The logic of this would seem to be that once someone has 1MM, no other tiebreakers effectively matter since the chances of two people trying for an upgrade on the same flight have exactly the same number of lifetime miles is vanishingly small. Then having a Reserve card, etc. doesn't matter. Also, then why wouldn't DL use lifetime miles similarly as the (essentially final) tiebreaker for those who haven't yet reached 1MM. I'm inclined to believe that DL groups by 1MM, 2MM, etc. but this presumes that DL has thought through the logical underpinnings of their upgrade priority rules.

OK - so it does matter. I was upgraded before my friend. Very surprising to have this exact situation, but it happened.

And just to cement this in, it's in the notes on this page:

https://www.delta.com/us/en/skymiles...llion-upgrades

"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."

We're both between 1 MM and 2 MM but I'm higher. Just to add: he did purchase his ticket before me. Neither of us have a Reserve card. He also has more MQD than me.

This would appear to be dispositive, assuming you weren't traveling on a corporate booking.

Nope - neither of us is on a corporate booking. Full disclosure: we're each on companion tickets. We're the primaries and our companions have no status at all.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ca5a01413.jpeg
Why in the heck did they list Million Miler as #3 - if Million Miler drives Medallion level - isn’t it more reasonable to list Million Miler at #1 with Medallion Level with an asterisk to explain Million Milers trump non million milers? Am I missing something? Million milers will always get the / any upgrades before anyone else. No?

Not sure I understand the confusion, but Million Miler status and current Medallion status are related but completely independent.
I would guess that the majority of even DMs aren't Million Milers. I don't know how many years I was at DM status before I became MM.
And you can definitely have a DM who isn't a MM and a GM who is, and the DM would have priority.

I certainly do not see confusion. I do believe the ranking of priority is misleading - because - it appears to be certain that ANY MM will always win against a Diamond. Or, is it that only 2MM+ will always win against Diamond?

​​​​​​A comparatively small portion of actively flying Medallions are MM. Also note that non-MM who buys C+ gets the upgrade over MM who buys Main.

DM MM bought C+ (ordered by lifetime miles)
DM bought C+ (Reserve etc. tiebreaks)
DM MM bought Main (ordered by lifetime miles; 3MM lands no worse than here)
DM bought Main (Reserve etc.)
PM MM bought C+ (ordered by lifetime miles)
PM bought C+ (Reserve etc.)
PM MM bought Main (ordered by lifetime miles; 2MM lands no worse than here)
PM bought Main (Reserve etc.)
GM MM bought C+ (ordered by lifetime miles)
GM bought C+ (Reserve etc.)
GM MM bought Main (ordered by lifetime miles; 1MM lands no worse than here)

And so forth.

​​​​

Please forgive me. It now appears to me that a 3MM would now win vs. a DM.

”Win” what, when it’s 0 F available, a runner up prize? At the end of the day WFBF.

well, yes. You win. :-)

360 goes at the very top.

Since a 3MM is a DM, yes they would win vs. a DM with less than 3MM in the same purchased cabin (counting C+ as a cabin).

However, a 2MM PM would not beat a DM (though a 2MM who got 28k MQD would be ahead of DMs with less than 2MM).

Not actually clear. 360 is not a Medallion status (DL is consistently careful to not refer to it as such, instead referring to "the 360 program").

Correct as hypothetically a 360 could be basic Skymiles member if individual determines the travel department policy and budget for a large firm. Does 360 grant automatic DM status?