How many Play the "Pay for the Upgrade It will be Cheaper" game?
Mar 6, 2021, 3:01 pm
#16
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,601
I am just curious if I am the only one who gambles this way on Delta.
You buy the Main cabin ticket, in hopes that the upgrade offer is cheaper than the booking price for 1st.
Example: JFK SDQ on March 28th - April 26th, 6:59 PM departure $699 Round trip in 1st.
I purchased a coach seat for $393. During booking it said for 316 dollars more I could be upgraded to 1st I ignored that offer. After booking when I went to "My Trips" I was offered an upgrade to first for 109 each leg 218 total. Total Paid for First $611.
A savings of 88 dollars.
I have saved a lot of money this way even pre-pandemic. Although sometimes the upgrade isn't offered the same day you purchase the ticket, and there have been times I have had to pay 20 to 100 dollars more but overall I'm ahead.
You buy the Main cabin ticket, in hopes that the upgrade offer is cheaper than the booking price for 1st.
Example: JFK SDQ on March 28th - April 26th, 6:59 PM departure $699 Round trip in 1st.
I purchased a coach seat for $393. During booking it said for 316 dollars more I could be upgraded to 1st I ignored that offer. After booking when I went to "My Trips" I was offered an upgrade to first for 109 each leg 218 total. Total Paid for First $611.
A savings of 88 dollars.
I have saved a lot of money this way even pre-pandemic. Although sometimes the upgrade isn't offered the same day you purchase the ticket, and there have been times I have had to pay 20 to 100 dollars more but overall I'm ahead.
Bought Y+ for $190. F at the time I got offered the upgrade was ~$800. I paid $74 each way so $338 for the trip in F, so I saved over $450 bucks.
Of course I had the exit rows on 757s so i had leg room for days if I wouldn't have been able to upgrade, but for 74 bucks a leg i figured what the hell.
I pretty much always go this route now.
Mar 6, 2021, 8:41 pm
#17
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: West LA
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 957
Just did this for a trip to MCO in a few days.
Bought Y+ for $190. F at the time I got offered the upgrade was ~$800. I paid $74 each way so $338 for the trip in F, so I saved over $450 bucks.
Of course I had the exit rows on 757s so i had leg room for days if I wouldn't have been able to upgrade, but for 74 bucks a leg i figured what the hell.
I pretty much always go this route now.
Bought Y+ for $190. F at the time I got offered the upgrade was ~$800. I paid $74 each way so $338 for the trip in F, so I saved over $450 bucks.
Of course I had the exit rows on 757s so i had leg room for days if I wouldn't have been able to upgrade, but for 74 bucks a leg i figured what the hell.
I pretty much always go this route now.
Mar 6, 2021, 8:59 pm
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Somewhere
Programs: Delta Plat
Posts: 3,363
Just did this for a trip to MCO in a few days.
Bought Y+ for $190. F at the time I got offered the upgrade was ~$800. I paid $74 each way so $338 for the trip in F, so I saved over $450 bucks.
Of course I had the exit rows on 757s so i had leg room for days if I wouldn't have been able to upgrade, but for 74 bucks a leg i figured what the hell.
I pretty much always go this route now.
Bought Y+ for $190. F at the time I got offered the upgrade was ~$800. I paid $74 each way so $338 for the trip in F, so I saved over $450 bucks.
Of course I had the exit rows on 757s so i had leg room for days if I wouldn't have been able to upgrade, but for 74 bucks a leg i figured what the hell.
I pretty much always go this route now.
Mar 7, 2021, 3:37 pm
#19
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,601
Whoops. ATL
The only issue with the exit row, and why i ended up doing the F upgrade, is if you get stuck in a seat with the IFE in the arm rest. I don't need the extra width but i will certainly take it for 74 bucks.
The only issue with the exit row, and why i ended up doing the F upgrade, is if you get stuck in a seat with the IFE in the arm rest. I don't need the extra width but i will certainly take it for 74 bucks.
Mar 9, 2021, 4:39 am
#20
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,115
I always try to avoid these because you lose the value of the upgrade fee if you subsequently have to change the ticket, something you don’t have to worry about if you book it into F properly. But sometimes the difference still makes it worth the risk for me.
