Using Global Upgrades on Delta (GUCs) post 2/1/2022 Changes
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#136

Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: Delta Diamond, Bonvoy something good; sometimes other things too
Posts: 4,570
Successfully used a GUC to get last seat (literally) F on an upcoming LAS-JFK flight per the new policy. Was a bit nervous because when I started talking to the agent about it, he didn't seem to know the new policy (he said "yes, normally people would use an RUC, unless they were out of RUCs and only had GUCs") but once he looked at the flight in question he gave the correct info and correctly upgraded me into OV.
I also waitlisted a companion, and asked to do it specifically using a GUC (so that in theory if any seat comes open he should clear, rather than just most likely being top of the upgrade list with an RUC) so we will see if that works correctly ... I am not entirely optimistic but hoping that the fact he had just processed my GUC under the new terms meant he would have been clicking the right things.
I also waitlisted a companion, and asked to do it specifically using a GUC (so that in theory if any seat comes open he should clear, rather than just most likely being top of the upgrade list with an RUC) so we will see if that works correctly ... I am not entirely optimistic but hoping that the fact he had just processed my GUC under the new terms meant he would have been clicking the right things.
Based on ExpertFlyer alerts and monitoring, seats in F did open up at a couple of points after I had done the above, and Delta.com showed GUC space being available. At no point did the waitlist request clear, so I am not sure if it was waitlisted incorrectly, if it's not possible to waitlist for the new domestic GUC use case, or perhaps the waitlist would have cleared eventually in some batch process.
The first time a seat opened, I called and the agent claimed she couldn't process the upgrade ... from her explanations it seemed pretty clear she was looking at RUCs and not understanding the new GUC process. I didn't have time to HUCA at the time and the seat was gone by the time I would have had time.
Some seats opened again a few days later. I started out trying to use the iMessage agents, which led to more bad information with the agent claiming you couldn't apply certs to a traveler on a separate reservation. Eventually got them to agree to transfer me to a ticketing agent to (maybe?) do what I wanted; that agent only ended up pinging me 7.5 hours later (at 2am EDT; I was in PDT at the time though obviously still late) and closed the chat after 8 minutes when I didn't respond.
In the meantime managed to get through to a great phone agent who understood the request and went ahead and processed it and proactively got my reservation and the companion's reticketed, which hadn't happened on mine yet but was appreciated given it was the day before check-in.
Who knows what is right but we were both rebooked into OK (I had originally been upgraded into OV). The flight was F operated with D1 equipment.
#139
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Toledo, OH
Programs: Delta DM & MM, Hilton DM, Marriott gold, Hyatt Globalist, Alaska 75K, Wyndham Diamond,
Posts: 14,942
If you use a seat for HNL to immediately upgrade to domestic F via LAX or SEA and there are seats at T-24 available in Delta one via ATL or MSP can you Same day confirm to the D1 flight? I thought I remembered people saying they had applied RUCs tor JFK first flights and then were able to SDC on a different route that had Delta on servie
#140
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: CHA
Programs: DL-DM (MM), Bonvoy LifeTi(2022 Amb), Hertz-PC
Posts: 604
Notes on my recent experience of one of my waitlisted GUC trips:
Tix to EDI purchased back in Jan....looks like GUCs went thru as I have duplicate return itineraries, they say Delta One and FC for legs, but cannot select seats, top of legs say "Upgrade Contact Delta"
Tried the text method because I had time and in noisy environment so phone was out. 80 minute est, ended up being 90 mins to 'talk' to agent. 50 minutes later, realizing the agent could not multitask on several 'calls', had no attention to detail that I gave her, and certainly didn't know how to handle GUCs - finally relegated me to an international agent.
New agent looks it over, says they have cleared....what seats do I want. I say I'll pick those later when I can look at them online...thank you...end of text barrage.
Only to find out the next day that I am show NO upgrade on the return legs, but the long haul outbound shows cleared (same indicators)
Called. After getting agent, put on several lengthy holds when she finally comes back and says that I have to have purchased PE to use the GUC for Delta One.
I politely remind her that those rules only were effective AFTER Jan 31, 2022 purchases, and by the way, the JFK-EDI 767-300 has NO PE!
On hold again, to return with payment options for the UK luxury tax of the upgrade (tix re-issued into D1....any way around this?)
Tix to EDI purchased back in Jan....looks like GUCs went thru as I have duplicate return itineraries, they say Delta One and FC for legs, but cannot select seats, top of legs say "Upgrade Contact Delta"
Tried the text method because I had time and in noisy environment so phone was out. 80 minute est, ended up being 90 mins to 'talk' to agent. 50 minutes later, realizing the agent could not multitask on several 'calls', had no attention to detail that I gave her, and certainly didn't know how to handle GUCs - finally relegated me to an international agent.
New agent looks it over, says they have cleared....what seats do I want. I say I'll pick those later when I can look at them online...thank you...end of text barrage.
Only to find out the next day that I am show NO upgrade on the return legs, but the long haul outbound shows cleared (same indicators)
Called. After getting agent, put on several lengthy holds when she finally comes back and says that I have to have purchased PE to use the GUC for Delta One.

