Incorrect. C+ will be ranked above Main Cabin for upgrades (and domestic DPS above C+, etc).

Either way I guess I don’t really mean C+ but like also the new priority ranking. Purely curious though as I don’t get upgraded a lot as PM

DL has been inconsistent about whether Comfort+ is a "cabin" – in terms of EC261 and what they tell the governments of the world, it is not (to paraphrase, "Basic Economy, Main Cabin, and Comfort+ are three different experiences in our Main Cabin"). However, I could see the marketing folks putting the upgrade priority together and looking for a simple way to express the branded fare product calling it a "Cabin", either out of expediency or ignorance. I have no data, but personally my bet is that paid Comfort+ will be prioritized ahead of Main Cabin fares – after all, it encourages PM and DM on expense accounts to buy Comfort+ when they otherwise would not have to.

Looks Like It's Settled - It's Cabin, Not Fare Class
 

The current iteration of the page has removed the chart for through 2023, and only has the 2024 priority table. It sill says "Cabin Purchased."

But more telling is the fact that they have removed verbiage that previously said fare class and changed to "cabin purchased."

The verbiage in question now reads as follows:

"Members at the same Medallion Tier will be cleared in order of cabin purchased for paid tickets, Award Tickets and Pay with Miles1 tickets, where premium cabins hold higher priority".

Link to Delta Verbiage above: https://www.delta.com/us/en/skymiles...riority.%C2%A0

The verbiage I referred to above appeared in the last few days - it had read:

Members at the same Medallion Tier will be cleared in order of fare class groupings for paid tickets, Award Tickets and Pay with Miles2 tickets, with higher fare classes among all ticket types holding higher priority.

Link to old language (you have to scroll down to get to the section): https://web.archive.org/web/20231030...llion-upgrades

And as to the question of whether Comfort+ counts as a higher (cabin), here is the example given on the new page right after the quoted verbiage:

"Example: 2 customers on the First Class upgrade list are both Gold Medallion Members. The first Member purchased a Delta Comfort+ ticket, while the other Member purchased a Main Cabin ticket. The customer who purchased Comfort+ would be higher on the upgrade list due to purchasing a more premium ticket."

I suppose this may encourage buy-ups for those Diamonds and Plats whose corporate travel policies allow for C+, even though they would otherwise be getting it for free at booking. (Though the same can generally be said for an elite program that is based solely on MQDs.)

I was just coming here to post this. Delta makes it clear purchased Comfort+j is a higher cabin so a Diamond buying C+ would be upgraded before a Diamond Millon miler

What I think is very unclear is how two same-level elites in coach are prioritized for upgrades since "fare class" no longer plays a role. Is Y no longer in front of B, etc.? And how does Million Miler status actually affect things here? Does Million Miler trump fare class? Is a Diamond who purchased "B" higher or lower priority than a Diamond Million Miler who purchased "K"?

-RM

If fare class is truly no longer a tie-breaker category as it seems, then yes it should just drop to next tie-breaker for two Main Cabin fares and a MM on a Main B fare should outrank a non-MM on a Main Y if they have the same status level.

I deeply regret not taking you up on the offer to make a bet.

As of 1 January, at least for upgrade priority, C+ is a higher cabin than Main. I suppose we'll have to wait and see if anybody uses this to argue for a 75% refund for losing a C+ seat ex-EU.

Again, this emphasizes how Delta downgraded the relative status of non Million Miler elites. Let's say a Diamond Medallion on a last minute, expensive fare, and who held a Delta Reserve card, saw those upgrade "tie-breakers" either eliminated or downgraded (such a customer is unlikely to purchase C+ at booking given they can select it). On the other hand, Million Milers are always higher up in priority

The biggest change in my mind is that holding a Reserve card now has a significant impact on upgrade priority, since it outranks YTD MQDs and fare class or ticket cost is no longer a factor at all. There are not a lot of MMs, but I suspect there are quite a few Reserve cardholders and so the fact that all (non-MM) elites of the same tier come after all of those elites with the Reserve is a pretty noticeable change.

The funniest thing about this example provided by DL is the idea that two Golds would even be competing for a (realistically non existent) upgrade lol

(Yes, I know some Silver may chime in to say, but they were upgraded on a 7 am LGA-BOS shuttle flight on Christmas Day… but as a lowly Plat my place on the upgrade list is usually around #10 with 0 or 1 F seat available.)

can you explain why? It seems there would be fewer elites with the new system.

Perhaps Delta added “C+ above Main” as an incentive for DM and PM to purchase C+ instead of getting the free upgrade?

This needs a lot more clarification from DL on how the rankings are actually set up in their system. Fare bucket has no impact on upgrade priority now? So a DM on a Y ticket will be behind someone who bought a cheap V based C+ ticket?
After any DM in C+ gets upgraded, then its MM status that will be the most important?

I mean, as a 2MM this will work out very well for me, but just seems bizarre that they'd decouple the fare bucket from the ranking.