TuxTom

All the benefits are well explained on their website, but Silver on an international trip doesn't do whole lot. You could be upgrade eligible for the domestic legs of the journey, but you'll be near the bottom of the upgrade list (you could get lucky since MIA isn't a DL hub). If you think you might be flying more with DL in the long term and have a chance of making it past silver in 2019, then this trip could help with your MQMs.

miadukes

Thank you and yes I have been to the website and seen the benefits, but was more curious about upgrade chances than anything else. The bolded by me is pretty much what i wanted to know. I would love to fly more DL but like you said since MIA is not a hub, i stick to american but I think DL is far superior. This trip wont count for anything because I am using miles for the tickets so I assume DL is like AA where awards tickets don't count but if I am wrong that would be awesome. As to you other thing, yes I prob would try to complete the challenge anyway as it appears that it is only $750 and 6,xxx miles for silver for a year so that would be nice. thanks for the response

Duke787

Silver gives free exit row (unless it's a 763 with C+ exit rows) which is a good TATL perk.

You can also clear into C+ at T-24 if seats are available which I had happen when I was FO a couple times (but flying as single passenger)

wxman22

OP, I was silver until last year since forever.
It worked well flying International until Sky Priority came to being. Some airports let you use the SP lines, some didn't.
Flying on Asian airlines, like KE, it doesn't mean a thing.

Being Elite Plus, gold or higher makes a significant difference if flying international.

15 years ago, I'd get upgraded almost half the time flying domestically. In the last couple of years, as Silver, maybe 10% of the time.

miadukes

Question on this...
Do you "clear" into C+ as in they will just "upgrade" us and change our seats (meaning without notice I will end up in some middle seat) or is it more like AA where at T-24 when I check in I can select my own seats in C+?

Tennis69

So far in 2018 I'm at 89.55%. 60 out of 67 flights.

ElmhurstNick

Gold no reserve, Sunday morning flights:
ORD-SLC (319): 4 of 12 for 0, but Utah had played Northern Illinois in football the night before so lots of SLC natives on the flight and a third of F bought weeks in advance. The flight connects to a HNL flight, we'll see how busy it is when I fly it again in a couple of weeks.

SLC-PHX (321): 9 of about 20 for 1.

SDQBound

Ironically, my first operational upgrade was on KE1, NRT-LAX back in 2008 as a Silver. I had a really bad seat from ICN to NRT, and approached the gate agent at NRT to ask her for a new seat. I was given a BP with a business class seat

These were the times when I was also upgraded on the SLC-JFK and SLC-ATL red eyes.

defrosted

This makes no sense.

GM at T-72
Went to see if I got a C+ upgrade.
It said my seat was (unassigned)Comfort+.
Plane had changed since booking, from MD to 757.
It let me pick a C+ seat at no charge.

So strange but whatever.

That was this morning at about 9.
Here is the part that makes no sense....
6 hours later I get an email offering to sell me an upgrade to C+?!?!

PV_Premier

flyerCO

You upgrade. Just like for a first class seat. You thus need inventory in the correct bucket in order to upgrade before the gate. RU/OU for F, SU for C+

miadukes

thanks. that doesn't sound like fun at all since perhaps i will end up with a seat assignment that i dont want

daloosh

And yes, you can absolutely upgrade from a aisle or window or exit seat in Economy into a crowded middle seat in C+.
At check in you may have the option to select only windows or aisles if you choose the C+ upgrade.

CMK10

As FO:
1/26: DL 782 RDU-DTW 717-200 X Fare: 19 and 20 out of 28 for F, 2 and 3 of 3 for C+
1/29: DL 4051 JFK-RDU CRJ-900 X Fare: 1 and 2 out of 6 for F. Annoyingly there was an empty seat in F but the F/A refused to move me up because "only the gate agent can"

