Using Global Upgrades on Delta (GUCs) post 2/1/2022 Changes
May 15, 22, 12:53 am - Wikipost
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Feb 5, 22, 3:20 pm
#46
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: OKC
Programs: DL DM/2.5MM, Global Entry, Titanium_Marriott, GHertz
Posts: 6,615
DL Initiated 3 hr Change but still must have new ug inventory
For two weeks running, DL has made a mess of a simple schedule: OKC-ATL-JFK-LHR. The original ticket was purchased 11/4/21 using GUCs.
Last week, there was a 3 hour change with the ATL-JFL flight, but rather than put me on OKC-ATL-LHR, they messed around and I now arrive later in LHR than is helpful for my onward travel out of the LHR airport.
Today, I do not know how many minutes were involved with ATL-JFK schedule change, but now I have 16 minutes to connect at ATL coming in from OKC and on to JFK.
The agent talked to someone in international changes (we disconnected and she called maybe 2 hours later) and said they would not put me on the direct flight due to the absence of ug inventory.
So when did DL change the policy that if they make a change as big as 3 hours they will not change the code and clear me into the best connection? Apparently the only thing that says my current schedule is that JFK-LHR still has ug inventory and they want me to be glad they are not charging me the PS fare (it is open jaw coming back from FCO that has direct flights).
In the past, we had changes that 'worked to our advantage'. Now, they are telling me to sit on this and see what happens since ATL-JFK flights appear to be changing almost every weekend now.
Last week, there was a 3 hour change with the ATL-JFL flight, but rather than put me on OKC-ATL-LHR, they messed around and I now arrive later in LHR than is helpful for my onward travel out of the LHR airport.
Today, I do not know how many minutes were involved with ATL-JFK schedule change, but now I have 16 minutes to connect at ATL coming in from OKC and on to JFK.
The agent talked to someone in international changes (we disconnected and she called maybe 2 hours later) and said they would not put me on the direct flight due to the absence of ug inventory.
So when did DL change the policy that if they make a change as big as 3 hours they will not change the code and clear me into the best connection? Apparently the only thing that says my current schedule is that JFK-LHR still has ug inventory and they want me to be glad they are not charging me the PS fare (it is open jaw coming back from FCO that has direct flights).
In the past, we had changes that 'worked to our advantage'. Now, they are telling me to sit on this and see what happens since ATL-JFK flights appear to be changing almost every weekend now.
Feb 5, 22, 4:36 pm
#47
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Atlanta
Programs: DL 2xMillion Miler, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat, Marriott/Hilton Gold Life
Posts: 565
If the outbound higher-end call center gets involved, they can do anything.
Standard folks not so much.
But have you tried the chat?
Somehow chat saved me $200 on a R/T over other ATL-LIB tickets we purchased for same itinerary.... no idea how when online was showing more expensive price.
(so... additional inventory)
Standard folks not so much.
But have you tried the chat?
Somehow chat saved me $200 on a R/T over other ATL-LIB tickets we purchased for same itinerary.... no idea how when online was showing more expensive price.
(so... additional inventory)
Feb 5, 22, 6:54 pm
#48
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: OKC
Programs: DL DM/2.5MM, Global Entry, Titanium_Marriott, GHertz
Posts: 6,615
Originally Posted by Xeno
For two weeks running, DL has made a mess of a simple schedule: OKC-ATL-JFK-LHR. The original ticket was purchased 11/4/21 using GUCs.
Last week, there was a 3 hour change with the ATL-JFL flight, but rather than put me on OKC-ATL-LHR, they messed around and I now arrive later in LHR than is helpful for my onward travel out of the LHR airport.
Today, I do not know how many minutes were involved with ATL-JFK schedule change, but now I have 16 minutes to connect at ATL coming in from OKC and on to JFK.
The agent talked to someone in international changes (we disconnected and she called maybe 2 hours later) and said they would not put me on the direct flight due to the absence of ug inventory.
So when did DL change the policy that if they make a change as big as 3 hours they will not change the code and clear me into the best connection? Apparently the only thing that says my current schedule is that JFK-LHR still has ug inventory and they want me to be glad they are not charging me the PS fare (it is open jaw coming back from FCO that has direct flights).
In the past, we had changes that 'worked to our advantage'. Now, they are telling me to sit on this and see what happens since ATL-JFK flights appear to be changing almost every weekend now.
Last week, there was a 3 hour change with the ATL-JFL flight, but rather than put me on OKC-ATL-LHR, they messed around and I now arrive later in LHR than is helpful for my onward travel out of the LHR airport.
Today, I do not know how many minutes were involved with ATL-JFK schedule change, but now I have 16 minutes to connect at ATL coming in from OKC and on to JFK.
