Best strategy with GUC and ticket changes?
Dec 3, 2018, 11:45 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: ZRH / SEA, DL PM
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Best strategy with GUC and ticket changes?
As a new DM, I just realized GUCs may not be as useful to me as I expected.
Several agents told me that once GUC is confirmed (as opposed to waitlisted) its considered CLOSED and can only be used for this specific flight to which it was confirmed. Any changes will result in losing GUC.
As someone who does change return flights about 50% of the time, I wonder what would be my best strategy (besides better planning / not making ticket changes)?
If I postpone requesting GUC upgrade until a few days before departure, how much it will reduce my upgrade chances?
Any exceptions when CLOSED certificate can be re-applied to new flights?
Several agents told me that once GUC is confirmed (as opposed to waitlisted) its considered CLOSED and can only be used for this specific flight to which it was confirmed. Any changes will result in losing GUC.
As someone who does change return flights about 50% of the time, I wonder what would be my best strategy (besides better planning / not making ticket changes)?
If I postpone requesting GUC upgrade until a few days before departure, how much it will reduce my upgrade chances?
Any exceptions when CLOSED certificate can be re-applied to new flights?
Last edited by AntonS; Dec 3, 2018 at 12:05 pm
Dec 3, 2018, 12:15 pm
#2
Join Date: Feb 2017
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It's very route dependent. But if I had to guess, probably half of all GUCs are given at the day of departure unless you are actively hunting for a specific route with GUC availability at booking.
Dec 3, 2018, 12:46 pm
#3
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Voluntary changes, refunds, or cancellations will not result in the loss of the Upgrade Certificate. If a voluntary change is made to an existing reservation where an Upgrade Certificate has been applied and the upgrade confirmed, Delta Reservations must assist in the reissuance of the Upgrade Certificate to the new flight, if desired. If an Upgrade Certificate is applied to a reservation that is later canceled by the Member, the Upgrade Certificate will be reopened in the Member's account no later than 2-3 weeks.
https://www.delta.com/content/www/en...ml#certificate
Dec 3, 2018, 1:16 pm
#5
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I had always had the understanding that if the ticket has already been reissued, you potentially lose the GUC, although I had a case where there was a redcoat error and the DM line did things so that I didn't lose the GUC. IIRC it's attached to the ticket, so I had to rebook as a change to my existing ticket number rather than cancelling and getting a DL credit for the residual value of the fare. When I later called to rebook and use the GUC, I needed the old ticket number as the GUC was no longer showing as available in my FF account.
Dec 3, 2018, 4:39 pm
#6
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 1,880
That language quoted above must be new, and perhaps this is the reason for the misinformation you were provided. Previously, if a GUC was closed (i.e. confirmed and the ticket reissued in the upgraded class of service), it could not be re-opened. However, the GUC remained atttached to the ticket and so could be used in the case of a voluntary change / cancellation if eventually that ticket is used to rebooked on another flight with confirmable upgrade space.
Dec 3, 2018, 8:06 pm
#8
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Earlier this year I had to change a ticket that had. GUC already applied (ie tixjet reissued). DL applied it to the new ticket with no issues.
Dec 4, 2018, 9:56 am
#9
Join Date: Aug 2007
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Posts: 1,079
My understanding is that you are able to use the GUC on the new flight. The problem lies on the cases where your new flight ended up having no GUC availability in which case the certificate would not be redeposited and thus lost.
So, you could change the return as the OP needs. If there is space, you be confirmed and all would be well. It there isn’t space, you would go into the waitlist queue and hope it clears.
So, you could change the return as the OP needs. If there is space, you be confirmed and all would be well. It there isn’t space, you would go into the waitlist queue and hope it clears.