Upgrade to Delta One/First getting harder?
Jun 2, 2018, 5:58 pm
#16
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: MCO
Programs: DL PM, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 4,366
The Caribbean isn't considered International for lounge access purposes, but complimentary UG's are available to the Caribbean, Mexico, Canada, and Upper S. America with all of the others being considered international.
Jun 2, 2018, 7:00 pm
#17
Join Date: May 2004
Location: formerly Gold now Diamond, formerly MSY, now LAX, formerly NW, now DL
Programs: Hyatt Plat, Hilton Gold, SPG Gold, Delta Diamond/1MM
Posts: 4,638
So what’s going to happen when Delta removes C+ and there’s only Premium Economy for us elites traveling in coach? Back to the fight for the exit rows?? Since I’m 6’5 the leg room is really my main concern.
Jun 2, 2018, 7:42 pm
#18
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: HSV
Programs: Bellevue Lifetime Premiere Mega Elite Supreme
Posts: 1,509
Jun 2, 2018, 8:37 pm
#19
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: MKE
Programs: DL 2 MM
Posts: 910
Do I want to educate them or do I go with 'less competition'?
Jun 2, 2018, 9:56 pm
#20
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: DCA
Programs: DL DM 2 MM, Lifetime Marriott Titanium, UA Silver
Posts: 86
Amen, lets be nice. I don,t know all these rules either. Not an an attorney, just a retired USAF pilot.
Jun 3, 2018, 12:25 am
#21
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Atlanta, GA
Programs: DL 3 MM/DM, Marriott Titanium Elite, Hyatt Globalist, National Exec Elite
Posts: 4,006
JMO, but the sooner C+ goes away and Premium Economy arrives, the better.
Jun 3, 2018, 3:21 pm
#23
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: PNS
Programs: DL PM / 1MM "Enhancee" (Frequent Flyer) Since 1990
Posts: 1,156
As others have said, there’s no such thing as comp upgrades on international flights except in the instance of overbooked flights. It’s possible that since you paid for M fares, that’s pushed you to the top of the op-up list. But that should never translate into an expectation of an upgrade.
That left OpUps - unpredictable and rare, or mileage upgrades for each direction you were upgrading - in my case IAD-ATL-NRT. That used to be 25,000 skymiles each way - providing you had a Y, B or M fare.. Best confirmed at booking rather than waitlisting. Oh yeah you could also just pay for a BE ticket, back then $1400.00 for a Z class roundtrip - which now runs $5000+
With all these changes, i've sort of lost the ball on how to fly international/BE/D1 up front - guessing that the only real options for me as a PM is to upgrade with miles using whatever DL award charts are in play..(and I don't think the mileage award charts are still visible any more - or they were switched off for a while)
Last edited by heckler; Jun 3, 2018 at 6:33 pm
Jun 3, 2018, 6:08 pm
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: NRT/HND (Tokyo)
Programs: Skymiles (DM, 1MM, SC Lifetime) HHonors (G)
Posts: 150
GUC vs. Upgrade with Miles
I haven't used an old SWU (Systemwide Upgrade) as a PM to japan since they turned into GUCs, and were given only to DMs - when skymiles program changes were made years ago.
That left OpUps - unpredictable and rare, or mileage upgrades for each direction you were upgrading - in my case IAD-ATL-NRT. That used to be 25,000 skymiles each way - providing you had a Y, B or M fare.. Best confirmed at booking rather than waitlisting. Oh yeah you could also just pay for a BE ticket, back then $1400.00 for a Z class roundtrip - which now runs $5000+
With all these changes, i've sort of lost the ball on how to fly international/BE/D1 up front - guessing that the only real options for me as a PM is to upgrade with miles using whatever DL award charts are in play..
That left OpUps - unpredictable and rare, or mileage upgrades for each direction you were upgrading - in my case IAD-ATL-NRT. That used to be 25,000 skymiles each way - providing you had a Y, B or M fare.. Best confirmed at booking rather than waitlisting. Oh yeah you could also just pay for a BE ticket, back then $1400.00 for a Z class roundtrip - which now runs $5000+
With all these changes, i've sort of lost the ball on how to fly international/BE/D1 up front - guessing that the only real options for me as a PM is to upgrade with miles using whatever DL award charts are in play..
Jun 3, 2018, 6:38 pm
#25
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: PNS
Programs: DL PM / 1MM "Enhancee" (Frequent Flyer) Since 1990
Posts: 1,156
Sounds plausible to me.. GUCs are about as high on the upgrade totem pole as you can go (ergo, you'd be a DM). I'm not, however, 100% sure..
Jun 3, 2018, 6:52 pm
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,277
It’s not clear to me whether the type of instrument (GUC vs. mileage upgrade) has any impact on the waitlist priority, but as was mentioned, a GUC request can transfer to the upgrade standby list at the airport, where they’ll clear any unsold seats before departure. Mileage upgrades have to clear earlier, under the control of revenue management (and not sure if the cutoff is T-24h or closer-in.
Jun 3, 2018, 7:44 pm
#27
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: NRT/HND (Tokyo)
Programs: Skymiles (DM, 1MM, SC Lifetime) HHonors (G)
Posts: 150
UPG Flow
It’s not clear to me whether the type of instrument (GUC vs. mileage upgrade) has any impact on the waitlist priority, but as was mentioned, a GUC request can transfer to the upgrade standby list at the airport, where they’ll clear any unsold seats before departure. Mileage upgrades have to clear earlier, under the control of revenue management (and not sure if the cutoff is T-24h or closer-in.
1. Mileage Upgrade requested (at purchase or thereafter)
2. Waitlisted
3. @ Cut-off (either T-24 or T-3?), the waitlist is clared/reset
4. GUC request applied for the gatet standby
5. Pray
Jun 4, 2018, 10:26 am
#28
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: LHR / BHX / MAN / ATL
Programs: DL DM 2MM - IHG Diamond
Posts: 4,054