The agent talked to someone in international changes (we disconnected and she called maybe 2 hours later) and said they would not put me on the direct flight due to the absence of ug inventory.
So when did DL change the policy that if they make a change as big as 3 hours they will not change the code and clear me into the best connection? Apparently the only thing that says my current schedule is that JFK-LHR still has ug inventory and they want me to be glad they are not charging me the PS fare (it is open jaw coming back from FCO that has direct flights).
In the past, we had changes that 'worked to our advantage'. Now, they are telling me to sit on this and see what happens since ATL-JFK flights appear to be changing almost every weekend now.
Feb 7, 22, 3:06 pm
#49
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: DL Diamond, Hertz PC, Bonvoy Gold Elite
Posts: 430
Originally Posted by Xeno
For two weeks running, DL has made a mess of a simple schedule: OKC-ATL-JFK-LHR. The original ticket was purchased 11/4/21 using GUCs.
Last week, there was a 3 hour change with the ATL-JFL flight, but rather than put me on OKC-ATL-LHR, they messed around and I now arrive later in LHR than is helpful for my onward travel out of the LHR airport.
Today, I do not know how many minutes were involved with ATL-JFK schedule change, but now I have 16 minutes to connect at ATL coming in from OKC and on to JFK.
The agent talked to someone in international changes (we disconnected and she called maybe 2 hours later) and said they would not put me on the direct flight due to the absence of ug inventory.
So when did DL change the policy that if they make a change as big as 3 hours they will not change the code and clear me into the best connection? Apparently the only thing that says my current schedule is that JFK-LHR still has ug inventory and they want me to be glad they are not charging me the PS fare (it is open jaw coming back from FCO that has direct flights).
In the past, we had changes that 'worked to our advantage'. Now, they are telling me to sit on this and see what happens since ATL-JFK flights appear to be changing almost every weekend now.
Last week, there was a 3 hour change with the ATL-JFL flight, but rather than put me on OKC-ATL-LHR, they messed around and I now arrive later in LHR than is helpful for my onward travel out of the LHR airport.
Today, I do not know how many minutes were involved with ATL-JFK schedule change, but now I have 16 minutes to connect at ATL coming in from OKC and on to JFK.
The agent talked to someone in international changes (we disconnected and she called maybe 2 hours later) and said they would not put me on the direct flight due to the absence of ug inventory.
So when did DL change the policy that if they make a change as big as 3 hours they will not change the code and clear me into the best connection? Apparently the only thing that says my current schedule is that JFK-LHR still has ug inventory and they want me to be glad they are not charging me the PS fare (it is open jaw coming back from FCO that has direct flights).
In the past, we had changes that 'worked to our advantage'. Now, they are telling me to sit on this and see what happens since ATL-JFK flights appear to be changing almost every weekend now.
Feb 7, 22, 3:14 pm
#50
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 345
I need to vent. I have been a Diamond member since the inception of the program, and I cannot remember ever facing this amount of frustration with Delta. I am trying to purchase a Delta One fare for myself on a TATL itinerary and purchase a Premium Select fare for my wife which will be upgraded with a GUC. I spent ~ 1 hour online searching for upgrade space for her, greatly complicated by the fact that if I do XXX-ATL-CDG-YYY it will not show the upgrade availability in many cases on ATL-CDG, but if I just search ATL-CDG it will. So I need to look at possible itineraries XXX-DTW-CDG-YYY, XXX-JFK-CDG-YYY, XXX-ATL-AMS-YYY, etc. I found an itinerary that works without having an absurd Delta One fare (> $8k), and then spent 2 and a half hours on the phone with Delta (and this does not include the 5 minutes holding to speak with an agent initially). We go through ticketing both me and my wife, and then they say that the TATL return (CDG-DTW) can only be waitlisted for my wife, as there is no availability. I say that is crazy, the web site shows otherwise:
Here is the pop-up window if you click on "Delta One available..."
The first agent says that he cannot explain the discrepancy between what he sees (no upgrade availability) and what I see, and would I like to talk with another associate. I say yes, and go through the same process. She also ends up saying that she cannot upgrade my wife, and I insist that she talk to a supervisor. She goes back and forth between me and the supervisor, asks me to email them the screenshots above, and then says that since the web shows availability, the supervisor should be able to book this and honor that. Ultimately, she comes back and says that they will not do it, but would I like to speak with the supervisor. I talk with the supervisor who remains adamant that they can do nothing. I thought in the past that having status meant that you could avoid all of this and that Delta would honor what their web site shows. That appears to no longer be the case. It is also clear that the GUCs are worthless even if I am willing to pay $2,800 for a PS fare.
Here is the pop-up window if you click on "Delta One available..."
