billyg

I have a flight @ 7:10 PM from ATL tonight. I called at 7:10 PM on 4/30 and the CSR said that the software wouldn't allow him to upgrade yet. He said plenty of seats were available, call before 7:10 and I'd have a shot.

Well I called at 7 AM and I was told that all seats are taken and the waitlist closed. I'm not sure how this LUT upgrading is going to work, or if it will at all.

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Delta PM

Spiff

It sounds like it worked all too well, just not for you, alas. Call back, the waitlist may reopen.

Perhaps you were just a victim of bad timing on the first day of insULT upgrading...

NHFL9

Sometimes even after the waitlist is closed you can get on the waitlist at the airport. This worked for me on an ATL-LGA flight, put myself on the waitlist 30 mins prior to departure and cleared, although the list had been closed at the 24hr window.

Cholula

Since I'm still able to upgrade many moons in advance, I haven't been following the details of the new ULT upgrade change. My guess is that DL won't just turn over all available B/E seats when the window for upgrading first opens. They will probably hold back a number of upgrades for their hoped for big spender passengers. When these folks don't materialize, they will try to sell the upgrades gateside. Only as a last resort and at the very last minute will they grudgingly upgrade ULT fares.
Just my guess regarding this new "benefit" from the DL SM's braintrust...

Spiff

I thought the SBUP/whoring out of F/J domestically was supposed to end May 1 with the insULT upgrade policy going into effect?

JS

No, the May 1 change means anyone with L,U,T fares can pay for an upgrade for a nominal charge.

Spiff

Then aren't Medallion upgraders via points supposed to take precedence over those to whom F/J is whored out?

Delta2B

I agree with Spiff. I believe that booklet on Medallion Changes for 2003 states that any medallion can upgrade with LUT in the appropriate time frame and he/she would have precedence over a person paying for the upgrade.

rcs85551

A few clarifications:

1) SBUPs will continue to be Y/B/M/H/Q/K only. Paid SBUPs will not be avaiable on L/U/T fares.

2) Due to the needed software changes, which were implemented 04/30, Delta was not able to upgrade you prior to 05/01. Had you called sometime earlier on 05/01, most likely you'd have had more success. The agent should have advised you on the situation, I don't know why he/she did not.

3) SBUPs are processed on a stand-by basis only. Any Medallion who wants to use MSUs to upgrade has priority. Domestic gates open one hour prior to departure, so if your upgrade is not confirmed yet BUT you happen to be on the airport standby list before the gate opens, then there should be no way that some SBUP would trump you.
If you happen to check in 15 minutes prior though, then odds are real slim that you'll get your upgrade as they'll have (rightfully) processed all SBUPs already.

Points Scrounger

That was my experience today (5/1). I called SMS @ 01:00 to upgrade LGA - ATL - SEA. First segment was "put yourself on the airport list as soon as you can" and the second segment was "window or aisle [in first]?"

Having used the kiosk and not being a CRC member at present, I expected the gate agent to open up the desk one hour before departure. No one even appeared until roughly 50 mins before departure and there followed a few minutes before the woman began taking customers. Meanwhile the Upgrade List climbed from 7 to 13 pax (including one named UNK). I decided "what the hell let me ask anyway." The display showed me as #4 (as Gold on an L-ticket). I was quite startled to go ahead of all those other folks. One person cleared thereafter, but the display continued as "3 FC unassigned" right up until exactly 30 mins before departure when the three of us at the top of the list jumped to cleared.
I had thought it mattered who was physically placed on the list first, but I was added rather late. If not a CRC member is there any other way to be added before the gate opens?

They were hawking paid upgrades (for a "nominal" $100 fee) on the ATL - SEA segment. The person next to me was an NRSA, but I think she was the only one (perhaps one other, not sure). She made a point of asking if there were enough meals (chicken salad) when the FA politely asked if she were dining. The response given rather startled me, but perhaps others are more used to this stuff: "We appear to be three short [which they later 'found']. It looks as though I may have to ask an upgraded passenger to forego a meal."
I did not care for the emphasis she placed on that word. Is this normal procedure in these cases?

[This message has been edited by Points Scrounger (edited 05-01-2003).]

sowalsky

I do not believe passenger manifests state any information differentiating an upgraded passenger from a paid.

NRSAs don't show up at all I think.

FoPAA

Right about upgraded passengers, wrong about NRSA's.

jeffreyt

Manifests have always shown NRSA's unless this has been changed recently.

....Returning to topic.

billyg

To follow up, I did get upgraded. There were 11 unassigned F seats when I got to the Crown Room. As a PM on a T fare, I was sixth.

I would think this year, while PMs still have unlimited upgrades, there won't be many FO upgrades. This change makes mileage runs more appealing to me again. I thought Delta had convinced me to never fly cross country for the weekend but if I can upgrade, I might do it.

Points Scrounger

I did not think manifests showed upgrades either. From her tone, the FA seemed well aware that the new policy was having an impact on filling FC. Again, I was really struck by the way she said that. If their meal count is low, I say do as UA does and start with the elites.