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
Jul 27, 2022, 10:25 am
#421
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: London/JAX
Programs: DL PM, BA Gold, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Gold, Radisson Premium, Global Entry, CLEAR
Posts: 872
Decent outcome with the RUCs for me this time around. Just changed flights from JAX-LAS and my RUC already cleared on JAX-ATL-LAS tomorrow afternoon. On the return LAS-ATL-JAX, there was one RUC space left when I booked and I got that too. That one’s huge considering LAS-ATL is a red eye.
Jul 28, 2022, 11:59 am
#422
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: SJC/SFO/OAK
Programs: DL PM, SW, Hilton, , UAL PM, AA Gold-skeptic
Posts: 1,632
Regional upgrade certificate usage question
My understanding is that if I fly from point A to point B (either non stop or with a connection), and use a regional certificate, I use one certificate for the trip. I just redeemed for an upgrade today and was told otherwise: i.e. one regional upgrade certificate per segment (so 2 certificates in my case, for a RSW-ATL-SFO one way trip).
What is the real story? I've been only 'charged' for one certificate for previous usage (and all involved connections, every last one of them), so is this agent incorrect, or am I?
Thanks!
What is the real story? I've been only 'charged' for one certificate for previous usage (and all involved connections, every last one of them), so is this agent incorrect, or am I?
Thanks!
Jul 28, 2022, 12:10 pm
#423
Join Date: Jul 2017
Programs: Delta Platinum; Hilton Diamond; Marriot Gold
Posts: 1,117
My understanding is that if I fly from point A to point B (either non stop or with a connection), and use a regional certificate, I use one certificate for the trip. I just redeemed for an upgrade today and was told otherwise: i.e. one regional upgrade certificate per segment (so 2 certificates in my case, for a RSW-ATL-SFO one way trip).
What is the real story? I've been only 'charged' for one certificate for previous usage (and all involved connections, every last one of them), so is this agent incorrect, or am I?
Thanks!
What is the real story? I've been only 'charged' for one certificate for previous usage (and all involved connections, every last one of them), so is this agent incorrect, or am I?
Thanks!
Jul 28, 2022, 12:26 pm
#424
Join Date: Jan 2022
Programs: DL, UA, AA
Posts: 1,996
Should be just one as long as your layover flight isn't over a certain amount of time, making it a different multiple fare elements.
See exwannabe's explanation, below.
See exwannabe's explanation, below.
If a ticket is A-B (connect) - C it is one RUC. If A-B (stop) - C it is 2 RUC.s
The difference is not the time spent at B. It is the fare(s) the flight was sold under. Need to look at the receipt.
The difference is not the time spent at B. It is the fare(s) the flight was sold under. Need to look at the receipt.
Last edited by Goodoldflyer; Jul 28, 2022 at 1:53 pm
Jul 28, 2022, 12:34 pm
#425
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: Delta PM, Delta Reserve, Amex Plat, Bonvoy Gold, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold ;)
Posts: 1,775
One per ticket per direction. For example if you're traveling MCO-ATL-SEA that would require (1) RUC. The return would require a second certificate.
If you ever get an agent that doesn't know the rules, hang up and call again.
If you ever get an agent that doesn't know the rules, hang up and call again.
Jul 28, 2022, 12:38 pm
#426
Join Date: Jan 2022
Programs: DL, UA, AA
Posts: 1,996
How is that helping? The agents never get trained like that.
Jul 28, 2022, 12:40 pm
#427
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: Delta PM, Delta Reserve, Amex Plat, Bonvoy Gold, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold ;)
Posts: 1,775
Do you want the upgrades processed correctly or serve as DL's QA? Have you never heard of HUCA?
This has been a problem with uninformed agents for years and has been especially bad since many senior agents were let go during COVID.
You can still file a complaint with DL. In fact, I get an email survey after every call I make to the Medallion line.
This has been a problem with uninformed agents for years and has been especially bad since many senior agents were let go during COVID.
You can still file a complaint with DL. In fact, I get an email survey after every call I make to the Medallion line.
Jul 28, 2022, 12:44 pm
#428
Join Date: Jan 2022
Programs: DL, UA, AA
Posts: 1,996
Do you want the upgrades processed correctly or serve as DL's QA? Have you never heard of HUCA?
This has been a problem with uninformed agents for years and has been especially bad since many senior agents were let go during COVID.
You can still file a complaint with DL. In fact, I get an email survey after every call I make to the Medallion line.
This has been a problem with uninformed agents for years and has been especially bad since many senior agents were let go during COVID.
You can still file a complaint with DL. In fact, I get an email survey after every call I make to the Medallion line.
