I suspect it's to try to encourage DM/Plats to upfare to C+ as speculated above. You can't really influence which fare class you purchase any more since they took that advanced option away, but you can choose the C+ upfare option at booking. Also, C+ fares aren't really that "cheap" any more on many routes in the lower fare classes. A V Main fare on DTW-LAX currently goes for $253 each-way, while the upfare difference to V basis C+ fare is $230 ($483 total each-way). That's almost as much as a Q Main fare on the route. It'd be interesting to take your Skymiles out of reservation at booking and see what the FCM offers are to upgrade to C+ (and then add Skymiles number back after upgrade).

I saw six of nine on upgrades last year. I will be one of one after today.

I haven't ever paid attention to FCM for C+, but for First the offer is pegged to the fare differential, although it seems to be sourced from a separate backend table and therefore gets out of sync a lot. The intent is for the offer into wide open inventory to be the same as the fare differential (except DL charges US twice for FCM for some reason). My guess is C+ would probably be the same.

I still think C+ prices are insanely high for the benefit of sitting in C+, let alone solely to increase your upgrade odds, but that's me.

The prices for C+ have gone up quite a bit recently in certain markets; perhaps this is one of DL’s rationales for it.

Some Diamonds and Plats will have corporate travel polices that let them book extra legroom seats; upgrade priority (and the extra MQDs) will certainly encourage the buy up, even though they would otherwise get C+ for free.

Just spent some time looking through the wording regarding upgrade priority, including the newly-published wording.

In the original published new upgrade priority months ago, it established a clear rank:

Priority 1: Medallion Status
Priority 2: Cabin purchased
Priority 3: Million Miler Status
Priority 4: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
etc.

However, the newest verbiage says: "Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card Members will have a higher prioritization within their Medallion group for upgrades."

If Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card Members will have a higher prioritization within their Medallion group for upgrades, does that not make holding this card, in reality, the first tiebreaker? Does it not place it above cabin purchased and Million Miler status? Not sure how to read it any other way, and now totally confused. It does not say that this "higher prioritization" for the card is subservient to cabin purchased or MM status as it appeared to be in the original priority ranking. I suspect this is just poor wording, but it introduces a substantial amount of doubt as to whether the originally-published priority ranking is the true one. You could be a DM/MM buying C+ and still get trumped by a DM with the Delta Reserve card, if this is an accurate depiction.

The more I look at it, the more I think this was just a botched job of writing it.

It really depends on the route. I'm a platinum and fly BOS-CMH a lot and I can't remember the last time I did not get an upgrade, at least 16 for 16 last year

Either I'm confused or people are making this way harder than it is
Criteria 1- Medalion status- Diamond First then Platinum, Gold Silver
Criteria 2-Cabin purchased- PS, Comfort Plus, Main
Criteria 3 Million Miler Status
Criteria 4 Reserve Amex

There's more but I doubt we will get there very much
So a Diamond who buys Comfort+ will be ahead of a Diamond that buys main even if they are a million miler even if the main cost 10x more than the C+ and they have the reserve card

I don't know if this is intended to try to get PM/DM to buy C+ at booking, but I don't really see that happening. The price DL is charging over Y on many routes now for C+ is outrageous. I've see numerous occasions where the FCM offer after booking is less than the extra they wanted for C+ during booking. Also why pay for C+ when its comp for us? It doesn't guarantee by any means that paying that extra will result in a F seat especially with the FCM offers and those who just pay for F outright.

Sounds like a fools game to pay a couple hundred more for a unknown improved change at an upgrade where you may be #2 for 0 seats instead of #4 for 0. lol

Are we looking at the same thing?


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...b63a14d126.png

Anyone also notice this verbiage in the 'additional details' area after the priority list? Not sure if this was there previously, but sure seems intended to kill the battlefield upgrades and make more room for Shena. :p

That language is not new. It's been there for over a year (checked archive.org). It's likely just a botched writing job and they left out fare class groupings (which came before Reserve card) and also does not reflect that MM status has now been bumped above the Reserve card in priority.

I've taken a stab at what the hierarchy appears to be now for complimentary upgrades: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/35878777-post454.html

They removed reference to upgrade certificate application from the upgrade priority chart; they now say that certificates which are still waitlisted at check-in will go to an airport standby list which is to be cleared ahead before processing complimentary upgrades (I wonder if this is the same standby list used for displaced/SDC F pax? This would have the property of making a displaced/SDC F pax first-in-line (ahead of upgrade certificates)) and will follow the same prioritization algorithm as complimentary upgrades.

Re: battlefield upgrades, there's also:

Maybe some CYA language for DL in case a Medallion sees an empty F seat after the boarding door closes and tries to self upgrade?

Yes, that was the clearly delineated "new" policy published a few months ago. Here is the link to that page: Link

If you scroll down that page to the Priority chart you posted the screenshot of, then at the section below it entitled "Things To Know About Upgrade Priority" there is the blurb about the Reserve Card that I quoted. Here is that entire section:
Things to Know About Upgrade Priority:

• Medallion Tier is the most important factor in upgrade clearance priority, starting with Diamond Medallion Members, then Platinum, Gold and then Silver.
• Members at the same Medallion Tier will be cleared in order of cabin purchased for paid tickets, Award Tickets and Pay with Miles1tickets, where premium cabins hold higher priority.
  • 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.
• Partner airline elite members will be eligible for day-of-departure upgrades only, with the exception of Aeromexico Club Premier members, whose upgrades can clear in advance or on the day-of-departure.
• All other things being equal, Members who have Million Miler Status will clear before Members that do not hold Million Miler Status. For Members who hold Million Miler Status, the Member with the higher number of lifetime flight miles will clear first.
• Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card Members will have a higher prioritization within their Medallion group for upgrades.2
• Delta Corporate Travelers3 traveling on a Delta corporate ticket for business will have a higher prioritization within their Medallion group for upgrades.
• Members with a greater MQD balance earned in the current calendar year will enjoy a higher priority. MQDs will be grouped in increments of 100 MQDs up to 200,000 total MQDs.

Has anyone seen it actually play out where C+ (paid) was upgraded over higher main cabin fare? I just don't trust the interns that write this stuff to get it right. (Ie understand that C+ is not equal to PS)

I think a lot of these things are written intentionally vague or mildly misleading to get people to get cards.

This isn’t different from the various cards touting elevated boarding order status.