Feb 2, 2022, 10:25 pm
Last edit by: bgriff
For discussion of same-day change on an itinerary with an RUC applied, see: SDC while using Regional Upgrade Certificates (RUC) Definitive Thread
FEB 1, 2022 New GUC/RUC Inventory Rules
*****GUC*****
Flight has First Class
MC/C+ = Purchased
First = Last Seat J (Old Policy = OY)
Flight has DPS only
MC/C+ = Purchased
DPS = Last Seat (GUC=P / RUC=G) (Old Policy = RY)
Flight has D1 with no DPS
MC/C+ = Purchased
D1 = Z (Old Policy = OY)
Flight has D1 with DPS
MC/C+ = Purchased
DPS = Last Seat (GUC=P / RUC=G) (Old Policy = RY)
D1 = OY @ T-24h15m
Flight has D1 with DPS
DPS = Purchased
D1 = Z (Old Policy = OY)
Note: If GUC applied to domestic flight, it has better inventory than RUC (better chance for D1 transcon or to Hawaii)
*****RUC*****
Flight has First Class
MC/C+ = Purchased
First = Z (Old Policy = OY)
Flight has D1 with no DPS
MC/C+ = Purchased
D1 = OY (no change in old policy = OY)
Delta is using public inventory buckets J Z P G (and non-public bucket OY in some cases) to determine GUC/RUC availability. However once they have confirmed you the system converts the segment in your reservation to a different bucket. Here is the class mapping:
GUC Usage
MC or C+ purchased / Upgrade to DPS / P class needed / Books into RV (Clears at T-24.15 into D1 as OX if OY available)
MC or C+ purchased / Upgrade to D1 (no DPS) / Z class needed / Books into OK
DPS purchased / Upgrade to D1 / Z class needed / Books into OK
MC or C+ purchased / Upgrade to FC (no D1/DPS) / J class needed / Books into OV
RUC Usage
MC or C+ purchased / Upgrade to DPS / G class needed / Books into RX (Clears at T-24.15 into D1 as OX if OY available) ****THIS AIRCRAFT CONFIG MAKES NO SENSE DPS IS NOT SOLD ON RUC ROUTES, MAYBE THIS IS FOR FUTURE PLANS?****
MC or C+ purchased / Upgrade to D1 (no DPS) / OY class needed / Books into OX
DPS purchased / Upgrade to D1 / OY class needed / Books into OX ****THIS AIRCRAFT CONFIG MAKES NO SENSE DPS IS NOT SOLD ON RUC ROUTES, MAYBE THIS IS FOR FUTURE PLANS?****
MC or C+ purchased / Upgrade to FC (no D1/DPS) / Z class needed / Books into OL
New Delta.com Upgrade Availability Indicators that appeared 2/1/22 and what they mean
Dom D1 Tag meaning:
Global Upgrade Certificate Available = GUC in Z (OY = 0 for RUC)
Upgrade Certificate Available = GUC in Z /or/ RUC in OY both available
Dom F Tag meaning:
Global Upgrade Certificate Available = GUC in Last Seat J (Z = 0 for RUC)
Upgrade Certificate Available = GUC in last seat J /or/ RUC in Z both available
Example D1 Flights from JFK - LAX (flight numbers are fictitious)
DL 01
Dom D1 flight
Actual Availability: J5 C4 D4 Z3
Hidden Availability: OY2
Website indicator: Upgrade Certificate Available
Actual decode: (2 RUC (OY) open, 3 GUC (Z) open)
DL 02
Dom D1 flight
Actual Availability: J5 C4 D4 Z3
Hidden Availability: OY0
Website indicator: Global Upgrade Certificate Available
Actual decode: (0 RUC (OY) open, 3 GUC (Z) open)
DL 03
Dom D1 flight
Actual Availability: J3 C2 D2 Z0
Hidden Availability: OY0
Website indicator: No flag - neither is available GUC (Z0) and RUC (OY0)
DL 04
Dom First flight
Actual Availability: J3 C2 D2 Z1
Hidden Availability: n/a
Website indicator: Upgrade Certificate Available
Actual decode: (1 RUC (Z) open, 3 GUC (J) open)
DL 05
Dom First flight
Actual Availability: J3 C2 D2 Z0
Hidden Availability: n/a
Website indicator: Global Upgrade Certificate Available
Actual decode: (0 RUC (Z) open, 3 GUC (J) open)
DL 06
Dom First flight
Actual Availability: J0 C0 D0 Z0
Hidden Availability: n/a
Website indicator: No flag - neither is available
Actual decode: (0 RUC (Z) open, 0 GUC (J) open)
I’m not able to check-in online for a flight where RUC/GUC was applied.
