tma90

Edit1: TL;DR - Used my hard-earned GUCs to book a BOS-AMS roundtrip for 2 in Delta One with confirmed seats at booking and had mine yanked away a month later with no explanation. Flight is in 3 weeks, how should I fight this?

Edit2: Per everyone's advice I got on the phone and kept pushing to get to a supervisor. Spent 45 minutes making progress and they were finally looking at rebooking us in 1st on an Air France flight but then the CALL DROPPED. Of course no one has called me back so I'll be starting all over soon. This has been infuriating.

Never had anything like this happen to me before, I've only had great experiences with Delta until now. I traveled for years for work like many of you here and recently changed to a local job. I was DL Platinum 2017 and Diamond in 2018 (no status now - likely very important for what is to come..) and chose global upgrade certificates as my choice benefit on 01/30/2019 (to expire 01/30/20).

I chose to use these Global Certificates to book a vacation with my fiance to Europe 12/26/19-01/04/20. We spent 45 minutes or so on the phone with a very helpful reservation agent who looked at combinations of ATL/BOS/JFK to AMS/FRA/CDG. We finally settled on a BOS-AMS roundtrip that would confirm the Delta One at the time of booking. Great! This was well over a month ago. Today I received an email that my seat was changed to Delta Comfort+ on the outbound leg "due to circumstances beyond our control". Keep in mind this is an overnight transatlantic flight so thats more than a minor inconvenience to go from DeltaOne to Comfort+.

A few hours of twitter DMs later and the best they've been able to do is waitlist me back on that leg. They looked up 9 different itineraries to switch us to but none had upgrade availability for the certificates. Still no answer as to why I was bumped except that since I was in bulkhead it may have been to "accommodate a passenger with special conditions." As I said I've never been in a situation like this before and I'm lost on how to pursue this further. Any advice is appreciated.

apodo77

Should have started with the TL,DR and not put it at the end.

In all seriousness that sucks and I would have pushed to have them open up award space on another flight. I know they have done this for me in the past but I was a Diamond at the time.

Best of luck!

indufan

I would tell them to get someone that is authorized to make availability.

tma90

If I was still Diamond I would call the elite number to speak with someone but now I get the general line and get nowhere...any idea the best channel for me to escalate? Is it continuing to push via Twitter DM or is there another phone line to reach out to??

tma90

haha noted - i'll save the next few readers

PV_Premier

Award availability should not be required if the change was made due to "circumstances beyond their control" which already sounds fishy. I would call in and ask revenue management and a supervisor to get involved. Twitter will only take you so far on this one. Do not approve any changes or insinuate any acceptance of anything over Twitter that might be used against you later.

I would call and state what happened, ask for an explanation, and then ask for them to open space to accommodate your upgrades that had already cleared. If they cannot or will not do this, ask for compensation and also of course be sure you get your GUCs reissued. A supervisor and revenue management can get this done for you, but you need to be clear that the changes were made unilaterally by DL, without your approval, and that you expect to be rebooked in the same class of service on an acceptable alternative flight using GUC for payment. Do not say anything about awards. This isn't an award, it's a GUC upgrade and GUC is a form of payment for all intents and purposes.

apodo77

I would reach out back to Twitter and let them know they need to contact someone who can open up the space for you on your desired itinerary.

You're probably better off calling in and asking for a supervisor though. Ask them to get revenue management involved as PV_Premiere points out. Make sure to have the itinerary you want in mind when calling.

flyerCO

RM isnt who needs to be involved. GTS - Global ticketing support is. If indeed was confirmed in D1 then they can override fare class availability and book you in D1.

btonkid12345

Agree with this. RM would only be involved via the Day of Departure Desk, when flight is within 5 days

If Supervisor / GTS refuse, then I would suggest an Executive email with the subject line “Confirmed Global Upgrades for 12/26 Revoked without Explanation”

Those folks have made upgrade space appear and can even clear it without attaching the certificate, if the circumstances merit and they want to.

woodford02A

https://www.elliott.org/company-cont...elta-airlines/

webmarks

...and stress that the GUCs were a final selection at the end of your loyal business with DL and that they will expire presently!

pfreet

As a PM hoping to finally achieve DM this year, can someone clarify if the OP's concern about bulkhead seats is valid? If one is using a GUC, clearing at booking, is it better to not take seats in the front row?

mot29

I can understand bulkhead issue on a narrowbody, but I don't think that the 2 aisle planes with D1 have anything about the bulkhead that would require them for a handicapped passenger. Unless it is a 757, but I don't think DL flies 757s from anywhere to AMS.

sydneyracquelle

This is gross. When I have bit a brick wall on the phone I call corporate at 800.455.2720 and hit 33. I have had success doing this. They are only open Monday-Friday. Good luck! Might be a federal air marshall or a very VIP who booted you.

flyerCO

This was typical agent doesn't know, so makes up an answer. You're subject to being moved within the cabin, but not downgraded.