The first agent says that he cannot explain the discrepancy between what he sees (no upgrade availability) and what I see, and would I like to talk with another associate. I say yes, and go through the same process. She also ends up saying that she cannot upgrade my wife, and I insist that she talk to a supervisor. She goes back and forth between me and the supervisor, asks me to email them the screenshots above, and then says that since the web shows availability, the supervisor should be able to book this and honor that. Ultimately, she comes back and says that they will not do it, but would I like to speak with the supervisor. I talk with the supervisor who remains adamant that they can do nothing. I thought in the past that having status meant that you could avoid all of this and that Delta would honor what their web site shows. That appears to no longer be the case. It is also clear that the GUCs are worthless even if I am willing to pay $2,800 for a PS fare.
Feb 7, 22, 3:15 pm
#51
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: OKC
Programs: DL DM/2.5MM, Global Entry, Titanium_Marriott, GHertz
Posts: 6,615
Originally Posted by Utskicat
Just call back and push the issue. If they do a schedule change, you should not have to requalify for upgrade, thats on them. There have been multiple reports of this. HUCA seems to work.
For two weekends running, I have invested in 3.5 hour phone tie ups with DL agents. The initial DM agents want to quickly move me to the direct flight out of ATL but 1 or 2 hours later someone else tells him/her that they will not move me due to the lack of ug inventory even though DL initiated the change and not me.
Feb 7, 22, 5:00 pm
#52
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 83
Originally Posted by ehe123
I need to vent. I have been a Diamond member since the inception of the program, and I cannot remember ever facing this amount of frustration with Delta. I am trying to purchase a Delta One fare for myself on a TATL itinerary and purchase a Premium Select fare for my wife which will be upgraded with a GUC. I spent ~ 1 hour online searching for upgrade space for her, greatly complicated by the fact that if I do XXX-ATL-CDG-YYY it will not show the upgrade availability in many cases on ATL-CDG, but if I just search ATL-CDG it will. So I need to look at possible itineraries XXX-DTW-CDG-YYY, XXX-JFK-CDG-YYY, XXX-ATL-AMS-YYY, etc. I found an itinerary that works without having an absurd Delta One fare (> $8k), and then spent 2 and a half hours on the phone with Delta (and this does not include the 5 minutes holding to speak with an agent initially). We go through ticketing both me and my wife, and then they say that the TATL return (CDG-DTW) can only be waitlisted for my wife, as there is no availability. I say that is crazy, the web site shows otherwise:
Here is the pop-up window if you click on "Delta One available..."
The first agent says that he cannot explain the discrepancy between what he sees (no upgrade availability) and what I see, and would I like to talk with another associate. I say yes, and go through the same process. She also ends up saying that she cannot upgrade my wife, and I insist that she talk to a supervisor. She goes back and forth between me and the supervisor, asks me to email them the screenshots above, and then says that since the web shows availability, the supervisor should be able to book this and honor that. Ultimately, she comes back and says that they will not do it, but would I like to speak with the supervisor. I talk with the supervisor who remains adamant that they can do nothing. I thought in the past that having status meant that you could avoid all of this and that Delta would honor what their web site shows. That appears to no longer be the case. It is also clear that the GUCs are worthless even if I am willing to pay $2,800 for a PS fare.
Here is the pop-up window if you click on "Delta One available..."
The first agent says that he cannot explain the discrepancy between what he sees (no upgrade availability) and what I see, and would I like to talk with another associate. I say yes, and go through the same process. She also ends up saying that she cannot upgrade my wife, and I insist that she talk to a supervisor. She goes back and forth between me and the supervisor, asks me to email them the screenshots above, and then says that since the web shows availability, the supervisor should be able to book this and honor that. Ultimately, she comes back and says that they will not do it, but would I like to speak with the supervisor. I talk with the supervisor who remains adamant that they can do nothing. I thought in the past that having status meant that you could avoid all of this and that Delta would honor what their web site shows. That appears to no longer be the case. It is also clear that the GUCs are worthless even if I am willing to pay $2,800 for a PS fare.
Feb 7, 22, 8:20 pm
#53
Join Date: Aug 2013
Programs: DL-DM, AA-G, SPG-G, UA-S
Posts: 248
Originally Posted by kobyjones21
I think the problem is married segment vs one way availability.
Feb 7, 22, 9:05 pm
#54
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: 15,645
Originally Posted by Xeno
The reason I started a dedicated thread was that HUCA does not resolve a policy DL put in place at some point in 2021.
rumblings about a change in policy began in May/June, read forward from about post 55.
Feb 7, 22, 10:58 pm
#55
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: DL Diamond, Hertz PC, Bonvoy Gold Elite
Posts: 430
Originally Posted by Xeno
The reason I started a dedicated thread was that HUCA does not resolve a policy DL put in place at some point in 2021. I have run into this before and do not remember how it was resolved.