The problem is most likely that your upgrade cleared but your ticket has not been re-issued. Call to request a manual re-issue of your ticket.
__________________________________________________ __
PRE FEB 1, 2022 WIKI
More information and discussion about using same-day change after applying regional upgrades can be found in this thread: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delt...ve-thread.html
While the RUC process is almost entirely opaque, there are a couple of "hints" of a correctly applied waitlist.
1a) When viewing a waitlisted segment on the DL.com web site (not the app), there may be two seat maps for the same flight. The first seat map shows the coach seat you are currently in, and the second seat map for the same flight says "you may not select seats for this flight" or something like that. This second seat map corresponds to a part of the waitlist process, and indicates that at least one step of the multi-step process to add an RUC waitlist was actually done. Unfortunately, this does NOT indicate that the other manual steps of the RUC waitlist process were successfully completed by the agent (i.e. even if you see the second seat map, there still could be something wrong. There is simply no way for the customer to tell.)
1b) The status for a waitlisted segment should say something like "Upgrade Waitlisted"
2) Assuming the waitlist does not clear prior to check-in, the second hint is the upgrade waitlist. If the RUC waitlist request was coded correctly, you should show up at or very near the top of the upgrade waitlist that you can see on DL.com or the app. If you find yourself at your "usual" spot on the upgrade waitlist, this is a clue that the RUC waitlist request was not coded correctly.
3) The RUC is a form of "payment". Until the RUC clears, it remains "unused" so a waitlisted RUC will still show in your wallet as "open".
You may also wish to peruse the wiki for the GUC success thread as some of the considerations/logistics are similar between RUCs and GUCs.
FEB 1, 2022 New GUC/RUC Inventory Rules
*****GUC*****
Flight has First Class
MC/C+ = Purchased
First = Last Seat J (Old Policy = OY)
Flight has DPS only
MC/C+ = Purchased
DPS = Last Seat (GUC=P / RUC=G) (Old Policy = RY)
Flight has D1 with no DPS
MC/C+ = Purchased
D1 = Z (Old Policy = OY)
Flight has D1 with DPS
MC/C+ = Purchased
DPS = Last Seat (GUC=P / RUC=G) (Old Policy = RY)
D1 = OY @ T-24h15m
Flight has D1 with DPS
DPS = Purchased
D1 = Z (Old Policy = OY)
Note: If GUC applied to domestic flight, it has better inventory than RUC (better chance for D1 transcon or to Hawaii)
*****RUC*****
Flight has First Class
MC/C+ = Purchased
First = Z (Old Policy = OY)
Flight has D1 with no DPS
MC/C+ = Purchased
D1 = OY (no change in old policy = OY)
Delta is using public inventory buckets J Z P G (and non-public bucket OY in some cases) to determine GUC/RUC availability. However once they have confirmed you the system converts the segment in your reservation to a different bucket. Here is the class mapping:
GUC Usage
MC or C+ purchased / Upgrade to DPS / P class needed / Books into RV (Clears at T-24.15 into D1 as OX if OY available)
MC or C+ purchased / Upgrade to D1 (no DPS) / Z class needed / Books into OK
DPS purchased / Upgrade to D1 / Z class needed / Books into OK
MC or C+ purchased / Upgrade to FC (no D1/DPS) / J class needed / Books into OV
RUC Usage
MC or C+ purchased / Upgrade to DPS / G class needed / Books into RX (Clears at T-24.15 into D1 as OX if OY available) ****THIS AIRCRAFT CONFIG MAKES NO SENSE DPS IS NOT SOLD ON RUC ROUTES, MAYBE THIS IS FOR FUTURE PLANS?****
MC or C+ purchased / Upgrade to D1 (no DPS) / OY class needed / Books into OX
