Does Delta Follow its Own Upgrade Rules
Aug 13, 18, 8:49 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 2
Does Delta Follow its Own Upgrade Rules
Ive long suspected it but finally have what I think is proof. Curious if anyone else has seen the same and better whether Delta has ever admitted or explained it
A business colleague and I both booked the same itinerary to SFO through the same travel agent and we both received the same M-class fare for the same fare amount. The only difference was mine was booked about 13 hours prior to my colleague and Im a Diamond 2M miler travel and he is a Platinum 1M miler travel.
My my colleague received a confirmed upgrade 2 days prior to travel and I was #1 on the wait list with one empty seat about 1 hour prior to departure. No upgrade for me but my colleague was sitting in 2D.
Glad for my colleague but curious what Delta is doing given their published criteria lists Medallion status, booking time and fare class are listed as the primary criteria, all of which were equal or in mine being higher.
Antyone seen the same or heard of an explanation?
A business colleague and I both booked the same itinerary to SFO through the same travel agent and we both received the same M-class fare for the same fare amount. The only difference was mine was booked about 13 hours prior to my colleague and Im a Diamond 2M miler travel and he is a Platinum 1M miler travel.
My my colleague received a confirmed upgrade 2 days prior to travel and I was #1 on the wait list with one empty seat about 1 hour prior to departure. No upgrade for me but my colleague was sitting in 2D.
Glad for my colleague but curious what Delta is doing given their published criteria lists Medallion status, booking time and fare class are listed as the primary criteria, all of which were equal or in mine being higher.
Antyone seen the same or heard of an explanation?
Aug 13, 18, 9:43 pm
#3
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Perhaps OP's friend used a RUC and didn't tell him.
another possibility: colleague took a FCM offer.
Aug 13, 18, 10:12 pm
#5
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Ive long suspected it but finally have what I think is proof. Curious if anyone else has seen the same and better whether Delta has ever admitted or explained it
A business colleague and I both booked the same itinerary to SFO through the same travel agent and we both received the same M-class fare for the same fare amount. The only difference was mine was booked about 13 hours prior to my colleague and Im a Diamond 2M miler travel and he is a Platinum 1M miler travel.
My my colleague received a confirmed upgrade 2 days prior to travel and I was #1 on the wait list with one empty seat about 1 hour prior to departure. No upgrade for me but my colleague was sitting in 2D.
Glad for my colleague but curious what Delta is doing given their published criteria lists Medallion status, booking time and fare class are listed as the primary criteria, all of which were equal or in mine being higher.
Antyone seen the same or heard of an explanation?
A business colleague and I both booked the same itinerary to SFO through the same travel agent and we both received the same M-class fare for the same fare amount. The only difference was mine was booked about 13 hours prior to my colleague and Im a Diamond 2M miler travel and he is a Platinum 1M miler travel.
My my colleague received a confirmed upgrade 2 days prior to travel and I was #1 on the wait list with one empty seat about 1 hour prior to departure. No upgrade for me but my colleague was sitting in 2D.
Glad for my colleague but curious what Delta is doing given their published criteria lists Medallion status, booking time and fare class are listed as the primary criteria, all of which were equal or in mine being higher.
Antyone seen the same or heard of an explanation?
Aug 13, 18, 10:36 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 2
Checked with him - no AmEx Reserve and no upgrade certificates or requested upgrade other than his PM upgrade request on reservation. We both travel for business and take what DL gives us - for me and in this case not much. Maybe Rene’s right��
Aug 13, 18, 10:42 pm
#7
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL PM, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 8,401
There are endless amounts of stories on FT of the upgrade system not always sticking to the proper order. What is clear is that this sometimes (often?) happens. What also seems clear is that we will never really know why.
Aug 14, 18, 12:05 am
#9
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Aug 14, 18, 3:44 am
#10
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I know it might seem dumb, but had you by chance turned off upgrades? Either via profile as default or within the reservation. Possibly meaning to only turn off C+ upgrades, but turning off F also. Then you checked in at the airport and agent added you to upgrade list.
Aug 14, 18, 8:04 am
#11
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Location: NYC
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There's also been discussion here I believe that DL sometimes prioritizes pax for upgrades who haven't received them in a while. Not sure if they'd prioritize them over a higher status pax. Maybe urban legend, but I feel like it happened to me right after a corporate status match to Gold last year.
The "upgrade turned off" inadvertently scenario makes more sense, but thought I'd throw this one out there too.
The "upgrade turned off" inadvertently scenario makes more sense, but thought I'd throw this one out there too.
Aug 14, 18, 8:11 am
#12
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: DL DM, SPG Plat 100/LT Gold, Marriott Plat, National Executive Elite
Posts: 2,988
I don't have the C+ upgrade checked and saved to my profile as auto - only F - and I've heard the excuse, on 2 separate occasions when this has happened to me - that the system saw the declined C+ upgrade and considered that a declined F upgrade too.
First time they gave me $200 for the trouble - and second time, $200 plus 20,000 miles. That is the only explanation - as crappy as it is - that I've heard from them that even bears repeating.
First time they gave me $200 for the trouble - and second time, $200 plus 20,000 miles. That is the only explanation - as crappy as it is - that I've heard from them that even bears repeating.
Aug 14, 18, 8:15 am
#13
Join Date: Feb 2016
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Posts: 2,988
OP should call DL DM line with his PNR, other pax name, and ask them to issue him a $200 (downgrade) voucher for not following their own published upgrade priority. He was denied an upgrade when someone with a lower status leapfrogged him because of DL and took away his upgrade (maybe multiple other passengers).
I wonder if this happens because DM and PM upgrades to F are at the 120 hour mark and maybe it uses some random factor like last name or whatever else and this mixes up the order of DMs and PMs - but they have told me that GMs have been upgraded to F on the same flight where I was still waitlisted for my upgrade. Ouch.
I wonder if this happens because DM and PM upgrades to F are at the 120 hour mark and maybe it uses some random factor like last name or whatever else and this mixes up the order of DMs and PMs - but they have told me that GMs have been upgraded to F on the same flight where I was still waitlisted for my upgrade. Ouch.
Aug 14, 18, 8:38 am
#14
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: MSP
Programs: DL DM, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 610
I had my father who is PM get upgraded 2 days out on the same flight as me. I am a DM and went to gate and didn't get an upgrade. Whether Delta wants to admit it or not, this happens. I called the DM line and filed a complaint but basically got the "sorry, we don't know" response.
Aug 14, 18, 8:56 am
#15
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I don't have the C+ upgrade checked and saved to my profile as auto - only F - and I've heard the excuse, on 2 separate occasions when this has happened to me - that the system saw the declined C+ upgrade and considered that a declined F upgrade too.
First time they gave me $200 for the trouble - and second time, $200 plus 20,000 miles. That is the only explanation - as crappy as it is - that I've heard from them that even bears repeating.
First time they gave me $200 for the trouble - and second time, $200 plus 20,000 miles. That is the only explanation - as crappy as it is - that I've heard from them that even bears repeating.