I politely remind her that those rules only were effective AFTER Jan 31, 2022 purchases, and by the way, the JFK-EDI 767-300 has NO PE!
On hold again, to return with payment options for the UK luxury tax of the upgrade (tix re-issued into D1....any way around this?)
#141

Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: Delta Diamond, Bonvoy something good; sometimes other things too
Posts: 4,570
Notes on my recent experience of one of my waitlisted GUC trips:
Tix to EDI purchased back in Jan....looks like GUCs went thru as I have duplicate return itineraries, they say Delta One and FC for legs, but cannot select seats, top of legs say "Upgrade Contact Delta"
Tried the text method because I had time and in noisy environment so phone was out. 80 minute est, ended up being 90 mins to 'talk' to agent. 50 minutes later, realizing the agent could not multitask on several 'calls', had no attention to detail that I gave her, and certainly didn't know how to handle GUCs - finally relegated me to an international agent.
New agent looks it over, says they have cleared....what seats do I want. I say I'll pick those later when I can look at them online...thank you...end of text barrage.
Only to find out the next day that I am show NO upgrade on the return legs, but the long haul outbound shows cleared (same indicators)
Called. After getting agent, put on several lengthy holds when she finally comes back and says that I have to have purchased PE to use the GUC for Delta One.
I politely remind her that those rules only were effective AFTER Jan 31, 2022 purchases, and by the way, the JFK-EDI 767-300 has NO PE!
On hold again, to return with payment options for the UK luxury tax of the upgrade (tix re-issued into D1....any way around this?)
Tix to EDI purchased back in Jan....looks like GUCs went thru as I have duplicate return itineraries, they say Delta One and FC for legs, but cannot select seats, top of legs say "Upgrade Contact Delta"
Tried the text method because I had time and in noisy environment so phone was out. 80 minute est, ended up being 90 mins to 'talk' to agent. 50 minutes later, realizing the agent could not multitask on several 'calls', had no attention to detail that I gave her, and certainly didn't know how to handle GUCs - finally relegated me to an international agent.
New agent looks it over, says they have cleared....what seats do I want. I say I'll pick those later when I can look at them online...thank you...end of text barrage.
Only to find out the next day that I am show NO upgrade on the return legs, but the long haul outbound shows cleared (same indicators)
Called. After getting agent, put on several lengthy holds when she finally comes back and says that I have to have purchased PE to use the GUC for Delta One.

I politely remind her that those rules only were effective AFTER Jan 31, 2022 purchases, and by the way, the JFK-EDI 767-300 has NO PE!
On hold again, to return with payment options for the UK luxury tax of the upgrade (tix re-issued into D1....any way around this?)
#142
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: CHA
Programs: DL-DM (MM), Bonvoy LifeTi(2022 Amb), Hertz-PC
Posts: 604
Booking before new GUC rules
There's been debate on it either way....and it's long since passed to do anything about it.
But I was able to book a flight to AMS in January for end of March, booked directly into D1 on both outbound and return (booking coach)
Did the same for a trip last week to EDI (booked coach thru AMS, both ways cleared) as well as a trip to London in early Jan that cleared both ways (booking coach)
#143
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: SEA, MKE, PSP
Programs: AS MVP100K
Posts: 270
In May I have a confirmed SEA-LON and PRG-JFK both in D1. They put us on the waitlist for upgrades on JFK-SEA. They recently changed the sea-jfk to domestic first. I checked online and showed first available when using a GUC. So I called in and the agent said it’s not available. But she “fixed” other things wrong with the ticket. I never get a warm fuzzy feeling when talking to these agents. Every time I call they find things wrong. So just to confirm….. it’s a domestic first plane. Showing J9. Using a GUC. I should be able to call in and get the ticket reissued for first, right?
#144
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL charter DM2MM, UA Silver, marriott lifetime titanium hilton lif diamond , national exec elite
Posts: 68
My international travel game is rusty
Grrr.
Hello all its been awhile.
Was looking to use GUC on ATL to EZE (767-300 no DPS)next month. Found a good deal on amex travel using points 2 wks ago so I booked. Ticket Is on AR ticket stock (044) but it is DL metal. I called the diamond line and was told i cannot get upgraded to DC+ nor can i apply rhe GUCs. Im sure i used to know this but I have been out of the international travel game for a bit(though I thought that if it was delta metal I was all good). Is there a way to get my ticket reissued on delta ticket stock so that I can use my GUCs? Or should I prepare myself for 10hrs of pain?
Hello all its been awhile.
Was looking to use GUC on ATL to EZE (767-300 no DPS)next month. Found a good deal on amex travel using points 2 wks ago so I booked. Ticket Is on AR ticket stock (044) but it is DL metal. I called the diamond line and was told i cannot get upgraded to DC+ nor can i apply rhe GUCs. Im sure i used to know this but I have been out of the international travel game for a bit(though I thought that if it was delta metal I was all good). Is there a way to get my ticket reissued on delta ticket stock so that I can use my GUCs? Or should I prepare myself for 10hrs of pain?
#145
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Orange County, CA (SNA)
Programs: Delta - DM, MM; Hilton - Gold, Marriott - Dropped
Posts: 873
Upgrade Question.
We are flying LHR-ATL on DL31 on Friday 4/8. Currently we are in PS using a GUC. However the flight was booked in January, do you think there may be a chance we can use the old policy and upgrade straight into D1? We are currently waitlisted for this but it would be nice to be confirmed. I don't have visibility into the D1 classes available, but there are about 12 open seats on the flight map currently.
Can anyone look at this?
Thanks!
Can anyone look at this?

