Delta Adds 'S' as New Comfort+ Booking Code
Jun 17, 2019, 3:42 pm
#1
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Delta Adds 'S' as New Comfort+ Booking Code
I just stumbled across this on the Delta agency website. I hadn't heard anything about it yet and it seems to have gone live today. Apologies if I missed FT leaking this info early 
https://pro.delta.com/content/agency...-s--class.html
They are adding a new rbd (S) for Comfort+ bookings; looks like it will be a lower class than W. Fare basis will use I in place of C. Looks like this went live for published inventory today.
https://pro.delta.com/content/agency...-s--class.html
They are adding a new rbd (S) for Comfort+ bookings; looks like it will be a lower class than W. Fare basis will use I in place of C. Looks like this went live for published inventory today.
Jun 17, 2019, 5:52 pm
#3
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Sounds like Delta will begin doing variable price C+ bookings rather than the current "Cost + X" approach.
Good news for those who like to booked paid C+ tickets. Bad news for anyone who wants to snag a C+ upgrade (it doesn't affect me as I never get C+ prior to the gate anyways).
Jun 17, 2019, 6:37 pm
#4
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I saw this a few days ago. I have a Sabre subscription and can see many buckets. Here is an example:
DL/** 4006 SAT MSP 18 JUN J1 C1 D1 I1 Z1 W0 S1 Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 K0 L0 U0 T0 X0 V0 E0
Why is S=1 while W=0? Well, there is one unassigned C+ seat on this plane but since the flight is sold out in Y (Y=0) it is not bookable. If you try to book this flight it is sold out in Y and C+. The other day I saw S8 with Y0. My kids were booked on that flight and when I pulled up the seat map of their reservation there were 8 unassigned C+ seats. Of note, there were two C+ seats held back for airport assignment that were not captured in the S total.
I do not believe you can book a ticket in S. Also, I believe this is upgrade code to C+ for Medallions booked in Y.
Hope this helps. I believe this is correct. But an open for further insights.
DL/** 4006 SAT MSP 18 JUN J1 C1 D1 I1 Z1 W0 S1 Y0 B0 M0 H0 Q0 K0 L0 U0 T0 X0 V0 E0
Why is S=1 while W=0? Well, there is one unassigned C+ seat on this plane but since the flight is sold out in Y (Y=0) it is not bookable. If you try to book this flight it is sold out in Y and C+. The other day I saw S8 with Y0. My kids were booked on that flight and when I pulled up the seat map of their reservation there were 8 unassigned C+ seats. Of note, there were two C+ seats held back for airport assignment that were not captured in the S total.
I do not believe you can book a ticket in S. Also, I believe this is upgrade code to C+ for Medallions booked in Y.
Hope this helps. I believe this is correct. But an open for further insights.
Jun 17, 2019, 6:46 pm
#5
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Comfort + "Upgrades" appearing as SU class, rather than WU class.
SU fare class?
So I think the upshot of the announcement is that by adding S, they'll be selling cash (vs award) tickets in C+ in two different buckets now?
Jun 17, 2019, 7:07 pm
#6
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Dual character ‘S’ class will still be utilized for Comfort+ upgrade certificates. Due to a GDS limitation of only being able to display a single class of service, travel agents will see ‘S’ class for all of the following 'S’ class booking options, even though they may be booked as a dual character class of service:
- Revenue (S)
- SkyMiles Award (SN)
- Complimentary Medallion upgrade (SU)
- SkyMiles Global or Regional upgrade (SY)
- eNCI upgrade certificate (SY)
Jun 17, 2019, 8:04 pm
#7
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S is currently used for Comfort+ award bookings ( they stopped using it for revenue fare bookings some time ago). They will be using SN for C+ award fares instead of just plan S which frees it up again for revenue fares.
Jun 17, 2019, 8:16 pm
#9
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It was an economy fare. But it hasn't been used in some time (or at least I haven't been booked into it forever). It fell between "H" and "M" in the old fare class hierarchy.
Sounds like Delta will begin doing variable price C+ bookings rather than the current "Cost + X" approach.
Good news for those who like to booked paid C+ tickets. Bad news for anyone who wants to snag a C+ upgrade (it doesn't affect me as I never get C+ prior to the gate anyways).
Sounds like Delta will begin doing variable price C+ bookings rather than the current "Cost + X" approach.
Good news for those who like to booked paid C+ tickets. Bad news for anyone who wants to snag a C+ upgrade (it doesn't affect me as I never get C+ prior to the gate anyways).
For some partners like KLM, it was once S for "standard" coach fare, which was a pretty high fare class but not FULL Y, so I suspect it corresponded to how DL used S in Y B M S H Q K S L U X V E.
I was wondering how long it would be before DL had more than one class for C+.
I was wondering how long it would be before DL had more than one class for C+.
Jun 17, 2019, 8:22 pm
#11
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......but will DL still retain the underlying coach fare classes for C+? [If anything, I suspect that DL is doing more of this even though they insist that the instant upgrade fares, which aren't very obvious when purchasing tickets, will be treated like premium cabin fares in IROPs etc. I ran into this recently when I was trying to change a deep discount FC ticket and the new flight I wanted only had M+ coach inventory, which forced it to be rebooked into C rather than Z which was available. Others have been reporting issues stemming from underlying coach fare codes for PS tickets on certain longhaul international routes.]
Jun 17, 2019, 8:48 pm
#12
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For some partners like KLM, it was once S for "standard" coach fare, which was a pretty high fare class but not FULL Y, so I suspect it corresponded to how DL used S in Y B M S H Q K S L U X V E.
I was wondering how long it would be before DL had more than one class for C+.
I was wondering how long it would be before DL had more than one class for C+.
Last edited by xliioper; Jun 17, 2019 at 8:56 pm
Jun 17, 2019, 9:00 pm
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Jun 17, 2019, 9:02 pm
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Yes, but the policy for F was clearly by design. The policy for C+ (I think) emerged out of necessity due to the impossibility of explaining “underlying fare basis” to average consumers.
Last edited by rucksack; Jun 17, 2019 at 9:11 pm
Jun 18, 2019, 6:27 am
#15
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I think @MSPeconomist was making a point about how DL fare classes “used” to be. I think they’re aware that “S” was no longer used for Main Cabin revenue fares...
Yes, but the policy for F was clearly by design. The policy for C+ (I think) emerged out of necessity due to the impossibility of explaining “underlying fare basis” to average consumers.