2019 Upgrade Success (Or Lack Thereof)
Apr 30, 2019, 8:25 pm
#211
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: Delta Gold, Marriott Platinum, Former Amtrak Select, Former Hilton Gold
Posts: 422
FO
LGA - ORD today. I was #3 with 0 remaining on the list at boarding. 3 seats empty at T-10 minutes. Red coat comes on and finds all three of us to move up.
LGA - ORD today. I was #3 with 0 remaining on the list at boarding. 3 seats empty at T-10 minutes. Red coat comes on and finds all three of us to move up.
May 2, 2019, 1:22 pm
#212
Join Date: May 2014
Programs: Delta DM 360, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 67
Does having a paid comfort plus seat in W fare class increase my chances of an upgrade to first as a DM
?
?
May 2, 2019, 2:47 pm
#214
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: MSP
Programs: DL GM, MR Gold, Hilton Gold, National Exec
Posts: 535
May 2, 2019, 4:38 pm
#216
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: MSP
Programs: DL GM, MR Gold, Hilton Gold, National Exec
Posts: 535
May 3, 2019, 2:24 pm
#217
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: RDU
Programs: DL DM, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Platinum, etc etc etc
Posts: 2,341
DM sitting at a success rate of 27% this year.
Actually worse than when I was a PM (I think I was in the 40s then)
To stay at DM and to save my sanity as long as its UNDER $100/flight hour I am self upgrading to F a good bit (Need to hit $15k and being in F saved my sanity on quick trips or long ones)
I dont even look at the upgrade list anymore and let the reader print me something new if I get it, also most personal trips I buy F outright
Only one flight this year has it NOT been a battleground upgrade
This year I started tracking my upgrade success in a spreadsheet. January was my best upgrade success month at 42% and my worst was February with 0% March was 25% April 38% and May so far 0%
Actually worse than when I was a PM (I think I was in the 40s then)
To stay at DM and to save my sanity as long as its UNDER $100/flight hour I am self upgrading to F a good bit (Need to hit $15k and being in F saved my sanity on quick trips or long ones)
I dont even look at the upgrade list anymore and let the reader print me something new if I get it, also most personal trips I buy F outright
Only one flight this year has it NOT been a battleground upgrade
This year I started tracking my upgrade success in a spreadsheet. January was my best upgrade success month at 42% and my worst was February with 0% March was 25% April 38% and May so far 0%
May 3, 2019, 2:59 pm
#218
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: HSV
Programs: Bellevue Lifetime Premiere Mega Elite Supreme
Posts: 1,509
A 20-25% reduction.
No “sources” to cite, but that has been the consistent internal refrain. So, take it FWIW.
May 3, 2019, 3:18 pm
#219
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: Delta PM, Delta Reserve, Amex Plat, Bonvoy Gold, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold ;)
Posts: 1,775
April 24 DCA-ATL-PLS, got the upgrade on the DCA-ATL leg. 6:59a flight. 7 upgrades given out at the gate. Missed the PLS upgrade by 1. (50%)
April 30 PLS-ATL-DCA, got the upgrade PLS-ATL, only gate upgrade. Was 20 out of 48 with 0 upgrades ATL-DCA. (50%)
I actually wasn’t expecting any upgrades. The PLS flights are almost always sold out up front. I normally by F. The only reason I didn’t this time was the fare was much higher than normal.
April 30 PLS-ATL-DCA, got the upgrade PLS-ATL, only gate upgrade. Was 20 out of 48 with 0 upgrades ATL-DCA. (50%)
I actually wasn’t expecting any upgrades. The PLS flights are almost always sold out up front. I normally by F. The only reason I didn’t this time was the fare was much higher than normal.
May 3, 2019, 3:40 pm
#220
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: Delta DM
Posts: 552
It looks like Delta threw me a bone. 2 weeks ago, my flight ATL-EWR got delayed 6 hours. Got home at 4am. All due to weather. Weather is nice today. Got a late notice for a delay. 2 hours. Via e-mail, they notified me that my flight was delayed. It also showed the flights to and from EWR and the seats. I didnt get an upgrade for the return trip at the 5 day window. As PM, I rarely get the uprade on the return trip. I guess I'll take 50/50. So, it looks like someone at Delta took pity on me and upgraded me on the return flight for the delay.
