I’ve flown as the only FC passenger on a DL flight. Not a big deal.

Do they? It seems not, but, you'd think they would care, since, I think it's fair to say that, it's the number one perk that most frequent flyers look for, and, the bad will that it surely genetates when Medallions see empty seats up front, knowing that they're on the UG list, and hafto sit there stewing about it during flights, while they're watching the seats fly empty!

Report these events to:


I have reason to believe that DL has become sensitized to the resentment caused by this failure of the benefits program.

It's probably more common than you think on off-peak flights (Holidays, weekends, seasonality, time of departure, etc.) but if you travel primarily on peak flights, you won't realize it. I even had an MD88 flight in early fall (while traveling on Economy Basic fare) GPT-ATL with nobody in First.

Still surprises me. Would have figured they'd start giving FCM offers for $10 just to guarantee no elites got upgraded

I hopped an earlier flight this week to MSP, GA moved me to the earlier flight per my ask, assigned me a seat but skipped putting me up front. When I boarded, the red coat pointed to my status on my boarding pass to GA, he shrugged his shoulders. Flight departed with empty seats up front. It does happen.

I was #3 on UG list not too long ago, and while F checked in full per GIDS, at T-5 mins there was one empty F seat. T-1 the GA came on board, chatted briefly with an FA in the galley, and then they closed the door and we flew out with an F seat empty. At #3 on the list, in my window C+ seat, I stayed quiet. But it did seem kinda crappy. UGs are getting more and more rare, and GAs who won't pull up a seated elite when there's a no-show are frustrating. Can they not say to the FA: "offer 14D the UG after seatbelt sign is off" if they don't want to delay the push?

Does that actually work?

I basically stopped even looking at DL after paying for F on SFO-ATL, and being told the only option left for me was some kind of cold platter that was roughly equivalent to the appetizer handed out on AC flights of similar length. Meanwhile I got to watch most of the rest of the cabin eat a decent hot meal.

I commented to the FA that they advertised a meal when I bought my ticket (though I did not explicitly say "I paid for first").

For reference, the website currently says "For flights over 1,500 miles, you’ll find a fresh, full meal service — featuring a variety of healthy and local options as part of your meal. You’ll have several meal selections to choose from."

I was not offered a "full meal" by any definition. And there were no "selections". I believe the entire cabin had 2 options at the beginning (hardly "several"), and I certainly did not have a choice.

Even if you think paid F customers should get meal choice priority (which isn't a published benefit), calling out another customer specifically as being an upgrade and therefore less worthy than you is a really bad move. That passenger didn't wrong you.

So...you knew your meal choice wasn't available after your seatmates order....or...just flexing your
verbal muscle to let the FA know you're the boss? The verbal DYKIPFTS? (Don't you know I paid for this seat?)

Seriously?!?!?

First of all, I can't imagine sitting next to someone who did that for the rest of the flight, but, secondly, . . . . .

Is there some official protocol that the FAs are supposed to give first choices to pax who paid for F? How would they even know? My understanding is that, they know who's a non-rev, and that's it.

Is there a reason you just took it instead of attempting to communicate with the Red Coat to secure your upgrade?

Its passive behavior like this that reinforces bad behavior by gate staff...you should always ask them about the upgrade, not just shrug your shoulders over it

No, you are the only one being tacky. FAs are allowed to go by status. Everyone who is in F paid for that flight, and some were upgraded/had their meal orders taken before you because they are more loyal to DL than you.

You are just a lowly gold. If I were the FA, I would apologize and ask you to write in online with your complaint, but its certainly unacceptable to take a higher status pax's meal simply because you paid for F for that flight. What if the PM or DM who was upgraded paid a higher main cabin fare, than your discounted first fare?

Point is, your behavior and language you used for a meal choice is wild. I hope I never sit next to you