DPS purchased / Upgrade to D1 / OY class needed / Books into OX ****THIS AIRCRAFT CONFIG MAKES NO SENSE DPS IS NOT SOLD ON RUC ROUTES, MAYBE THIS IS FOR FUTURE PLANS?****
MC or C+ purchased / Upgrade to FC (no D1/DPS) / Z class needed / Books into OL
New Delta.com Upgrade Availability Indicators that appeared 2/1/22 and what they mean
Dom D1 Tag meaning:
Global Upgrade Certificate Available = GUC in Z (OY = 0 for RUC)
Upgrade Certificate Available = GUC in Z /or/ RUC in OY both available
Dom F Tag meaning:
Global Upgrade Certificate Available = GUC in Last Seat J (Z = 0 for RUC)
Upgrade Certificate Available = GUC in last seat J /or/ RUC in Z both available
Example D1 Flights from JFK - LAX (flight numbers are fictitious)
DL 01
Dom D1 flight
Actual Availability: J5 C4 D4 Z3
Hidden Availability: OY2
Website indicator: Upgrade Certificate Available
Actual decode: (2 RUC (OY) open, 3 GUC (Z) open)
DL 02
Dom D1 flight
Actual Availability: J5 C4 D4 Z3
Hidden Availability: OY0
Website indicator: Global Upgrade Certificate Available
Actual decode: (0 RUC (OY) open, 3 GUC (Z) open)
DL 03
Dom D1 flight
Actual Availability: J3 C2 D2 Z0
Hidden Availability: OY0
Website indicator: No flag - neither is available GUC (Z0) and RUC (OY0)
DL 04
Dom First flight
Actual Availability: J3 C2 D2 Z1
Hidden Availability: n/a
Website indicator: Upgrade Certificate Available
Actual decode: (1 RUC (Z) open, 3 GUC (J) open)
DL 05
Dom First flight
Actual Availability: J3 C2 D2 Z0
Hidden Availability: n/a
Website indicator: Global Upgrade Certificate Available
Actual decode: (0 RUC (Z) open, 3 GUC (J) open)
DL 06
Dom First flight
Actual Availability: J0 C0 D0 Z0
Hidden Availability: n/a
Website indicator: No flag - neither is available
Actual decode: (0 RUC (Z) open, 0 GUC (J) open)
I’m not able to check-in online for a flight where RUC/GUC was applied.
The problem is most likely that your upgrade cleared but your ticket has not been re-issued. Call to request a manual re-issue of your ticket.
__________________________________________________ __
PRE FEB 1, 2022 WIKI
More information and discussion about using same-day change after applying regional upgrades can be found in this thread: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delt...ve-thread.html
The clock begins ticking on RUC expiration when you make your choice benefit selection, so it's possible to time your selection when there is a specific need to use them.You can select your 2017 choice benefit as soon as DL recognizes your Plat status. Certificates expire 12 months from date of issue. 2019 choice benefits (earned based on how much one flew in 2018) must be selected by Jan 31, 2020.- If you select certificates as your choice benefit late in your Medallion tenure, it will still be valid after your status expires -- so for example if you earn Platinum Medallion in 2018, which is valid through Jan 31, 2020, but then only earn Silver Medallion in 2019, which becomes effective Feb 1, 2020 when your Platinum Medallion status expires, RUCs selected in January 2020 would be valid through January 2021 and could be used once you were only a Silver Medallion member, giving you a much higher upgrade list position on those flights where you attempt to use them.
- If you request to use a RUC on a flight and do not receive the upgrade, it is returned to your account for future use, but check your account to make sure.
- RUC may be redeemed for the named Medallion member and up to one travel companion traveling on the same flight (the companion officially no longer needs to be in the same reservation, though that rule was not actually enforced even when it was the official rule). The named member and the companion will each require a separate certificate.
While the RUC process is almost entirely opaque, there are a couple of "hints" of a correctly applied waitlist.