May 4, 2019, 9:52 am
#221
Join Date: Oct 2007
Programs: DL PM; Marriott Plat; Hilton Honors Gold
Posts: 257
I got my first international OpUp as a Platinum flying DUB-JFK. I scanned my boarding pass and a new seat popped up on the screen. The interesting thing is the flight was not full. There were still 5 open seats in D1. I am surprised that as a platinum I would be near the top of the list. I guess it was just my luck day. 
May 4, 2019, 6:40 pm
#222
Join Date: May 2009
Location: MAD/LAX/MNL/PIT
Programs: DL DM, PR, TG, UA, CX (Asia Miles), BT, AY, AA
Posts: 906
I'm currently in BOG, and so far all my flights have been upgraded to Clase Premier on AM on the way here (LAX-BJX-MEX-BOG). On the way back, I was upgraded four days out on my MEX-LAX flight (operated by DL, but ticketed by AM), while I have to wait until tomorrow when I board for BOG-MEX. Given loads though (on MEX-BOG, the Clase Premier cabin was only half-full), I'm likely going to get upgraded on that as well.
That said, for all of 2019 so far I've been automatically upgraded to C+, but as to First? Well:
* LGA-PIT: 1/1
* PIT-LAX: 0/2
* LAX-DFW: 0/3
* LAX-DEN: 1/2 (LAX-DEN)
Hoping to snag an upgrade for LAX-JFK next week, but I know that's a very long shot.
That said, for all of 2019 so far I've been automatically upgraded to C+, but as to First? Well:
* LGA-PIT: 1/1
* PIT-LAX: 0/2
* LAX-DFW: 0/3
* LAX-DEN: 1/2 (LAX-DEN)
Hoping to snag an upgrade for LAX-JFK next week, but I know that's a very long shot.
May 4, 2019, 11:12 pm
#223
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Boston MA
Posts: 127
PM:
1/23: BOS-FLL - Immediate to C+, Last to clear to F at gate
2/2: Booked FLL-LGA-BOS Immediate to C+, but wanted to SDC to later flights when that window opened up. Ended up confirming FLL-JFK-BOS, wherein they reprocessed my upgrades and I ended up with confirmed F on FLL-JFK and back to Y on JFK-BOS, with a C+ and F upgrade pending. C+ cleared at 24 hours (I think) and F cleared a few hours before takeoff (during my layover in JFK).
5/7: BOS-SLC-PDX - Immediate to C+, BOS-SLC F Cleared at 120 hours, SLC-PDX didn't but did clear to F about 28 hours later.
So far 5/5!
1/23: BOS-FLL - Immediate to C+, Last to clear to F at gate
2/2: Booked FLL-LGA-BOS Immediate to C+, but wanted to SDC to later flights when that window opened up. Ended up confirming FLL-JFK-BOS, wherein they reprocessed my upgrades and I ended up with confirmed F on FLL-JFK and back to Y on JFK-BOS, with a C+ and F upgrade pending. C+ cleared at 24 hours (I think) and F cleared a few hours before takeoff (during my layover in JFK).
5/7: BOS-SLC-PDX - Immediate to C+, BOS-SLC F Cleared at 120 hours, SLC-PDX didn't but did clear to F about 28 hours later.
So far 5/5!
May 5, 2019, 12:15 pm
#224
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
RDU - BOS, corporate Q fare, 175 downgauged to CR7 at T-24, cleared at PM window
Last edited by Duke787; May 5, 2019 at 12:21 pm
May 6, 2019, 7:02 am
#225
Join Date: Sep 2011
Programs: Delta DM, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,495
Some good upgrade success on our family trip last week on award tickets (traveled with my non-status 2 year old who was my companion, and GM wife on a separate PNR with our lap infant):
4/27 BWI-ATL: DM + companion upgraded to F at window, GM upgraded to C+ at window
4/27 ATL-MHH: DM + companion and GM all upgraded to F at windows
5/4 MHH-ATL: DM + companion and GM all upgraded to F at T-24
5/4 ATL-BWI: DM only upgraded to F at gate (#1 of 8 for 1 seat, companion was in C+ since booking), and GM upgraded to C+ at window. I gave the F seat to my GM wife with our lap infant.
4/27 BWI-ATL: DM + companion upgraded to F at window, GM upgraded to C+ at window
4/27 ATL-MHH: DM + companion and GM all upgraded to F at windows
5/4 MHH-ATL: DM + companion and GM all upgraded to F at T-24
5/4 ATL-BWI: DM only upgraded to F at gate (#1 of 8 for 1 seat, companion was in C+ since booking), and GM upgraded to C+ at window. I gave the F seat to my GM wife with our lap infant.