TigerInAir

My #1 issue with Delta upgrades (other than them being harder and harder to get) is the surrender of your place in the line if you board. Usually, I see FAs and gate agents find the Diamond in Main Cabin if a seat up front becomes available after boarding happens. On a recent flight from Atlanta I boarded and just happened to look at the app minutes later and 3 seats in First Class cleared. There were still 45 people on the upgrade list. By early in the boarding process, I mean minutes, and with a delay we actually were on the ground for over an hour. So I asked the red coat why she didn't give those seats out by medallion status. Her response "It's at my discretion." To which I said, "So in your judgment you should keep Diamond customers in Main Cabin but put NRSA passengers in First?" and she said "Yes, and you have a good day." Returning to Atlanta that same day, empty seat in First next to me and the door is about to close. Gate agent and FA talk and they pull the #1 person from the list who was sitting in Comfort+ forward.

Delta should make the latter the policy. People board to get settled and have room for a bag not to give up a benefit they've earned through travel. If a seat comes open in Comfort + or First, they should clear based on the upgrade list that stays intact until the door closes.

RobertS975

Several comments... first, the policy that you advocate usually is the policy that transpires, with the GA pulling a Medallion from their C+ seat and offering them the upgrade. So what happened on your flight was not the usual IMO.

Second, the GA may not have known that there would be a delay at the gate. It is certainly easier and quicker to simply clear NRSAs off the standby list and get that door shut and flight duspatched. Not the correct policy, but the quickest.

TigerInAir

True, this seemed like a total outlier but to formalize a policy makes outliers even less likely. Also the gate agent knew we'd have a delay because one of the FAs got sick about 5 minutes into boarding so they needed to locate a reserve FA. This wasn't a last 5 or 15 minutes situation. This was one of those shenanigans moments where we boarded First, Diamond, Comfort+, Sky, and then voila there are 3 empty seats in First more than 30 minutes before scheduled departure, and an hour before actual door closure.

JW6130

With Delta's staffing challenges, good luck finding someone to investigate GAs pulling shenanigans to upgrade their friends.

I recently was #1 for 1 seat remaining, and the GA gave the upgrade to someone who was #8 on the list. When I called her on it, she said, "I called you on the overhead." (She didn't call me in the hour prior to the flight.) I asked her why she wouldn't have given the upgrade to the person after me on the list in that case, and she didn't respond. So I missed out on an upgrade on a meal flight. (An actual meal, not the sad box.)

With how difficult it is to get an upgrade these days, they could at least follow the written policies. Delta used to care about stuff like that. Now, they are just happy to have employees that don't follow the rules.

RobertS975

As a DM (earned) Reserve Card holder, I have frequently been #1 on the FC standby list. In cases like that, I have usually been chatting with the GA well in advance. This lets them know that not only am I there, I am aware.

mridley2

This is the way to approach getting that BFUG. If #1 or #2 on the UG list at the gate, ALWAYS ask the gate agent if they will come on board to Upgrade #1 based off the original priority list. Almost all of them say yes they will but don't take their word for it. Keep checking the app especially toward the end of boarding. if a seat opens up and all passengers have boarded the GA can do whatever the heck they want. Be ready to challenge the GA when they bring the final paperwork onto the flight. You cannot sit on your laurels with these Upgrades. It always pays to be vigilant.

resolute

But does it actually even HELP these days? I have seen this (what you describe...the frequent flyer type guy (that we all know the looks of) hovering near the gate desk and trying to make all-so -pleasant chit-chat with a busy gate agent in the hopes of an upgrade, etc..... ) go on for years and years... In the old days (before computerized upgrades), I suspect it paid off, and I know I even did it myself to my own benefit on occasion. But these days, there seems to just be way to many people angling for upgrades (tons of elites, certificate upgrades, NRSAs, misconnects and IIROPS from other flights, and who knows who else???) . I feel like why bother wasting my time and effort to go talk to an overworked and stressed out gate agent that's going to do whatever they want to do anyway... I just hope they don't have a bunch of "friends" they want to put in F, cause if they do, there's not a thing I can do about it anyway and who has the time to complain to DL about all these instances if you fly all the time?? And like you, I am usually very high on the UG list, but don't make it all the time - especially when booking last minute, The people I really despise though are Platinums using RUCs - they really suck...