2019 Upgrade Success (Or Lack Thereof)

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Mar 15, 2019, 3:08 pm

#121

MarkP24

Join Date: Mar 2015

Location: NYC/ EWR/ PHL

Programs: UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum

Posts: 2,209

Quote:

Originally Posted by wwalker1010

3/7 so far this year
PM w/ Reserve

1/19 LAX-ATL- C+
1/19 ATL-BTR- C+
1/22 BTR-ATL- F upgrade couple days prior to flight
1/22 ATL-LAX - back of plane
1/25 LGB-SLC - C+ time of booking
1/28 SLC-LGB - F upgrade at gate (last seat-companion not upgraded to F)
3/8 LAX-DFW - Bought F upgrade w/ 10,900 miles
3/11 DFW-LAX - F upgrade at gate

Any idea how tough of an upgrade chances the D One flights from LAX-DCA would be on Saturday and Tuesday? Was shocked I was bumped to D One as GM from SEA-JFK last year

The SEA- JFK is a tough flight to clear. I made it by the skin of my teeth as a DM using a RUC...

Mar 16, 2019, 9:06 am

#122

mot29

Join Date: Dec 2002

Location: Washington, DC, Chapel Hill, NC (RDU)

Programs: DL Plat (won't hit DM again) 2MM (2.5), HH Gold, PC Gold, Hyatt Plat

Posts: 5,626

2019
DM w/o AMEX
3/20 RDU-ATL C+ cleared at booking, FC cleared 5 days out exactly
3/20 ATL-MSY C+ cleared at booking, FC cleared 5 days out exactly (these cleared at different times -- basically at the time of departure, 5 days out)
3/26 MSY-ATL C+ cleared at booking, FC is sold out
3/26 ATL-RDU C+ cleared at booking, days to do for FC

Mar 16, 2019, 11:23 am

#123

uppereastsider

Join Date: Mar 2014

Location: NYC

Programs: DL Platinum, AA Plat Pro, Bonvoy Lifetime Platinum, JetBlue Mosaic 3, Amtrak Select

Posts: 966

JFK TPA upgraded three days out Thursday afternoon flight

TPA JFK upgraded at gate on a Saturday noon flight

LGA MSP upgraded three days out (shocked) on a Sunday night flight

PM based in NYC with reserve. Still averaging around 75% upgrade rate

MarkP24 likes this.

Mar 16, 2019, 9:13 pm

#124

MarkP24

Join Date: Mar 2015

Location: NYC/ EWR/ PHL

Programs: UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum

Posts: 2,209

Quote:

Originally Posted by uppereastsider

That's a great upgrade rate!

Mar 17, 2019, 11:56 am

#125

spartan3186

Join Date: Dec 2012

Location: BWI

Programs: DL FO, WN AL

Posts: 73

My upgrade hot-streak as an FO has continued this year

Tuesday 3/12 - BWI - MSP -- Cleared into F at the gate
Thursday 3/14 - MSP - BWI -- Cleared into F at T-24

YTD - 5/11 (45%) for FC -- 7/11 (63%) for FC and C+ combined

CMK10, Duke787, uppereastsider and 1 others like this.

Mar 17, 2019, 12:50 pm

#126

MarkP24

Join Date: Mar 2015

Location: NYC/ EWR/ PHL

Programs: UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum

Posts: 2,209

Quote:

Originally Posted by spartan3186

That's a pretty good record!

spartan3186 likes this.

Mar 17, 2019, 1:52 pm

#127

pulpfiction78

Join Date: Aug 2018

Location: SEA

Programs: DL DM

Posts: 292

DL 2809 3/17, SEA-LAS, cleared myself +1 to F at 24hr check-in. 3 pax cleared at gate.

Mar 17, 2019, 3:22 pm

#128

CMK10

In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jul 2002

Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)

Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC

Posts: 33,857

3/16 DL 345 RDU-ATL A-321 PM on T Fare: Cleared at ~T36
3/17 DL 2195 ATL-RDU A-320 PM on a Q Fare: Cleared at ~T48

Nice going 2 for 2 on my nemesis routes, now 70.59% (12/17)

Mar 18, 2019, 6:13 am

#129

Daitheflu84

Join Date: Sep 2018

Location: Tacoma, WA

Programs: Delta Platinum Medallion, Bonvoy Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Hertz President's Circle

Posts: 495

Quote:

Originally Posted by pulpfiction78

3/13 DL 2877 SEA-DTW on W fare, #5 out of 21 (if I recall correctly) on the F list. I was surprised, that route must be DM heavy. I applied an RUC and went right into #1 spot. 2 passengers total cleared into F.

