Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Airlines and Mileage Programs > Delta Air Lines | SkyMiles
Reload this Page >

Does Delta Follow its Own Upgrade Rules

Does Delta Follow its Own Upgrade Rules

Old Aug 15, 2018, 8:16 am
  #31  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Hilton Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 26,955
Originally Posted by Halloweverybody
Obviously no proof, but I believe this is the case. Maybe I am a conspiracy theorist here but I think that there is a much more technical algorithm for complimentary upgrades that Delta simply cannot publish without lots of backlash. If delta always went by the book, Platinums would very very rarely get any upgrades, and lose faith in the system. Also if Diamonds always got upgraded they will have no incentive to ever buy first class. Delta has much incentive to go outside the published system once in a while when Platinums upgrade success on certain routes falls below a certain percent to keep them happy. I also believe that Diamonds traveling with a companion DRASTICALLY reduce their upgrade chances.
If they did that there would be a lawsuit.
flyerCO is online now  
Old Aug 15, 2018, 9:54 am
  #32  
 
Join Date: May 2015
Programs: Delta Platinum
Posts: 12
I posted on another thread-- this happened to me. I used an Amex companion certificate to fly with my friend ATL-LAX. I am Gold, she is Silver. I purchased the ticket and I accrued miles; her ticket did not. That route is full of medallions so I didn’t check the upgrade window. Upon boarding, I was in front of her and gate agent took my ticket. She was behind me, and the “new” ticket came out that gave her a Delta comfort window seat. I sent a complaint to Delta. Gentleman from Delta called me and said since she had been “upgraded” to my status as Gold, the deciding factor “was probably” that her last name was alphabetically before mine.

On the flight home we were both upgraded to middle seat comfort class. However, upon check in, the agent asked if ONE seat became available for an upgrade, would we be willing to split for one person to go to 1st? We had no chance of getting the 1st class upgrade so it was a non-question. But she did ask! My friend does have the black Delta AmEx (I have platinum) so maybe that is a deciding factor they haven’t told flyers about?

That, and I think there may be Shena.
joyoustravel is offline  
Old Aug 16, 2018, 8:43 am
  #33  
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: IWA
Programs: DL, AA
Posts: 3,876
Did you purchase a first class seat? No you didn't so quit complaining that you did't get upgrade, it's not a right. Now retired whenever I travel more than three hours, I purchase a first class ticket, business class on international. It's so sad watching these self entitled business travelers complain to the customer service agent that they didn't get upgraded. One flight a gentlemen was all upset because he got upset and his wife didn't. When he complained to the Delta F/A she stated he could either switch with his wife or go back and sit with her. Of course he didn't give up her seat.
Icecat is offline  
Old Aug 16, 2018, 9:18 am
  #34  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL PM, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 8,411
Originally Posted by Icecat
Did you purchase a first class seat? No you didn't so quit complaining that you did't get upgrade, it's not a right. Now retired whenever I travel more than three hours, I purchase a first class ticket, business class on international. It's so sad watching these self entitled business travelers complain to the customer service agent that they didn't get upgraded. One flight a gentlemen was all upset because he got upset and his wife didn't. When he complained to the Delta F/A she stated he could either switch with his wife or go back and sit with her. Of course he didn't give up her seat.
SamOF likes this.
jdrtravel is offline  
Old Aug 16, 2018, 10:22 am
  #35  
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,819
Originally Posted by Icecat
Did you purchase a first class seat? No you didn't so quit complaining that you did't get upgrade, it's not a right.
OP bought a coach seat that is supposed to convert into a first class seat when certain conditions are met. Those conditions were met, yet the first class seat did not materialize.

Originally Posted by Icecat
Now retired whenever I travel more than three hours, I purchase a first class ticket, business class on international.
I certainly agree with, and practice, WFBF as a _strategy_ if you want to be sure of sitting up front without having to sweat the upgrade process.

However I don't agree with it as a sneering response at people who legitimately ought to have been upgraded but weren't.