For two weekends running, I have invested in 3.5 hour phone tie ups with DL agents. The initial DM agents want to quickly move me to the direct flight out of ATL but 1 or 2 hours later someone else tells him/her that they will not move me due to the lack of ug inventory even though DL initiated the change and not me.
For two weekends running, I have invested in 3.5 hour phone tie ups with DL agents. The initial DM agents want to quickly move me to the direct flight out of ATL but 1 or 2 hours later someone else tells him/her that they will not move me due to the lack of ug inventory even though DL initiated the change and not me.
1) He said many agents confuse the KM sections that are referring to VOLUNTARY changes. Its apparently a very long page and when people do a search for the rebooking rules, they start reading rules not realizing they are under the voluntary changes section.
2) The newest language in the schedule change section is apparently very poorly written. He said that the rules refer to protecting "originally ticketed class" which accurately refer to the ticketed class BEFORE the schedule change. But some agents read this to mean the original ticket purchased (before upgrade). He also said there is a note that they can call some other desk to have them protect upgraded space if its not available on the new flights. He told me to push on this policy if I get it...that it hasn't been addressed from mgmt, its just agents trying to decode poorly written instructions.
Last edited by Utskicat; Feb 8, 22 at 8:52 pm
Feb 8, 22, 7:50 am
#56
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 345
Originally Posted by kobyjones21
I think the problem is married segment vs one way availability.
Feb 8, 22, 8:24 am
#57
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: OKC
Programs: DL DM/2.5MM, Global Entry, Titanium_Marriott, GHertz
Posts: 6,615
Originally Posted by Zorak
There's also this existing thread: Rebookings with RUCs/GUCs (schedule change/IRROPs/voluntary changes) Thread
rumblings about a change in policy began in May/June, read forward from about post 55.
rumblings about a change in policy began in May/June, read forward from about post 55.
I would say that from my experience in the last few weeks that DL is more rigid about insisting I must locate ug inventory even when DL makes the change. Not all the DM agents who answer my calls seem to know this, but by the time they talk to a supervisor or international reissue agent they move from sympathetic to rigid rejection.
I know we are not supposed to cross post, but I am tempted to start posting in this other thread since my issues have nothing to do with the GUC changes on 2/1/22.
Edited to say I see that I actually posted in that thread #124 when I first encountered this problem in July 2021!
Last edited by Xeno; Feb 8, 22 at 8:44 am
Feb 8, 22, 8:29 am
#58
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: OKC
Programs: DL DM/2.5MM, Global Entry, Titanium_Marriott, GHertz
Posts: 6,615
Originally Posted by Utskicat
Last time I spoke with an agent who successfully did the rebook, I questioned why so many agents now say you have to have upgrade inventory on the new flight. His reply was two-fold
1) He said many agents confuse the KM sections that are referring to VOLUNTARY changes. Its apparently a very long page and when people do a search for the rebooking, they start reading rules not realizing they are under the voluntary changes section.
2) The newest language in the schedule change section is apparently very poorly written. He said that the rules refer to protecting "originally ticketed class" which accurately refer to the ticketed class BEFORE the schedule change. But some agents read this to mean the original ticket purchased. He also said there is a note that they can call some other desk to have them protect upgraded space if its not available on the new flights. He told me to push on this policy if I get it...that it hasn't been addressed from mgmt, its just agents trying to decode poorly written instructions.
1) He said many agents confuse the KM sections that are referring to VOLUNTARY changes. Its apparently a very long page and when people do a search for the rebooking, they start reading rules not realizing they are under the voluntary changes section.
2) The newest language in the schedule change section is apparently very poorly written. He said that the rules refer to protecting "originally ticketed class" which accurately refer to the ticketed class BEFORE the schedule change. But some agents read this to mean the original ticket purchased. He also said there is a note that they can call some other desk to have them protect upgraded space if its not available on the new flights. He told me to push on this policy if I get it...that it hasn't been addressed from mgmt, its just agents trying to decode poorly written instructions.
Now DL's IT goes wild - first it's a 3 hour change then it's a 16 minute connect not marked as illegal - and while DM agents start out friendly, by the time they transfer me to a supervisor that is the end of the road. I thought the DM phone agents were also consulting with international reissue agents and if so then DL has an unpublished policy that penalizes someone like me who has to purchase tickets far in advance of actual travel.
BTW, DL would have put me on the direct ATL-LHR flight but I would be waitlisted which is not an option with my medical history.
Last edited by Xeno; Feb 8, 22 at 8:43 am
Feb 8, 22, 10:35 am
#60
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: OKC
Programs: DL DM/2.5MM, Global Entry, Titanium_Marriott, GHertz
Posts: 6,615
Originally Posted by ehe123
I think I have now resigned myself to thinking that GUCs are useless for most international travel, and that they have become super-RUCs that can be reliably used for domestic flights without waitlisting.
