JAX I clear almost 100% of the time...on an RJ. And, given DL is starting JAX-BOS there must be demand for some point-to-point travel.
Interestingly, when I fly LGA-JAX I clear almost 100% of the time...on an RJ. And, given DL is starting JAX-BOS there must be demand for some point-to-point travel.