If a store publishes a promo of "visit 9 times and the 10th visit is free" and then on the 10th visit they say "sorry we know this is your 10th visit but we're going to make you pay anyway" would anyone tell the customer they're an entitled whiner and if they want the service they should be willing to pay for it?
Zorak is offline  
Old Aug 16, 2018, 10:23 am
  #36  
Hyatt Contributor BadgeMarriott Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Santo Domingo, Dom. Rep. / Washington, DC
Programs: AA PPro/DL PLT, PPass, Marriott / Hilton Gold, JetBlue Mosaic, Hertz Presidents Circle, Amex Plat
Posts: 4,628
Originally Posted by Icecat
Did you purchase a first class seat? No you didn't so quit complaining that you did't get upgrade, it's not a right. Now retired whenever I travel more than three hours, I purchase a first class ticket, business class on international. It's so sad watching these self entitled business travelers complain to the customer service agent that they didn't get upgraded. One flight a gentlemen was all upset because he got upset and his wife didn't. When he complained to the Delta F/A she stated he could either switch with his wife or go back and sit with her. Of course he didn't give up her seat.
Why would you assume those of us who complain about DL not following the rules are just business travelers? Nobody said upgrades were a right. They are a published benefit and DL publishes the upgrade criteria. If I decide to commit to DL to fly 80K miles / year on my own dime and it becomes evident that DL does not follow their own published criteria, I have the right to question the fact that they didn't go by the rules they published.
SDQBound is offline  
Old Aug 16, 2018, 10:32 am
  #37  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 22,929
Originally Posted by joyoustravel
I posted on another thread-- this happened to me. I used an Amex companion certificate to fly with my friend ATL-LAX. I am Gold, she is Silver. I purchased the ticket and I accrued miles; her ticket did not. That route is full of medallions so I didnt check the upgrade window. Upon boarding, I was in front of her and gate agent took my ticket. She was behind me, and the new ticket came out that gave her a Delta comfort window seat. I sent a complaint to Delta. Gentleman from Delta called me and said since she had been upgraded to my status as Gold, the deciding factor was probably that her last name was alphabetically before mine.

On the flight home we were both upgraded to middle seat comfort class. However, upon check in, the agent asked if ONE seat became available for an upgrade, would we be willing to split for one person to go to 1st? We had no chance of getting the 1st class upgrade so it was a non-question. But she did ask! My friend does have the black Delta AmEx (I have platinum) so maybe that is a deciding factor they havent told flyers about?

