upgrade question

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Aug 10, 2023 | 11:19 am

ente_09

Original Poster

Join Date: Aug 2009

Posts: 569

upgrade question

I am Delta gold and thought I could lock an upgrade from coach to comfort plus at time to ticket purchase. The exaxct wording howeve is that I can "select C+"

Just called Delta and they said this is not true- This just puts me on the waitlist. and only the higher levels of status get immediate upgrade.

Is this correct?

Aug 10, 2023 | 11:31 am

DLHubber

Join Date: Jul 2022

Posts: 840

Only Platinum and Diamond get C+ at purchase. Gold is waitlisted and the eligibility window opens 3 days prior to departure, but there is still no guarantee of being upgraded.

BSAChris, Hepsaint, ryw and 1 others like this.

Aug 10, 2023 | 11:33 am

tennessetom

Join Date: Jul 2008

Posts: 1,257

Gold can select comfort plus seats 72 hours prior to flight time if there are seats left, so yes it is correct unless you are within 72 hours of the flight

Aug 10, 2023 | 11:39 am

ente_09

Original Poster

Join Date: Aug 2009

Posts: 569

thanks
I'll try go for the platinum

Aug 10, 2023 | 11:51 am

BSAChris

Join Date: Mar 2016

Posts: 41

Quote:

Originally Posted by tennessetom

Gold can select comfort plus seats 72 hours prior to flight time if there are seats left, so yes it is correct unless you are within 72 hours of the flight

when did that come into play ? As far as I know and read, Gold complimentary upgrades may start to clear 72 hours pre-flight, but a Gold medallion can’t select one manually.

Orange County Commuter likes this.

Aug 10, 2023 | 11:51 am

BSAChris

Join Date: Mar 2016

Posts: 41

Quote:

Originally Posted by tennessetom

Gold can select comfort plus seats 72 hours prior to flight time if there are seats left, so yes it is correct unless you are within 72 hours of the flight

when did that come into play ? As far as I know and read, Gold complimentary upgrades may start to clear 72 hours pre-flight, but a Gold medallion can’t select one manually.

Aug 10, 2023 | 11:53 am

DLHubber

Join Date: Jul 2022

Posts: 840

Quote:

Originally Posted by BSAChris

when did that come into play ? As far as I know and read, Gold complimentary upgrades may start to clear 72 hours pre-flight, but a Gold medallion can’t select one manually.

You are correct.

Aug 10, 2023 | 12:21 pm

xliioper

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jul 2003

Location: KARB

Programs: DL 2MM

Posts: 27,001

You need to be careful and refer to the footnote on the website (wording is unfortunately not very clear). Note that while DL does not typically hold back available C+ seats from the C+ comp upgrade bucket (SU), they definitely do with FC seats (OU bucket). Just because there are seats are still open in FC and you are within your upgrade window, does not necessarily mean there are any available for comp upgrades and that you will just be able to select one.

Aug 10, 2023 | 12:40 pm

The Situation

Join Date: Apr 2016

Posts: 2,130

Quote:

Originally Posted by xliioper

You need to be careful and refer to the footnote on the website (wording is unfortunately not very clear). Note that while DL does not typically hold back available C+ seats from the C+ comp upgrade bucket (SU), they definitely do with FC seats (OU bucket). Just because there are seats are still open in FC and you are within your upgrade window, does not necessarily mean there are any available for comp upgrades and that you will just be able to select one.

My flight the other day fell into the "does not typically hold back category." It was a short flight on an ERJ175, but high business traffic and high income route. At the time the window opened, F was full and there were 4 C+ seats remaining, two of which are always reserved for special needs pax. The remaining two were available for sale but I was not able to get upgraded into them. I did clear at the gate though.

Aug 10, 2023 | 12:57 pm

#10

Crossinator

Join Date: Jul 2016

Location: NYC/LAX/DEN

Programs: Delta PM

Posts: 455

American Platinums and United Golds, both which are the second tier of their status levels (aka the Delta Gold-equivalent) get their respective version of Comfort+ at booking. Not at Delta though.

Aug 10, 2023 | 12:58 pm

#11

coke cans and winglets

Join Date: Feb 2020

Location: Auburn, AL/Jacksonville, FL/Senoia, GA

Programs: BA Gold, DL PM, AA PPro, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Radisson Premium

Posts: 1,077

Quote:

Originally Posted by BSAChris

when did that come into play ? As far as I know and read, Gold complimentary upgrades may start to clear 72 hours pre-flight, but a Gold medallion can’t select one manually.

Unless things have changed since I was a GM, you can select one manually if you're within the 72 hour window. I was only GM up until a couple or so years ago and that had always been the case for me at the time.

EDIT: I see a couple posts up that they held back Comfort+ seats in their case, but it seems to be a rare occurrence that this actually happens.

GagaPilot likes this.

Aug 10, 2023 | 3:07 pm

#12

Repooc17

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Aug 2017

Posts: 12,049

Quote:

Originally Posted by ente_09

thanks
I'll try go for the platinum

Be careful here. If you can qualify organically, go for it; otherwise, some high level cost benefit analysis should be performed.

Seat wise, C+ has the same seats as regular economy ith a few inches of additional legroom.

Aug 10, 2023 | 6:22 pm

#13

ijgordon

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Apr 2001

Location: NYC

Posts: 27,887

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crossinator

American Platinums and United Golds, both which are the second tier of their status levels (aka the Delta Gold-equivalent) get their respective version of Comfort+ at booking. Not at Delta though.

This has always been a red strike against SkyMiles in my book. That said, elite qualification requirements are now so different between programs (AA/UA entirely spend-driven ex-partners), and with rollover and Amex making DL Plat more achievable it’s really hard to directly compare levels like this.

Aug 10, 2023 | 6:38 pm

#14

zeke3

Join Date: Mar 2021

Posts: 374

Quote:

Originally Posted by ijgordon

Extra leg room offerings are also very different between these airlines. UA and AA consider exit rows as a C+ equivalent, but a Silver Medallion on DL can select an exit row seat for no additional charge.

Even with the higher level requirement for DL, I would say AA is the worst of the three in actually being able to select an extra legroom seat.

ExArkie likes this.