Frequent RT Bay area - BUF, best route to get upgrade?
Jul 31, 2018, 3:27 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 261
Frequent RT Bay area - BUF, best route to get upgrade?
I am a newly GM.
Due to work, I will travel almost every other two weeks from bay area to BUF in the next three months. SFO is my first choice, but SJC is good to me too.
I normally book ticket through Concur 3-4 days before travel. Based on travel policy, I can choose airlines, but not ticket class code.
What's the best route I should take to get upgrade in the long haul flights?
Thank you.
Due to work, I will travel almost every other two weeks from bay area to BUF in the next three months. SFO is my first choice, but SJC is good to me too.
I normally book ticket through Concur 3-4 days before travel. Based on travel policy, I can choose airlines, but not ticket class code.
What's the best route I should take to get upgrade in the long haul flights?
Thank you.
Jul 31, 2018, 3:34 pm
#2
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: DL DM, UA Gold, Alaska MVP, Bonvoy (lol) Ambassador
Posts: 2,996
As a GM, it is unlikely that you will get an upgrade on any of your SFO/SJC legs. Your best bet may be to fly into LAX if it is at more off-hours as your long haul (if that is an option) and then fly LAX->SFO. Barring IRROPS or flying at super dead times, your next best bet is SLC, then DTW or JFK - MSP and especially ATL are not going to happen.
Jul 31, 2018, 3:37 pm
#3
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 339
I am a newly GM.
Due to work, I will travel almost every other two weeks from bay area to BUF in the next three months. SFO is my first choice, but SJC is good to me too.
I normally book ticket through Concur 3-4 days before travel. Based on travel policy, I can choose airlines, but not ticket class code.
What's the best route I should take to get upgrade in the long haul flights?
Thank you.
Due to work, I will travel almost every other two weeks from bay area to BUF in the next three months. SFO is my first choice, but SJC is good to me too.
I normally book ticket through Concur 3-4 days before travel. Based on travel policy, I can choose airlines, but not ticket class code.
What's the best route I should take to get upgrade in the long haul flights?
Thank you.
Though as I'm sure others will tell you, if you want any shot at all, avoid ATL like the plague. You're only other options would be DTW, MSP, or JFK if you want a 1-stop itinerary, so DTW/MSP would comparatively be the easiest though still almost impossible. DTW/MSP-BUF are also likely to be easier than ATL-BUF FWIW
You're only advantage would be the 3 day booking window, which if booked less than 72 hours before your flight, you can click on "view upgrade eligibility" on Delta.com to see what flights where you could immediately be upgraded after booking...though I'd venture to guess those would be few and far between.
Jul 31, 2018, 3:57 pm
#5
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Treasure Coast, FL
Programs: DL Diamond, Marriott LT Plat, HH Diamond, Avis Preferred Plus, National Executive
Posts: 4,578
Also if you book into Basic Economy (not sure how Concur works) you won't even be eligible for an upgrade.
Jul 31, 2018, 3:57 pm
#6
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Minneapolis
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 2,238
Yup, pretty much the same time as everyone else looking for an upgrade (maybe not Saturday morning as much). Don't get your hopes up.
Jul 31, 2018, 4:06 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
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Posts: 21,399
seconded ... you may be able to score C+ on some segments, but I'd be willing to bet that most of those will be middle seats
my company's Concur portal actually offered me a BE fare ... luckily I was able to adjust the preferred arrival/departure time windows to get rid of it
my company's Concur portal actually offered me a BE fare ... luckily I was able to adjust the preferred arrival/departure time windows to get rid of it
Jul 31, 2018, 4:10 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
Don't want to burst your bubble but I've flown out to SFO about 8 times in the past 6 months as FO and GM and have never even come close to clearing the F list on any day of the week except for one time SLC - SFO on a Thursday night (but that's not the flight you care about). ATL/JFK don't even think about it, DTW a tiny bit higher chance, and MSP probably the highest chance.
In fact I have a hard time clearing the C+ list (especially non-completion) and that's with expensive last minute corporate fares.
This is definitely a WFBF route which I've done a couple times when the last minute Y fare was within $125 of the F fare and I just did an upfare (since corporate only allows Y).
In fact I have a hard time clearing the C+ list (especially non-completion) and that's with expensive last minute corporate fares.
This is definitely a WFBF route which I've done a couple times when the last minute Y fare was within $125 of the F fare and I just did an upfare (since corporate only allows Y).
Jul 31, 2018, 4:43 pm
#9
Join Date: May 2013
Location: LHR
Programs: AA EXP, DL DM, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,033
Friday afternoon/Saturday morning is a bit better. Back when I lived in the Bay Area, I had decent luck on MSP-SFO and DTW-SFO flights on Friday evenings. ATL-SFO, not a snowball's chance in hell.
Jul 31, 2018, 4:43 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 261
Jul 31, 2018, 5:42 pm
#12
Join Date: May 2013
Location: LHR
Programs: AA EXP, DL DM, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,033
Probably not. If you hit Diamond, then on the relatively high fare buckets you seem to be buying, you might actually have pretty good success on your return portion.
Jul 31, 2018, 6:26 pm
#14
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
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Jul 31, 2018, 6:50 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
CVG has some great Delta people but it doesn't have enough destinations (or enough frequencies on some of its destinations) to be particularly useful as a Delta hub. It's not 2005 anymore.
Delta Cuts 157 Flights at Kentucky Airport | AviationPros.com
Delta Cuts 157 Flights at Kentucky Airport | AviationPros.com