flyerCO

Doesn't request time come into play? If so the few seconds between booking passengers one's and two's ticket could cause the issue when on 1 PNR.

Christefan

Has OP actually taken the flight details and submitted a request of information to Delta? I had the same issue not to long ago with the person sitting next to me, and after I submitted all the facts, received an answer back from Delta within two weeks or so. In my case the guy next to me in a lower fare class but above me on the upgrade list, had a corporate account number in his reservation, which put him ahead of me within the same medallion level. Mystery solved.

ethernal

Odd since that still breaks Delta's published rules. Medallion and then Fare Class trump everything else. Below that it is Reserve Card, Corp Travel, MQD waiver, and time of booking.

With that said, they do say "Fare Group" rather than "Fare Class" - no idea if their system looks at, e.g., M and B fares together as being equal (although I doubt that it does - that would require more logic and doesn't make sense why they would implement it).

guam17

I know it is anecdotal, but it always seems like I am higher on the upgrade list than usual after a bad delay (like after I got diverted to PDX during that plane theft fiasco in SEA, where I was somehow number 1/32 as PM on my next flight), just seems unlikely I would ever be 1/32 as a PM, as most of the times I see an upgrade list above 15-20 I am at best like 2 or 3. I don't know, I have had very good luck with upgrades on DL this year, but very bad luck with delays on DL this year, perhaps they are related?

2old4coach

I am also a NW/DL Million Mile flyer. Recently the 1MM notation was gone from my Delta profile. No one at Delta Skymiles know why, never the less they say they cannot do anything about it.???
It is just as well. They have a very poor program.

btonkid12345

The system gives priority to IRROP ed medallions for upgrades

So many examples - recently I was rebooked to a later DTW-DFW after a delay; they rebooked me in main on the next flight, and with 1 seat left open and 9 medallions on the list, it instantly cleared me into the last F seat immediately after rebooking

I frequently immediately clear after rebooking on IRROPS- it's all about the coding the system reads as to whether you were inconvenienced, irroped, etc and agents can influence this during rebooking

SDQBound

I had a similar situation on IAD-ATL not too long ago. I cleared at the PM window and received a delay notification 4 hours before the flight. I was moved to DCA-ATL and the upgrade list showed me as #4 for 4 seats, but a few minutes later I cleared into F despite being #4 , the rest of the list remained the same.

kkua

Just joined in the thread. Yes, I concur and can confirm. I've seen this happen to me on about 90% of my LGA-ATL and ATL-LGA flights. About 121 hrs prior to the upgrade window, I would see J/C/P/F/A/G class availability for sale and look at the seat availability map. Then at 118 hrs prior, I can verify that the seat decrease for sale in J/C/P/F/A/G corresponds to the additional assigned assigned in domestic first class.

What I cannot confirm is if this also happens to married segments, open-jaw trips, stopovers or joined end-on-end ticketed fare rules.

My take: a DM/MM (or DM/2M, DM/3M) is more prone to switch flights and use their same-day-confirmed or stand-by priviledges instead of flying as ticketed. Hence, the system would not provide auto upgrades for DM/MM passengers. On the upside, I'm usually #1 or #2 on the upgrade queue and get upgraded about 50% of the time on this route.

BusinessElite25

How did the OP book the ticket? I know that through my business reservations are not officially ticketed right away, and even some reserved before others can be ticketed after..

guam17

Sorry, I perhaps didn't write my comment well. I meant the next flight following a bad delay (not an IRROP flight change). For example, after getting diverted to PDX during the plane theft, I got upgraded on my next flight to SLC at -5 (a flight I take frequently and almost never get upgraded, let alone 5 days out). I am sure it is probably just coincidence, but my upgrade percentage following a bad delay is like 100% this year (granted some of these are flights I always get upgrades on, e.g. SEA-GEG/BOI/RDM), but some were hub routes (LAX, SLC, ATL). Also, I have had a lot of really bad delays with DL this year (probably by a factor of like 5 compared to last year).

Gig103

This seems to be as good a place as any to report that my recent flight went out with 2 empty F seats. Sunday 8/19, JFK-PHX 20:30 scheduled departure. I find it hard to believe that there were no medallion members in economy or C+. I was in paid F, so I wasn't upset since nobody was reclining into my space, but it did surprise me.

RealHJ

Are you sure that if you check in together either both will get upgrade or either neither pax will? That is a biggie then, as normally there is one seat left, so impossible for both to be upgraded, but one can be. So I've had cases where my upgrade clears (last F seat), and companion doesn't. Now I am thinking, if we both checked in together, would that not have been possible and instead of us being 1 and 2 on upgrade list, would we have been 2 and 3, or otherwise #3 on the UG list would get it instead of me (#1) or my companion (#2)?

if you are sure, this is something that is quite important (basically, the lesson being, always check in separately, never together, if you want a real chance at upgrade).

blitzcon

I think once you are checked in and on the gate upgrade list, you are cleared individually. Some gate agents might ask you what to do if there is only one seat.

RealHJ

Thanks...that's what I thought. I didn't think that you have to check in separately in order not to lose your upgrade priority, if it's the all-too-frequent for DMs situation where there is only upgrade seat left (the one seat that DL blocks for irrops and doesn't sell), so the only way to get an upgrade is if you are #1 on the list.

For connecting flights not really a chance for the GA to ask you, as by the time you get to the gate boarding is already in full swing. I certainly hope they don't and then give it to #3 on the list.

aacar

Another instance of upgrade weirdness...