This is an easy and basic enough situation that you can likely enlighten the agent and get your needs met without passing the problem along to someone else.
Jul 28, 2022, 12:48 pm
#429
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: ATL
Programs: Delta PlM, 1M
Posts: 6,363
Though I assume this is just the usual DL issue with RUCs being a pain, it is not always the case that "one direction": is single RUC.
If a ticket is A-B (connect) - C it is one RUC. If A-B (stop) - C it is 2 RUC.s
The difference is not the time spent at B. It is the fare(s) the flight was sold under. Need to look at the receipt.
That said, I would be surprised if a random flight on a route like this was sold as anything other than a connection and 1 RUC is the answer.
If a ticket is A-B (connect) - C it is one RUC. If A-B (stop) - C it is 2 RUC.s
The difference is not the time spent at B. It is the fare(s) the flight was sold under. Need to look at the receipt.
That said, I would be surprised if a random flight on a route like this was sold as anything other than a connection and 1 RUC is the answer.
Jul 28, 2022, 12:59 pm
#430
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 3,097
there is an existing thread for these questions
Using Regional Upgrades on Delta (RUC) post 2/1/2022
the correct answer is one certificate per fare element.
Using Regional Upgrades on Delta (RUC) post 2/1/2022
the correct answer is one certificate per fare element.
Jul 28, 2022, 6:13 pm
#431
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
Just used the last of my RUCs from last year for a mid-September work trip to SFO. Can't complain with their use this year -- have used all for flights to SFO (including one RT that as D1 in both direction) except one being used for a leisure trip to SXM.
My big remaining question is what to do about my 2022 PM Choice Benefit (earned PM last year). With the new rules, I'm not sure if I have enough time to use 4 more RUCs before 1/31/23 so I'm probably going to end up going with the 20k miles and then will use my 2023 PM Choice Benefit for RUCs to use next calendar year.
My big remaining question is what to do about my 2022 PM Choice Benefit (earned PM last year). With the new rules, I'm not sure if I have enough time to use 4 more RUCs before 1/31/23 so I'm probably going to end up going with the 20k miles and then will use my 2023 PM Choice Benefit for RUCs to use next calendar year.
Jul 28, 2022, 6:24 pm
#432
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: SJC/SFO/OAK
Programs: DL PM, SW, Hilton, , UAL PM, AA Gold-skeptic
Posts: 1,632
there is an existing thread for these questions
Using Regional Upgrades on Delta (RUC) post 2/1/2022
the correct answer is one certificate per fare element.
Using Regional Upgrades on Delta (RUC) post 2/1/2022
the correct answer is one certificate per fare element.
Thx
Jul 29, 2022, 3:23 am
#433
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 27,042
He showed an example. Its what you pay to fly between 2 airports, regardless of connection. However domestic connections must be 4 hours or less, if over 4 you're not connecting. You're flying to that airport and stopping. Also not all airports are valid connection points. You can book AUS-ATL-LAX as one fare. AUS-JFK-LAX must be booked as separate fares, 2 RUC is thus required . (Although a lot of agents will still just use one)
Jul 29, 2022, 7:50 am
#434
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: SJC/SFO/OAK
Programs: DL PM, SW, Hilton, , UAL PM, AA Gold-skeptic
Posts: 1,632
He showed an example. Its what you pay to fly between 2 airports, regardless of connection. However domestic connections must be 4 hours or less, if over 4 you're not connecting. You're flying to that airport and stopping. Also not all airports are valid connection points. You can book AUS-ATL-LAX as one fare. AUS-JFK-LAX must be booked as separate fares, 2 RUC is thus required . (Although a lot of agents will still just use one)
I did notify Delta as to the agent's error; had she not used the plural (CERTIFICATES) when she finalized my call, I wouldn't have known she had used 2 of them until I picked up on it, and challenged her.
I told her to cancel the entire transaction, return my certificates, and I'll take it elsewhere; she came back on the line and said they had made an 'exception' and allowed me to use just 1. Sounds more like she got corrected/busted and wouldn't admit her error.
Jul 29, 2022, 7:51 am
#435
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: Delta Diamond, Bonvoy something good; sometimes other things too
Posts: 5,050
Do you want the upgrades processed correctly or serve as DL's QA? Have you never heard of HUCA?
This has been a problem with uninformed agents for years and has been especially bad since many senior agents were let go during COVID.
You can still file a complaint with DL. In fact, I get an email survey after every call I make to the Medallion line.
This has been a problem with uninformed agents for years and has been especially bad since many senior agents were let go during COVID.
You can still file a complaint with DL. In fact, I get an email survey after every call I make to the Medallion line.