I always see massive UG lists on this route. I'm flying the opposite direction this AM on a 739 and there are 52 people on the list for 2 seats. Not sure how many of those would be DMs. I would generally guess 10-15%, possibly more at peak times hub to hub?

Mar 18, 2019, 11:27 am

#130

mattya9

Join Date: Aug 2014

Location: Las Vegas, NV

Programs: Delta DM

Posts: 425

All travel so far this year has been leisure on mostly off peak days/times and I've gotten 13 out of 14 upgrades (93%). I know I won't continue at that rate as the year goes on but I have noticed it's been just slightly better at the start of this year compared to last year. I think getting rid of the $25k spend on the AMEX cards helped trim the herd a little bit IMHO.

OPS

Mar 18, 2019, 3:11 pm

#131

Gig103

Join Date: Nov 2013

Location: PHX, SEA

Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.

Posts: 4,421

I'm a lowly FO but I got an upgrade PHX-SEA on a Saturday 7:20am flight. We went out with one seat still empty so I guess I was the last elite on the route. I'll take it!

CMK10 likes this.

Mar 22, 2019, 11:36 am

#132

nickflies

Join Date: Nov 2009

Location: NYC

Programs: Delta Platinum, former AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Uber Diamond, National Executive

Posts: 249

100% this year as PM w/ Reserve. 13 segments so far, of which 9 I got comp upgrades, the other ones were:

Used FCM on Monday morning JFK-ATL for 27K miles, list was 48 deep so likely would not have cleared
Used FCM on Monday morning LGA-GRR for $81, only 4 F seats left at 5 day window, so didn't want to risk it
Bought cheap F fare SFO-MSP, list was 46 deep so also would not have cleared
Confirmed a RUC at ticketing two weeks in advance on JFK-SFO on a Wednesday AM on 767, but list was short so likely would have cleared comp upgrade

Routes mostly NYC-BOS/ATL/SFO/DCA/GRR.

Anecdotally, seems the $250K waiver has made life really good as a Platinum. I could push for Diamond this year, but really doesn't seem like I need to. Comp upgrades are plentiful and there are multiple options to get F when they don't look good, between FCM in cash or miles, cheap F fares, and RUC.

uppereastsider likes this.

Mar 25, 2019, 6:14 am

#133

SYRRDU

Join Date: Feb 2010

Location: US-Europe

Programs: DL DM Charter/2.5MM, AA EXP, Marriott AMB, LT Titanium, HH Diamond, Avis PP, National Exec-E

Posts: 529

Flew RDU-BOS this morning and during the boarding process I noticed the gentleman in front of me was a 360 and he continued to C+ as I took my upgraded (at the window) seat in row 3. I saw the GA give out a BF UG prior to boarding to a lady and she made a point of being happy to get it. Maybe I don't understand the rules of 360, but was surprised that a 360 wouldn't have gotten the UG. Maybe he bought that shiny tag on eBay. Just puzzled.

Mar 25, 2019, 7:20 am

#134

Billy Mumphrey

Join Date: Sep 2011

Programs: Delta DM, Hyatt Globalist

Posts: 1,492

Quote:

Originally Posted by SYRRDU

Probably just bought his ticket last minute (a few seats got released at the window and you got one of them, the remaining seats were sold over the next few days, and then he bought a ticket after F was already completely full). I'm guessing he was already boarded once the BF UG was issued (or perhaps the lady was also 360).

I just got an F upgrade BWI-SLC at the window. Normally this one goes to the gate for me.

Last edited by Billy Mumphrey; Mar 25, 2019 at 7:32 am

Mar 25, 2019, 7:45 am

#135

SYRRDU

Join Date: Feb 2010

Location: US-Europe

Programs: DL DM Charter/2.5MM, AA EXP, Marriott AMB, LT Titanium, HH Diamond, Avis PP, National Exec-E

Posts: 529

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billy Mumphrey

I agree on the possibility that it was a last minute purchase but both of them and me were standing at the gate prior to boarding. I have flown with her before in the past few weeks and I know that she isn't a 360.