DTWNate

Booked with a companion on same record next week. We are both upgraded both directions based on my status alone. My plans have changed and will not be flying, but companion still is. Ticket was cheap enough that there would be no value left after change fee, so I am leaving it alone. The questions: If my companion shows up for flight and I don't, will he be downgraded on outbound? What about return?

daloosh

Interesting question. Seems that since you are not required to check in together, if your companion checks in, receives a boarding pass, and boards, he will be in the seat upgrade that was issued on your status. You could change your plans, check in and still board at any time until the window closes. But on the return, since you missed the outbound, your inbound will be canceled and your companion will be the only pax on the PNR. It could be that they are in danger of a seat reassignment if some higher status elite were trying to get into that cabin. I vaguely remember something like that happening to my wife years ago - I wound up not traveling and on the return, she had a seat reassignment, but I don't recall if we delved into why.

Now, what if you changed your flight, and your companion was the only one on the record on the outbound? Or what if you arrived at your destination separately, and cleared with DL that you were going to use the inbound still? You would need a very good reason for Delta to do that. Or what if your companion has his own status, perhaps not as high as yours, then he might have deserved that upgraded seat anyways.

sydneyracquelle

I wouldn’t worry as much about the companion upgrade as I would your companion being permitted to travel at all. Especially on the return when your rez will have been cancelled in advance by DL.

MCO Flyer

flyerCO

Don't call. When your companion boards they'll eventually ask if you are coming also. When they say no they'll simply split the PNR into two. If you call before hand you risk them downgrading your companion. While it's possible for them to still do that onboard, it's unlikely.

just to make sure, did you use a companion cert of did you pay for both passengers?

KevinDTW

OP said they were both upgraded based upon his status alone, so if he splits the PNR or just doesn't show for the flight, how would the companion still be eligible for an upgrade?

jdrtravel

At what point does this splitting occur? Is it prior to departure? If so this could force a downgrade, right? And then the pax could end up in one of the worse seats on the plane.

flyerCO

It won't happen till the OP doesn't board. As long as there's no companion cert at play the system shouldn't downgrade them. The GA will then have to split the PNR.

Generally the way DL systems work, is once an action is done for an upgrade an agent would have to undo it. Phone agents are more likely to do this. Gate agent at gate trying to get plane out not likely.

Just like getting an upgrade on flight departing say Feb 4, at DM window, even though lose status on Feb 1. You remain upgraded unless there's a need to redo seating assignments.

KevinDTW

If this is true then a (presumably) status-less person would stay in an upgraded seat at the expense of someone on the UG list?

jdrtravel

One data point: My spouse was PM until Jan 31st of this year, and because of very low travel last year, now has no status. We had booked and were upgraded to C+ back in December while he was still PM on an upcoming flight, but were downgraded after he lost status. I don't think this used to happen, but it is now happening.

MSPeconomist

daloosh

At the same time, when the companion confirms OP will not be flying, that seat becomes now available to someone on the upgrade list, ya?
Seems unlikely there's an SOP for downgrading in this situation. If GAs just get over YBYL, I'd call that a win.

OHDL1

Lol....my thoughts exactly.