RockyMtHigh

As a Platinum level member, we are offered 4 Regional Upgrades as part of a perk called “Annual Choice Benefits.” These Regional Upgrades expire on the 31st of January each new year, so we have to use èm or lose èm!

In my experience this past year (2022), when I tried to use one I was ‘waitlisted’ and wasn’t actually able to use it. Then, on December 29, 2022, I requested and actually received the upgrade on both of my flights: DEN to MSP and MSP to FLL

On the plane in MSP awaiting takeoff to FLL (a four-hour flight), I was sitting in my upgraded seat, 5C, when a gate agent, who was walking towards the back of the plane, announced, “The woman who needed assistance boarding, and is in row 37, is not happy with her seat.” [Let’s be honest – NOBODY in Row 37 is happy with their seat, and is one of many reasons many of us are loyal to one airline; so we can have a better choice of seats.]

Anyway, about 10 minutes later this same agent came back and asked me to give up my seat and moved me back to my original seat because of ‘a medical emergency.’ I quickly obeyed, albeit reluctantly, because I just wanted to get home; but there was no ‘medical emergency’ on the ground at this moment.

I have filed several complaints with Delta Customer Service, and requested either reinstatement of the Regional Upgrade (which was taken away from me at the last moment), or an explanation of how a Complaining Karen has a higher priority than a Platinum Level Loyal flyer who is using an ‘earned’ benefit and why someone who received a Complimentary Upgrade on that flight – perhaps in Comfort+ - wasn't 'downgraded.'

As of today, March 9, roughly 2 1/2 months later, I have been given some compensation, but was just told that because that upgrade was set to expire on January 31, 2023 it cannot be reinstated.

My question to ALL of you Frequent Flyers is this: Have any of you noticed that the promises on Delta.com which states, “Choice Benefits are for Diamond and Platinum Members….We appreciate your loyalty and we hope you enjoy your Choice Benefits….(and) Global and Regional Upgrade Certificates have a higher priority than Medallion Complimentary Upgrade requests”, are not kept by certain Gate Agents…and there doesn’t seem to be any recourse with the Customer Complaint Dept?

In my opinion, the Gate Agent made the Choice to revoke the Benefit, not me, so some latitude on the date should be allowed. For the record, I didn’t have any 4-hour flights in January 2023, but I have a 5+ hour flight coming up at the end of the month, and I think it would be appropriate to have that upgrade available.

Thoughts and experiences from those of you who earn and use Regional Upgrades as your Delta Choice Benefits would be appreciated. Thank you.

Magnum9

This is next level absurdity by DL. OP - I’m truly sorry this happened. The fact DL would kick a PM who was in a paid First Class seat (yes, a RUC is considered paid as it’s an instrument just like money or miles to get you in First as opposed to a complimentary upgrade) for a Karen is almost unbelievable.

I fully understand your concern about not wanting to disobey, but in this instance I wish you would have stood your grounds. Then for DL to *not* reinstate your GUC is just wild. Who cares when it was set to expire. You DIDN’T get to use it because a GA took it away from you!

DL is conditioning this woman and all other passengers that all they have to do is complain they hate their seat and they’ll then be able to upgrade to First for no additional charge.

Shame on you DL!

FlyingBeanCounter

Honestly when ever am asked for something like that the answer is a polite "no thanks".

With the proliferation of cellphones they are likely to just let it ride or pull her off rather than make a scene. Harsh for sure, but honestly DL sold the seat and screwed up. They can figure it out.

I got pulled off a flight to ICN once due to the gate agent not understanding the requirements of a covid test at the time (it was my travel companion, not me). We got rerouted through LAX and they gave me 30k miles. I was in paid F and lost a day on my vacation. That should give you a sense of the comp you might get.

Hepsaint

Sad thing is that this Karen, regardless of their medical condition, will now use this ploy (scam) when ever they fly (Including their family members/companions). Very dangerous precedent by DL... I wonder if Karen was slamming down PDBs with mimosa chasers during the flight

ijgordon

Well I think part of the problem is the RUC was used, on DEN-MSP. So while I think this sucks and I would have pushed back harder against the GA (remember David Dao, once you’re in your seat they can’t do much).

What compensation did you get? Maybe I’d push for a voucher worth the fare difference from Y to F on a MSP-FLL itinerary.

enviroian

Absolutely 100%. I wouldn't have budged after saying "oh, sorry no thank you I'm good here". Unless the airline is about to pull a Dao and yank me off by my feet I'm not going anywhere except for the most genuine and legitimate reason.

dcadwell

Exactly. Been asked to move from an aisle to a middle so that couples could sit across from one another several times.

erik123

You are a decent person and she's not. There's a lifetime of value in that.

woodenshoe101

Aside from the polite "no thank you" on the seat change, the "medical emergency" line is a bunch of hogwash. If it is an emergency karen needs to be taken off the plane. If it was a disability, they (karen) should have approached to GA about it before boarding - there are procedures for how to handle these things. You board, you lose your rights to complain about your seat (IMO [unless the seat broken or your seatmate is a POS who is spilling into your seat]). Flying is a pre-planned event and you can select your seat ahead of time. If you book BE and can't select a seat, that's on you, not someone else.

As for OP - I would keep pushing for some form of comp. The RUC reinstatement will do you no good since with was a 2022 cert, but at minimum a $200 downgrade comp should be owed. The problem you may face is that it sounds like there may be no official record of this seat swap.

bocastephen

Definitely keep pushing for compensation - try the social media channels - but going forward, the answer to any such seat change, regardless of who is asking, is "sorry, NO" - and leave it at that. If the agents want to escalate, then let them show their cards and make sure you document everything by recording the interaction.

Chemystery

My thought was the same as woodenshoe101 - under what circumstances does someone experiencing a medical emergency get to board a plane and displace an already seated passenger? I'd push hard on this through social media as that is unacceptable.

wrp96

If it was that much of a medical emergency that she couldn't sit in her assigned seat, she shouldn't have been allowed to fly.

sethb

If the GA insists that I move, I'll insist on a written statement that my paid F seat is being involuntarily downgraded, as well as a new boarding pass showing the new seat.

DLASflyer

Please define "some compensation".

ND76

File a complaint with your state's consumer fraud department (in many states, the state attorney general's office has a division devoted to such investigations. Alternatively, file an action in small claims court/ You were defrauded out of your RUC, and you should get it back. Delta doesn't want or need the adverse publicity this would bring. You might end up with a lot of compension over and above the reinstatement of your RUC.