As GM:
2/03: DL 3623 RDU-LGA CRJ-900 X Fare: 1 and 2 out of 6 for F.
2/10: DL 3623 RDU-LGA CRJ-900 X Fare: Cleared with Companion at T-72.
2/22 DL 5484 RDU-EWR CRJ-700 X Fare: Cleared at T-72
2/25 DL 1606 LAS-ATL A-321 T Fare: #1 0 of 17, C+ at T-72
2/26 DL 2351 ATL-RDU MD-88 T Fare: #38 of 64, 21 of 35 for C+
3/30 DL 2773 RDU-DTW MD-90 T Fare: Cleared at Window
3/30 DL 6201 DTW-YYZ CRJ-900 T Fare: Cleared at Window
3/31 DL 2551 YYZ-ATL 717-200 V Fare: Cleared at Gate
3/31 DL 1177 ATL-RDU MD-88 V Fare: Cleared at Gate
4/04 DL 6228 RDU-DCA CRJ-700 V Fare: Cleared at Window
4/13 DL 6250 RDU-DCA CRJ-700 X Fare: #3 of 11 at the Gate, one person pulled up after boarding.
4/22 DL 1663 MKE-ATL MD-88 X Fare: #9 of 19
4/22 DL 889 ATL-RDU MD-88 X Fare: #9 of 14 at the Gate, one person pulled up after boarding
4/26 DL 5212 RDU-JFK CRJ-900 U Fare: #1 of 4 at the Gate
4/30 DL 6280 BOS-RDU CRJ-900 L Fare: Cleared at T-72
5/19 DL 2012 ORD-ATL 737-700 V Fare: Cleared at T-72
5/19 DL 2034 ATL-RDU 757-200 V Fare: #4 of 8
5/24 DL 2856 MCO-RDU 717-200 X Fare: Cleared at T-72
6/01 DL 4562 RDU-EWR CRJ-900 V Fare: Cleared at T-72
6/03 DL 1238 MDT-ATL 717-200 L Fare: Cleared at the Gate
6/03 DL 889 ATL-RDU 757-200 L Fare: #12 of 19. There were 5 empty F seats and the gate agent came on board and asked the lead flight attendant if she could pull people up. Lead F/A said no
6/05 DL 1564 RDU-ATL MD-88 Q Fare: #12 of 35. Pretty high finish for a GM on this route, guess the Q Fare helped.
6/24 DL 2096 GSO-ATL MD-88 V Fare: Cleared at T-22
6/24 DL 2544 ATL-MEM MD-88 V Fare: #2 of 10
6/25 DL 2106 LIT-ATL 717-200 T Fare: Cleared at T-36
6/25 DL 0540 ATL-GSO MD-88 T Fare: #8 of 14, One Passenger pulled up after boarding
6/30 DL 5227 RIC-LGA CRJ-900 T Fare: Cleared at T-72. Went out with one empty seat.

As PM:
7/15 DL 2540 BOS-RDU 717-200 L Fare: Cleared at T-120. Took VDB
7/16 DL 1977 BOS-RDU 717-200 W Fare: #4 of 9. This was my rebooked VDB flight
7/22 DL 2953 DTW-ATL A-320 X Fare: Cleared at T-96
7/22 DL 2590 ATL-GSO MD-88 X Fare: Cleared at T-96
7/24 DL 6201 RDU-DCA CRJ-700 X Fare: Cleared at T-120 with Companion
8/4 DL 6218 RDU-DTW CRJ-700 T Fare: Cleared at T-120
8/4 DL 3738 DTW-GRR CRJ-900 T Fare: Cleared at T-120
8/22 DL 1248 AUS-ATL A-321 X Fare: Cleared at T-115
8/22 DL 551 ATL-GSO MD-88 X Fare: Cleared at T-115
8/30 DL 2840 MCO-RDU 717-200 X Fare: Cleared at T-120.
8/31 DL 1104 RDU-MSP 717-200 L Fare: #9 and #10 of 23
9/3 DL 5315 JFK-RDU CRJ-900 L Fare: Cleared at T-120 with Companion
9/16 DL 926 LAX-RDU 737-800 T Fare: Cleared at Boarding

Currently 61.90% (26/42)

rwarren5

As a newer frequent flyer, I took at advantage of the fast track to gold program Delta has going on. My first gold flight was this past weekend, round trip to IND. Bumped to C+ on 1197 to IND, then again on 1408 back to ATL, and got bumped to F at the gate. Both K fares.