CommuneNefas

Hi all,

I'm a bit perplexed by an early upgrade (though certainly not complaning...) for an upcoming flight and figured no better time than now to make a FT debut. I'm a PM and am taking a flight a short regional hop in a few days and just got upgraded to FC before the T-120 window opened. It's the second leg of an itinerary that I purchased for both myself and a companion (no status), and we were both upgraded at ~T-126 hours. Potentially of note, but I'm not sure how they would be related:

• I'm waitlisted for an RUC on the first leg of the flight. New FC class is OU, though, so I'm sure it's a medallion upgrade (and I didn't waitlist for this short segment)
• Companion and I are the only 2 people upgraded and there are no other FC seats occupied.
• No FCM offer in the last couple of days.

I called into the PM line to see if they had any explanation and was told 2 things. (1) "It's an automated process" so it's not possible something went rogue - the upgrade automatically cleared, but did so a few hours in advance of the window. (2) "Sometimes PMs and DMs can clear straight into FC" similar to how C+ upgrades are available shortly after booking. I've never heard of (2) happening before - has anyone else? And, separate from that, feels like an anomaly that the automatic window would open up a few hours before the published time - is that normal?

Anyone experience something similar? Is something weird going on (again) with Delta IT?

Saribo

This happened to me once because coach became overbooked due to a large group booking. They processed some upgrades early including mine to free up coach seats. As you mentioned, it's an unusual occurrence , but that's one reason it might have happened.

On second read, if your upgrade is only 6 hours early, it's probably just variability in how the automated system processes upgrades. The example I gave above involved getting upgraded a week or two early as a silver medallion.

MCO Flyer

(1) I’ve had UGs clear 1-2 hours before and even 1-2 hours after the technical UG window so I wouldn’t put anything behind UGs not clearing at the exact window, but I’ve never seen it clear 6 hours before. (2) You will only be UG’d straight to FC if OU space is available and you booked after your UG window.

sydneyracquelle

You mention second leg. What time is the first leg??

CommuneNefas

Thanks, both. Saribo I just looked at the flight seat map through a dummy booking and it looks like ~75% of coach is still open/unsold, and there's only 1 person sititng in C+ as of now too. Interesting to know they might clear early that way, but I don't think that's what happened to me!

MCO Flyer 6 hours felt early to me as well, which is why I'm confused. I bought this flight a couple of months ago, so definitely not clearing straight into FC with open OU space that way, but I guess that does expain the phone agent's comment (at least, generally, as it doesn't really explain why the agent offered it as an explanation to me).

CommuneNefas

First leg departs a few hours earlier: to be specific, Leg 1 is 3:55pm ET and Leg 2 departs 8:45pm PT. Leg 2 upgrade cleared ~2:30pm ET.

Regardless, I thought the T-120 window opened relative to the specific flight, not the entire itinerary?

gooselee

This was my first thought. Is the departure of the first leg 6 hours before the departure of the 2nd leg by any chance?

CommuneNefas

As above, first leg departs at 3:55 ET and the second leg (on which I was upgraded early) departs at 8:45pm PT (so technically the upgrade was T-129 and not T-126); and, I received the early upgrade at ~2:30pm ET. I haven't received an upgrade on the first leg and I also was under the impression that legs were handled individually, with respective 120-hour windows, as that is how it's worked for me on prior flights.

ajggiant

I had FC upgrades clear at ~T-126+ yesterday. It was the second leg in the a multi city trip, with both legs on the same day. I was in the app at about 10:30 am changing seats for my 7:30 am flight, which cleared at T-120 and the app let me pick FC seats for my 4:55 pm flight and the 7:30 pm connecting flight. At 11:05 am I received the push notifications about my FC comp upgrades for the evening flights.

gooselee

Huh, well there goes that theory!

(My experience has also been the same, that flights clear individually. But it wouldn't be hard to imagine DL changing some coding somewhere that makes the system push UG sweeps based on the time an itinerary starts or something.)

MSPeconomist

My first thought was that perhaps DL needed to clear some space in coach (PNMW did this at times since they thought it was easier to sell coach seats than FC due to corporate travel policies), but this doesn't seem to be the case.

It sounds like the flight was so empty that upgrades would surely clear, but I don't understand how an automated system could do this, especially when it can't be confusion with the first segment's departure time, daylight savings, etc.