Thanks!
Last edited by tanglin; Mar 25, 22 at 8:27 am Reason: Corrected date and added flight # :(
#146
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 2,325
We are flying LHR-ATL on DL31 on Friday 4/8. Currently we are in PS using a GUC. However the flight was booked in January, do you think there may be a chance we can use the old policy and upgrade straight into D1? We are currently waitlisted for this but it would be nice to be confirmed. I don't have visibility into the D1 classes available, but there are about 12 open seats on the flight map currently.
Can anyone look at this?
Thanks!
Can anyone look at this?

Thanks!
did you originally purchase main cabin or PS?
is their immediate GUC space right now?
#148
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Orange County, CA (SNA)
Programs: Delta - DM, MM; Hilton - Gold, Marriott - Dropped
Posts: 873
GUC applied 1/31 (originally on LHR-SEA but that flight was cancelled). Was confirmed in D1 for that.
Originally purchased Main cabin
I don't know about GUC space now, I would not know how to find that out.
#149
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL charter DM2MM, UA Silver, marriott lifetime titanium hilton lif diamond , national exec elite
Posts: 68
Tks for the response. It was an amex travel insider fare and i'm listed in main cabin (T fare) on the Delta app not basic economy. I was able to select exit row seats as well. I looked on AR website and it says I'm in economy class as well. I checked my itinerary in the email and on AMEX website. Not sure where to look further for fare bucket info to see if it is a noncomplying fare bucket. Any other options? Try the diamond line Again I guess? Rebook flight with delta?
#150
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: SFO/SJC, BWI
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM MM, Mlife Noir, TR 7*, Marriott Tit, UA Plat, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,915
We are flying LHR-ATL on DL31 on Friday 4/8. Currently we are in PS using a GUC. However the flight was booked in January, do you think there may be a chance we can use the old policy and upgrade straight into D1? We are currently waitlisted for this but it would be nice to be confirmed. I don't have visibility into the D1 classes available, but there are about 12 open seats on the flight map currently.
Can anyone look at this?
Thanks!
Can anyone look at this?

Thanks!
https://www.delta.com/us/en/skymiles...llion-upgrades
What if I already requested my Upgrade Certificate to a flight and I am on the waitlist to be cleared?
If you were added to the waitlist for Delta One at the time of requesting to use your Global Upgrade Certificate and are cleared before February 1, 2022, then the current policy would apply. If you are not cleared until on or after February 1, 2022, then the new policy would apply. If you would like to rescind any pending upgrade requests where you are on the waitlist, you may do so by contacting Reservations.
If you were added to the waitlist for Delta One at the time of requesting to use your Global Upgrade Certificate and are cleared before February 1, 2022, then the current policy would apply. If you are not cleared until on or after February 1, 2022, then the new policy would apply. If you would like to rescind any pending upgrade requests where you are on the waitlist, you may do so by contacting Reservations.
Do a flight search (as if you were shopping for a new ticket, but on the same flights) while logged in and see if it says upgrade available with GUC.