Mar 9, 2021, 7:19 am
#21
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Santo Domingo, Dom. Rep. / Washington, DC
Programs: AA PPro/DL PLT, PPass, Marriott / Hilton Gold, JetBlue Mosaic, Hertz Presidents Circle, Amex Plat
Posts: 4,630
I have been successful in changing the ticket and getting rebooked on the same fare class as the upgraded ticket.
Mar 9, 2021, 8:24 am
#22
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL PM, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 8,414
I avoid upgrading this way if possible because of this. You can call and make a fuss and speak with a supervisor and probably keep the value, but it's a pain and not guaranteed.
Mar 9, 2021, 8:30 am
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: DL DM 2MM, Marriott LT Titanium, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 15,198
I've never had an issue with losing the value when making a change. Only thing that happens sometimes is the system doesn't track and provide MQM and MQD for the buy-up segment.
Mar 9, 2021, 1:07 pm
#24
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Santo Domingo, Dom. Rep. / Washington, DC
Programs: AA PPro/DL PLT, PPass, Marriott / Hilton Gold, JetBlue Mosaic, Hertz Presidents Circle, Amex Plat
Posts: 4,630
I had this happen for the first time last week. All MQMs and original RDM were posted in an entry, and then an additional entry in my miles statement shows: Seat Upgrade: Mileage and MQD with base miles + bonus miles.
Mar 9, 2021, 1:25 pm
#25
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP 1MM, DL PM, Bonvoy Titanium (Plat Life), HH G, Amtrak, B6, MR
Posts: 1,548
The question I have is whether there's any way to be alerted when there's a good pay-to-upgrade deal. 
I'm looking at a flight I have booked next month. I can upgrade to F for "only" $349 per passenger. But if I change my ticket, the fare difference is $194 per passenger. If I didn't have 5 passengers on my reservation I might actually consider it.... Where are they coming up with this stuff?
I'm looking at a flight I have booked next month. I can upgrade to F for "only" $349 per passenger. But if I change my ticket, the fare difference is $194 per passenger. If I didn't have 5 passengers on my reservation I might actually consider it.... Where are they coming up with this stuff?
Mar 9, 2021, 5:20 pm
#26
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Somewhere
Programs: Delta Plat
Posts: 3,363
The only time I didn't stay in the same fare class is when it was like a huge change on my part but the entire value of the ticket and the upgrade fee were used for the new ticket purchase and I wasn't charged a change fee.
Mar 9, 2021, 5:58 pm
#27
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,413
The question I have is whether there's any way to be alerted when there's a good pay-to-upgrade deal.
I'm looking at a flight I have booked next month. I can upgrade to F for "only" $349 per passenger. But if I change my ticket, the fare difference is $194 per passenger. If I didn't have 5 passengers on my reservation I might actually consider it.... Where are they coming up with this stuff?
I'm looking at a flight I have booked next month. I can upgrade to F for "only" $349 per passenger. But if I change my ticket, the fare difference is $194 per passenger. If I didn't have 5 passengers on my reservation I might actually consider it.... Where are they coming up with this stuff?
Sometimes but not always following the fare being offered for FC compared to the fare you paid indicates the FCM offer you'll see.
It's easy to keep checking the DL app on your phone. You can stay logged in, so you only need a couple taps to view the offer on your itinerary or the seat map for your flight.
Mar 10, 2021, 6:50 am
#28
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: YYZ / NYC
Programs: AC E50K, DL GM , Hyatt Glob.
Posts: 123
Quick question: if you have a multi leg journey, how might one see the offer for each leg? I’ve got a short hop on the first leg that I’m not a fan of upgrading but the second longer leg is where I may consider a cash or points upgrade.
Mar 10, 2021, 7:25 am
#29
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,115
I've never had an issue with the MQM/MQD portions posting. But I've always lost the value of the upgrade when making a change. That said, I'm pretty much always changing routing, dates, destinations, etc. as I'm not a "point A to point B" traveler generally. Maybe if you're changing it for new flights but on the same segments, the agents have some options. If changing to a new route, the value of the upgrade fee disappears when reticketed, every time IME.
Mar 10, 2021, 7:33 am
#30
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,413
I'd look at the cost of simply upfaring the entire ticket or at least all segments in the same direction (outbound vs return). In principle, when you upgrade only one segment, you're breaking the fare, which often is much more expensive. Whether FCM offers for individual segments would reflect this is unclear.