Are you logged in to Delta.com? There should be a box on one of the screens to apply the RUC. If not, you can always call in to apply.

It depends on which checkout interface the website serves you. Sometimes it serves you the old one which doesn't have the option to apply a RUC. Sometimes it serves you the new one which does. Sometimes it serves you the new interface, but still without the ability to apply a RUC. I haven't been able to figure out any rhyme or reason to it.

In all cases, you can also just call to waitlist the RUC. If seleting the RUC on the website works, then it should clear immediately if theres space. Waitlisiting at booking is more iffy. It will tell you that you are waitlisted, but unless you have the telltale signs of a successful waitlist (extra seat maps), you will have to call in to have it done properly.

If the website says the flight has F available with an upgrade cert, calling to apply the RUC should clear immediately.

Don't agents need to still re-issue the ticket when calling in (despite available space)?

New policy is that agents are no longer allowed to re-issue the ticket when an RUC/GUC clears until T-24 before departure. This means that if there are any schedule changes the UG is subject to having to re-clear if there is no inventory available at the time. It's an extremely customer unfriendly policy that allows your UG to be lost and gives DL a chance to sell the F seat. You can occasionally get an old-school agent who will reissue because they understand just how bad of a policy this is. But most newer agents simply won't do it because they are supposedly risking discipline for doing so.

So now the best odds for using an RUC/GUC is to find availability around 1-2 months prior to departure when schedule changes aren't as likely. Any further out and the schedule changes will occur. Any closer in and availability isn't likely there.

YMMV.

That's my concern, as I've seen that mentioned a lot in the last few weeks. So even if space is showing immediately available online; they still will not clear you and let you go in the queue.

Exactly. If an agent applies the RUC and it clears, it gives you a seat in F but your ticket is still for a Y seat. Any schedule changes and the computer is very likely to bump you back to a Y seat because it sees that as your purchased fare class.

When checkin fails, the agent is allowed to then reissue the ticket to the proper class so that everything matches. Until then it’s a mismatch and liable to switch back and is essentially not confirmed.

If the UG is applied via the online self service option on the website the ticket does not need to be reissued (it just auto revalidates) but still poses the issue where the system can move one back to Y in the event of changes.

Just to be clear, the computer will keep you in OL (in positive space) in the event of a schedule change.

The problem is that the humans often don't do this, if you need to call and request a different rebooking than what the computer did automatically. It's a human issue, not a system issue.

Thanks, I bet that's what's happening. The checkout process doesn't show me any option to apply the RUC. I guess I'll just call.

Where did you hear/read this is official policy? My experience states otherwise... and in fact I just used the sketchy text/chat function with whatever outsourced agent was on the other end and had them apply a RUC for an upcoming flight that had Z open up. I provided the cert info and didn't even have to ask if they would reissue. They did it immediately.

+1, I had a similar experience just last week. Not sure why some posters claim there is such an policy based on what some phone reps might have said.

If this is the policy, then those who are able to apply the RUC online and have it clear immediately are circumventing this policy.

Different agents will do different things. 10 agents may not apply the cert properly and tell you to go and pound sand. 11th agent might just reticket you in F (or some other full fare class) even when cert space is not available. It's all a matter of luck. As always with Delta, the only thing consistent is total lack of consistency.

MN based phone rep quoted me the new policy from her Knowledge Management guide. She was emphatic about how absurd a policy it was and that effective September 1st, any agent reissuing a ticket prior to T-24 would be disciplined. This was late August and she reissued for me, saying she intended to reissue as many as she could before the end of the month. She was definitely a seasoned agent and I trusted her.

In late September I spent 2 weeks calling almost daily to get a ticket reissued and no dice at all. Every agent reiterated the new policy. Have not used an RUC via phone agent since.

If you can get an agent to reissue, consider yourself lucky.

Not necessarily. RUCs applied online are not subject to ticket reissue. They are just revalidated when checkin time comes. They still have the underlying threat of schedule changes booting you out of F and back to Y if no RUC space is available.

100% agree.

Completely believe it’s commonly a human issue. However there are several datapoints on FT and Reddit that the computer will not always keep you in OL during schedule changes if your ticket doesn’t reflect it. If OL does not exist on the new flight, the computer is likely to boot you back to Y (or whatever your original Y class was that is).