Upgrade requests canceling themselves
 

On two flights over the past week while confirming my booking I requested an upgrade to first. In both cases after check in my request was nullified and I disappeared from the upgrade list. For reference in both cases I was upgrading from paid Comfort + as a Diamond with a Delta Amex. Also in both cases I used the Delta app on my iPhone to make the bookings.

Have others had this experience? Is there anything I can do about it?

I'm confused. You say that you"disappeared" from the upgrade list when you checked in, but AFAIK one can only see an upgrade list that shows passengers who have already checked in (for example, on the DL app). A few "names" appear before T-24 because those customers begin with connecting flights that permit check in at T-24 for the first flight segment on the fare component. After T-24, the list tends to grow quickly as more passengers check in for the flight. How did you see yourself listed on some upgrade list before you checked in?

BTW, I'm assuming that you mean a free elite upgrade to domestic FC on a DL (operated, marketed, and ticketed) flight. Some instrument-supported upgrades require "activation" on the day of departure, I believe by talking with an agent at the airport, but I have no personal experience with this. IIRC in such cases, in DL terminology, there's a waitlist and an upgrade list.

It has been happening to me as well. My Company has changed to CWT and for some reason CWT goes into the record on the day of or before travel and they "do things" to the record which causes this. They have also screwed me up so bad that my confirmed C+ or F upgrade gets lost and they rebook me into my original fare (in the far back). CWT says it is a glitch, but I now have to watch my travel like a hawk, which I never had to do before.

yeah that would drive me absolutely insane, how bad are your companies policies if you book on your own?

not an option, so each time this happens I record it and send it to our Travel Team. When we changed to the new service, my Gender changed from Male to Female and that was a fun TSA experience, my birthdate changed from MM/DD/YEAR to DD/MM/YEAR and many times my FF number is not added to the ticket, so it requires rework at every booking (since August 2024)

There has to be an exception process, I would absolutely yell and scream until they pre-emptively approved me for it.

You funny man. An exception process? 🤣

Well I'm sure it varies but the few places I've worked that "required" you to use their travel agent absolutely had a process for approving airfare expenses from outside. It was sometimes unpleasant but it could be done.

Yes - a standard space available upgrade. When I book my ticket I request the upgrade. I check in and my name is not on the list. Unfortunately I have checked in the same day of departure the last couple of times, and the seats are no longer available.

This never used to be an issue. Literally the last couple of months.

I am one of those Diamonds who don't have to re-qualify for three years due to MQM buildup, so my attention is already straying to the other alliances - mostly because SkyTeam is an alliance by name only.

I had assumed I would return to Delta in earnest once I need to start re-qualifying again - and that I could use this period to explore other alliances. But if Delta is going to stop executing even on the basics - such as a functional upgrade system - then I might just stick it out with One World where at least lounge policies and code sharing are consistent.

I have had two recent trips where the "Request Upgrade to First Class" became unchecked on my trip. (Pre-trip, not day of)
I'll check it. Confirm, and then it will disappear again. I've spoken with Medallion agents about this and they assure me I'm still on the list.

In both trips, the PNR had experienced some sort schedule change. (Even if just a few minutes or flight number change) There's a bug in the system that's removing the upgrade check.

I did have one flight in February to DSM where I had received all of my segment upgrades in advance, except for one leg. When I saw the UG list after checking in I wasn't there. The gate agent added me and I ended up at the top of the list and got the upgrade.