That, and I think there may be Shena.
A companion on the same PNR as you will have the same upgrade priority as you. If you check-in together, you will only upgraded together. However, if you check-in separately, you can be upgraded independently. I suspect that your companion likely checked-in prior to you and therefore had a higher upgrade priority (rather than it being alphabetical). At any rate, your example appears to have very little to do with OP's case.
xliioper is online now  
Old Aug 16, 2018, 1:08 pm
  #38  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 148
Originally Posted by LBJ
A companion on the same PNR as you will have the same upgrade priority as you. If you check-in together, you will only upgraded together. However, if you check-in separately, you can be upgraded independently. I suspect that your companion likely checked-in prior to you and therefore had a higher upgrade priority (rather than it being alphabetical). At any rate, your example appears to have very little to do with OP's case.
Op said he booked 13 hours later which means different pnr. They are not companions. They just have the same itenerary and same fare class. We can either assume 1- deltas IT backend is so complicated they dont even know how to fix it. Or 2, they know exactly what they are doing and have a system for going out of order to keep platinums happy. Or 3, op got the facts wrong. I believe option 2.
Halloweverybody is offline  
Old Aug 16, 2018, 2:00 pm
  #39  
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: ATL - DL DM/3MM - HH Lifetime Diamond - Marriott Lifetime Plat
Posts: 3,117
Originally Posted by Icecat
Did you purchase a first class seat? No you didn't so quit complaining that you did't get upgrade, it's not a right. Now retired whenever I travel more than three hours, I purchase a first class ticket, business class on international. It's so sad watching these self entitled business travelers complain to the customer service agent that they didn't get upgraded. One flight a gentlemen was all upset because he got upset and his wife didn't. When he complained to the Delta F/A she stated he could either switch with his wife or go back and sit with her. Of course he didn't give up her seat.
There we go - FlyerTalk at it's best
ijgordon and PV_Premier like this.
Tomphot is offline  
Old Aug 16, 2018, 8:18 pm
  #40  
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 758
Originally Posted by Icecat
Did you purchase a first class seat? No you didn't so quit complaining that you did't get upgrade, it's not a right. Now retired whenever I travel more than three hours, I purchase a first class ticket, business class on international. It's so sad watching these self entitled business travelers complain to the customer service agent that they didn't get upgraded. One flight a gentlemen was all upset because he got upset and his wife didn't. When he complained to the Delta F/A she stated he could either switch with his wife or go back and sit with her. Of course he didn't give up her seat.
The problem with us self entitled business travelers is that we work for these silly companies with rules about how we travel. But Delta really wants us to be happy because Many of us are flying on tickets that cost twice what some that bought first class paid so we are really good for the bottom line at delta and Delta really kind of likes our corporate business. Now we all do our best to figure out how to stay within our corporate policy and buy first class if it is important to us but sometimes we have bad days and complain when we didnt get an upgrade that we were entitled too
BenA, jdrtravel and strickerj like this.
tennessetom is online now  
Old Aug 16, 2018, 8:27 pm
  #41  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Mid Atlantic
Programs: Delta Plat, one-time United Plat, Amex Plat, Marriott Plat, Hertz Prez Circle, Bus Pass
Posts: 1,237
Originally Posted by flyerslc
Theres clearly something wrong with their system. Ive been upgraded on all legs of my flights recently.
hahaha same. and at the window too. and atl flights!
koreanair720 is offline  
Old Aug 17, 2018, 3:18 am
  #42  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Seattle
Programs: Delta 1MM/DM, *wood Lifetime Gold
Posts: 285
Originally Posted by Icecat
Did you purchase a first class seat? No you didn't so quit complaining that you did't get upgrade, it's not a right. Now retired whenever I travel more than three hours, I purchase a first class ticket, business class on international. It's so sad watching these self entitled business travelers complain to the customer service agent that they didn't get upgraded. One flight a gentlemen was all upset because he got upset and his wife didn't. When he complained to the Delta F/A she stated he could either switch with his wife or go back and sit with her. Of course he didn't give up her seat.
This post wreaks of "Look at me, I buy first class and I am better than all of you!"
FSUnole03 likes this.
syd999 is offline  
Old Aug 17, 2018, 7:51 am
  #43  
Hyatt Contributor BadgeMarriott Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Santo Domingo, Dom. Rep. / Washington, DC
Programs: AA PPro/DL PLT, PPass, Marriott / Hilton Gold, JetBlue Mosaic, Hertz Presidents Circle, Amex Plat
Posts: 4,628
Originally Posted by koreanair720
hahaha same. and at the window too. and atl flights!
I am thinking about sending a complaint about this issue as well, especially because as a PM I am getting upgraded out of DCA far in advance and even when rebooked.
koreanair720 and flyerslc like this.
SDQBound is offline  
Old Aug 17, 2018, 6:55 pm
  #44  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: LAS
Programs: DL PM, Honors Gold, Marriott Gold, AA Gold
Posts: 894
Originally Posted by joyoustravel
Gentleman from Delta called me and said since she had been upgraded to my status as Gold, the deciding factor was probably that her last name was alphabetically before mine.
when I fly with my partner (who is GM), I always show up on the list above him even though I am FO and my last name is alphabetically after his.
gitismatt is offline  
Old Aug 17, 2018, 7:26 pm
  #45  
pvn
Suspended
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MEM
Programs: Starbucks Green Card
Posts: 5,431
Originally Posted by gitismatt
when I fly with my partner (who is GM), I always show up on the list above him even though I am FO and my last name is alphabetically after his.
This shouldn't be surprising. It would be surprising if it were inconsistent and sometimes you appeared higher and sometimes he did.

All of the indications we have on this topic are consistent, both people on the PNR will get the priority of the member with the higher medallion level. The system itself doesn't differentiate between the "real" member and the lower-status companion, the algorithm sees them as equals so the other tie breakers come into play. Since they're on the same PNR, most of those tiebreakers are necessarily going to be equal also and it's going to come down to some really obscure, unpublished criteria (which everyone suspects is alphabetical name)
pvn is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.