T used to not exist. And only L fares weren't upgradable. Actually, I think before that even L was upgradable. L class was largely a fare class they used to compete with LCCs. They have used that excuse forever and added at least three more fares classes just like it for the supposed same reason. During the period I am walking about this was a PM exclusive benefit and DM didn't exist. This was for domestic. It didn't require any upgrade instrument at all. Even GMs basically got an unlimited number of 800-mile (and later 500-mile) upgrade points. This was in addition to Systemwide Upgrade certificate (SWU) and later North American upgrades which I forget the exact term but I think was referred to as a NAMU.

Setting aside how many comp-upgradable flights will have PS, the hypothesis that the change from fare class to cabin is to account for PS seems unlikely for the simple reason that PAG fares (and whatever bucket (OG?) PSM offers would go into) would be above Main Cabin fares (and don't PS fares, unlike C+/F/D1 fares, tend not to have underlying MC fares (part of why one can sometimes see PS available for less than MC/C+)).

Yes, but THIS year MM status is for all practical purposes NOT relevant for the purposes of upgrades. NEXT year it will be THE deciding factor.

I figure even if the overall UG rate for DMs is low, the probability for any given flight that at least one person will get upgraded is quite high, and if I'm on the top of the list of DM's, that person is going will be me.

Currently I always just pay for F, but why buy it if I'm going to get an upgrade almost all of the time..... especially if I can just rebook on F (on the same flight or on UA or AA) if it looks like the UG won't clear. (I buy F last minute all the time and IME it's almost never sold out until after the UGs start to clear.)

I've been writing checks for F for the last decade. With the changes, I figure I won't have to anymore.

Considering Delta is selling 70%+ of FC and looking to boost that number all the way to 100%; I don't see you being able to stop writing checks for that FC seat anytime soon. Bar another pandemic, or global crisis.

People talking about MM helping them get upgrades, when the reality is there are barely any available upgrades to fight for.

Apparently there are PMs out there with a 90% upgrade rate...

70% means there's something like 20,000 available upgrades everyday. That doesn't seem like "barely any" especially with the low odds of another 2MM DM being on the same flight.

I'm not holding my breath, as I'm in the same boat as you as 2MM DM for 2024. Fast Eddie has something up his sleeve to sell even more F seats in 2024. Mater of fact for a flight that was purchased yesterday and departs tomorrow, I'm #11 out of 42 for F and #3 of 23 for C+. Middle seat main cabin for me, but at least it's a 45 min flight. I'm a non-reserve member. Too many of my flights have been purchased recently after the DM upgrade window has already opened up for F and C+ is completely full at time of booking. Oh well.

It not just DL. The FAA/DOT consider C+ on DL just to be part of the main cabin. Extra legroom alone doesn'tmake a cabin.

I hughly doubt (I'd be willing to wager even) that cabin refers to anything but the newly offered PS on domestic (C+ has not and is not referredto as it's own cabin in any DL policy or procedure). They are likely to expand the flights it is on. However even if not, they would want to upgrade PS passengers 1st, just like international.


Fare Class doesn’t account for fact that PS is a higher cabin. Not sure your logic, as it is the same now for international. PS upgrades before main cabin (including C+). All this change does is match the policy currently in place when flying international. Remember C+ fares are just combined main cabin fares with an additional amount baked in, instead of added on after fact. PS fares, are fares in their own right, as they are for a separate cabin.

I can't imagine fare class won't be considered next year following Medallion status. I speculate that the verbiage for the new upgrade priority order is incorrect. Instead of "Cabin Purchased (Original + Paid Upgrades)" it should be "Fare Class Purchased", or similar.

So are you suggesting that Delta actually intended no change whatsoever to the second priority?

Delta is inconsistent in some of their marketing materials, so for different purposes Comfort+ has more or fewer traits of a different "Cabin" than Main Cabin. Delta tells the governments of the world that Comfort+ is not a different cabin (marketing it as an "experience" in the Main Cabin), because if it was they would have to to pay downgrade compensation under laws like EC261 when they move people from Comfort+ to Main Cabin.

However, my gut tells me that this change is intended to move paid Comfort+ up above Main Cabin in the upgrade priority for two reasons: (1) Delta wins if they can convince some PM/DM travelers that currently book Main Cabin and get the instant upgrade to Comfort+ to pay for Comfort+ instead (likely because it's within their corporate policy) and (2) DL tries to find value-adds to differentiate Comfort+ from Main Cabin, and enhanced upgrade priority is a value-add.

And next year you should be #1 for both.... or at least that's the way I read it.

1MM Flyers are equal to 4MM for Upgrades
 

Upgrades are highly route dependent. For example, I am about 10 for 10 this year as a 1MM Diamond flying SAN-SEA. Yesterday, I looked at booking a midweek SAN-ATL flight three weeks in advance, and I noticed ALL the first class seats were already gone -- booked by people with money or points.

There is nothing to indicate Delta ranks 2MM or 4MM flyers higher than 1MM under the current or the new 2024 scheme:
"Members that have Million Miler Status will clear before Members that do not hold Million Miler Status."
(Referring to people with the SAME medallion status.)

To clarify, under the new scheme, an "earned" Diamond with 1MM status is the same as a 4MM who gets Diamond from being a 4MM'er for purposes of upgrade ranking. The point has been argued off and on for years here. As far as I know, there is not absolute proof either way because under the pre-2024 system, the practical upgrade difference between a 1MM, 2MM, and 4MM is impossible to tell.

The domestic PS fares that have been published so far on HNL routes have been dual-inventory fares (they are also used on TPAC and South America PS fares).