When do exactly do RUC expire?
 

Applied upgrade cert to a flight flown on the day it expired. Already ordered new certs and applied it to future travel. Noticed they took a new certificate and that old cert showed as expired. So if the cert says expires 11/23/2019 did I need to use it by 11/22/2019? or can I call and get the new one, expires 11/03/2020 reinstated?

In the past you could apply a cert to a travel date beyond the expiration date as long as they could confirm and not waitlist the upgrade. (Even though this was contrary to the
T & C's of the cert). They appear to have changed that recently so that you must travel prior to the expiration date of the cert. I tried and failed after about 10 calls early in
November to use a cert that was due to expire on November 20. Even though space was available to confirm the upgrade, they would not extend the expiration date.
It appears to be an unwritten loophole that has been closed.

So to clarify, a certificate can not be used on the published expiration date? (So if it expired 11/23, travel had to be completed by 11/22?) Applied the cert to the reservation a few weeks prior to the expiration date, it was wait listed, flew return flight on the expiration date, not beyond, exactly on. That just seems different from other expiration dates, ie; medallion status good all day on January 31, but not Feb 1.

It can be flown on or before, just not after.

Thanks that was my thinking also, but sometimes Delta does things differently. Do you think it will do any good to contact Delta, as it is after the fact, to have them reinstate the new cert and apply the cert that expired 11/23 to the upgrade on the 11/23 flight? Or am I out of luck?

Update
 

Thanks for the input. Called Delta, they reinstated the certificate said they don’t know what happened should have pulled the expiring certificate.

Glad to hear you got the resolution you were looking for. Delta is notoriously resistant to reinstating upgrade certificates.

That’s disappointing to hear that Delta is enforcing the expiration date for confirmable upgrades reissued before the expiration date but flown after. I saved numerous GUCs from going to waste using that method. I suspect it’s still technically possible but that Delta has clarified its training / job aids to advise agents not to process these upgrades.