1a) When viewing a waitlisted segment on the DL.com web site (not the app), there may be two seat maps for the same flight. The first seat map shows the coach seat you are currently in, and the second seat map for the same flight says "you may not select seats for this flight" or something like that. This second seat map corresponds to a part of the waitlist process, and indicates that at least one step of the multi-step process to add an RUC waitlist was actually done. Unfortunately, this does NOT indicate that the other manual steps of the RUC waitlist process were successfully completed by the agent (i.e. even if you see the second seat map, there still could be something wrong. There is simply no way for the customer to tell.)
1b) The status for a waitlisted segment should say something like "Upgrade Waitlisted"
2) Assuming the waitlist does not clear prior to check-in, the second hint is the upgrade waitlist. If the RUC waitlist request was coded correctly, you should show up at or very near the top of the upgrade waitlist that you can see on DL.com or the app. If you find yourself at your "usual" spot on the upgrade waitlist, this is a clue that the RUC waitlist request was not coded correctly.
3) The RUC is a form of "payment". Until the RUC clears, it remains "unused" so a waitlisted RUC will still show in your wallet as "open".
You may also wish to peruse the wiki for the GUC success thread as some of the considerations/logistics are similar between RUCs and GUCs.
Using Regional Upgrades on Delta (RUC) post 2/1/2022
Jun 13, 2022, 10:08 am
#346
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: Delta, aa, united silver
Posts: 64
Using SDC on RUC
Hi - thanks for all the really useful information. I was reading the SDC with RUC thread, but I don't know what "KM" refers to that we are supposed to direct agents to when trying to SDC into a F seat when using a ticket where a RUC has been applied and confirmed. Thanks!
Jun 13, 2022, 11:29 am
#347
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 237
Spoke with an agent on the Diamond line yesterday who said that IT are working on an improvement to see which RUC's have pulled and be table to track them to a record locator. If true, this will be super helpful.
Jun 13, 2022, 4:17 pm
#348
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 3,097
Hi - thanks for all the really useful information. I was reading the SDC with RUC thread, but I don't know what "KM" refers to that we are supposed to direct agents to when trying to SDC into a F seat when using a ticket where a RUC has been applied and confirmed. Thanks!
Jun 14, 2022, 11:29 am
#349
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: DFW -
Programs: AA EXP 5MM, DL DM, Bonvoy Titanium, Avis CHM, National VIP
Posts: 556
I had this issue checking in yesterday for a flight today. No hold to get through on the Diamond line, but the agent I spoke to had a 1.5 hour hold to get through to someone on the internal ticketing line ... fortunately she handled it and called me back when done, but not the best use of Delta's resources all around.
Jun 14, 2022, 8:04 pm
#351
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,913
tl;dr it's certainly plausible that once it goes to gate control that the process and systems are different.
Jun 14, 2022, 10:02 pm
#352
Join Date: Aug 2013
Programs: DL DM 1MM; IHG Diamond Amb
Posts: 190
I have NEVER had an RUC or GUC process automatically. Always have to call to get it updated/fixed/reissued before being able to check in. I start to wonder if “it should happen automatically” is just fake CS jargon to pseudo-apologize for a system that seems a bit inefficient.
Jun 15, 2022, 6:51 am
#353
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: Delta Diamond, Bonvoy something good; sometimes other things too
Posts: 5,050
It used to be somewhat common that upgrades processed at the gate would not trigger the certificate closure process, and you'd be able to re-use the cert, although this hasn't happened for me in years so I assume they've tightened up some part of that process. But yes, my impression has always been that agents at the airport have quite a bit of latitude.
Jun 15, 2022, 8:48 am
#354
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,227
I could have sworn I read somewhere on FT the other day that RUCs don't need re-ticketing, only GUCs. Is that correct?
I just applied my very first RUCs yesterday, 2 pax, the outbound is waitlisted and the return is confirmed. Agent was very efficient (and only ~5m hold time). Doesn't look like the ticket has been reissued for the confirmed segment.
I just applied my very first RUCs yesterday, 2 pax, the outbound is waitlisted and the return is confirmed. Agent was very efficient (and only ~5m hold time). Doesn't look like the ticket has been reissued for the confirmed segment.
Jun 15, 2022, 8:51 am
#355
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,404
No, that's wrong. RUCs need to be reissued but it usually doesn't happen until the last week or so before departure (automatic reissue). You will have a detached ticket if this isn't fixed before check-in.
Jun 15, 2022, 11:41 am
#356
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,373
With that being said, I haven’t seen a lot of other data points on this, so we don’t have enough of a pattern to know if this is always possible or only under certain conditions. As with everything related to this highly manual process, it probably depends greatly on the exact actions taken by the agent that originally confirms/applies it.
Jun 15, 2022, 1:32 pm
#357
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,404
Fair enough. I've had 8 RUCs reissued automatically before travel, and one that wasn't which blocked check-in. YMMV.
Jun 16, 2022, 7:23 am
#358
Join Date: Jun 2022
Location: CVG
Programs: DL DM/1MM, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6
Please forgive the ignorant question. I've been Delta PM/DM for the better part of 15 years and to-date, have never had reason to use RUC's/GUC's, so my knowledge of them is pretty limited. Especially with the new rules.
I am looking at an award trip CVG-SJU next winter/spring and at the moment, the DL site is showing only GUC upgrade space available on the ATL-SJU leg. From my understanding, RUC's SHOULD work for Caribbean destinations, correct?
Is it simply too far in the future for RUC availability to be loaded, or should I just use GUC's for the trip since that availability is open now?
I am looking at an award trip CVG-SJU next winter/spring and at the moment, the DL site is showing only GUC upgrade space available on the ATL-SJU leg. From my understanding, RUC's SHOULD work for Caribbean destinations, correct?
Is it simply too far in the future for RUC availability to be loaded, or should I just use GUC's for the trip since that availability is open now?
Jun 16, 2022, 7:35 am
#359
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: Delta Diamond, Bonvoy something good; sometimes other things too
Posts: 5,050
Please forgive the ignorant question. I've been Delta PM/DM for the better part of 15 years and to-date, have never had reason to use RUC's/GUC's, so my knowledge of them is pretty limited. Especially with the new rules.
I am looking at an award trip CVG-SJU next winter/spring and at the moment, the DL site is showing only GUC upgrade space available on the ATL-SJU leg. From my understanding, RUC's SHOULD work for Caribbean destinations, correct?
Is it simply too far in the future for RUC availability to be loaded, or should I just use GUC's for the trip since that availability is open now?
I am looking at an award trip CVG-SJU next winter/spring and at the moment, the DL site is showing only GUC upgrade space available on the ATL-SJU leg. From my understanding, RUC's SHOULD work for Caribbean destinations, correct?
Is it simply too far in the future for RUC availability to be loaded, or should I just use GUC's for the trip since that availability is open now?
GUCs can now be used to confirm an upgrade to any Delta First Class seat (no capacity controls) so that message is always going to show unless the first class cabin is completely sold out. So, you could use GUCs to confirm the upgrade if you wanted, if you don't think you'll have any better use for those GUCs (which, considering you haven't used them for 15 years, perhaps is the case).
Jun 16, 2022, 7:52 am
#360
Join Date: Jun 2022
Location: CVG
Programs: DL DM/1MM, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6
That flight is eligible to be waitlisted using RUCs but Delta has not made RUC space confirmable at this point; it's possible it may become confirmable at a later date, but also possible Delta expects to sell all the F seats on that flight and a waitlist request would ultimately just give you higher priority on the airport upgrade list.
GUCs can now be used to confirm an upgrade to any Delta First Class seat (no capacity controls) so that message is always going to show unless the first class cabin is completely sold out. So, you could use GUCs to confirm the upgrade if you wanted, if you don't think you'll have any better use for those GUCs (which, considering you haven't used them for 15 years, perhaps is the case).
GUCs can now be used to confirm an upgrade to any Delta First Class seat (no capacity controls) so that message is always going to show unless the first class cabin is completely sold out. So, you could use GUCs to confirm the upgrade if you wanted, if you don't think you'll have any better use for those GUCs (which, considering you haven't used them for 15 years, perhaps is the case).