ECOTONE

Is there a domestic route on the DL that's been traditionally viewed as the hardest to upgrade on?

I know UA has the ORD-SEA route and AA has the BOS-SFO route - both I've read are close to impossible to secure upgrades on.

DeltaRIC

Uhh, I believe that would be ATL-LAS.

WBurcham

ATL-SFO is said to be extremely hard to upgrade on.

ATL-MLB is almost a 100% no go for an FO and GM. I was once #27 on the list as a GM on a B fare.

brown069

PNS-MCO is quite difficult to secure an upgrade-- even on a Y.

Just playing...

Seriously, ATL-PHL has always been tough for me on Monday Mornings.

woody125

I'm just a Gold but the only flights I've not been upgraded on this year (non international of course) are FLL to ATL. I'm 0-3. Everything else has been up front for me. There might be others more challenging but for this GM that's the hardest upgrade for me.

Good question!

NOLA Flyer

Basically, ATL to any major metro city on the Left Coast-and to some extent, vice versa. Some examples:

1) ATL-LAX
2) ATL-SFO
3) ATL-SLC
4) ATL-SEA
5) ATL-LAS

LAX-ATL evening flights (before midnight).

I've been on H fares on some of these segments over the past couple of years, and as a PM-have been at times #xx of 25+ on the upgrade list. Just last week, I was #9 of 27 on a Q fare from LAX-ATL (DL1556, 10:40p flight) with 5 FC seats available. Two weeks ago, I was on an H fare from ATL-SEA in the morning and was #8 of 17 with no FC seats. (I did score a G upgrade for the SEA-ATL return, though ^)

It seems that nothing short of full Y is your best bet for a UG from ATL to the Left Coast-as a PM. GM and FOs can forget about it.

mersk862

LAS-ATL has been impossible for me. I've been in the 30s both times on this route.

I am 2 for 2 on ATL-LAS though. Helped once that the plane was a 767-400 (got the last seat; there were about 8 or 9 other Silvers behind me); the other was the last seat on a 767-300 (I was on a full Y fare that jumped me up).

WBurcham

I'd actually say that the ATL-SEA flights are very easy to clear on. I cleared 10+ times this year on Thurs/Fri/Sat nights SEA-ATL and then Mon/Tues back to SEA.

Marq

I flew MCO-ATL-DCA and return almost weekly for seven years as a PM. After they changed the rules where you couldn't upgrade at time of booking with a K fare, the Monday morning ATL DCA became almost impossible (around 10%) and the Thursday afternoon DCA ATL was even worse (less than 5%) for upgrades. I would find myself as a PM as far down as 20th to 25th on the list coming home from DCA; especially with the problem of the computer still putting government fares on the list as Y. Somewhat surprisingly, DCA CVG almost always cleared; I just couldn't take it often as DL kept moving around the connection times in CVG so that I couldn't make it home.

Marc

NOLA Flyer

On weekday mornings-early afternoons? I guess I should rephrase. Scoring upgrades from ATL to the Left Coast during peak hours is difficult.

I had a 9:57a flight (DL1557) ATL-SEA and didn't make the upgrade on an H fare. Had I flown after 4p, I probably would've scored an upgrade. The SEA-ATL return was easier (night flight on G upgrade).

WBurcham

Oh that probably made a difference.

I didn't ever have to take the mid-day flights from ATL-SEA and I avoided the morning SEA-ATL flights because I hate losing an entire day flying (unless I'm getting paid of course).

Bonzz

I agree with NOLA flyer...my experience getting up front from ATL to Left coast and back is bad. As a result I now do all sorts of preemptive gymnastics to confirm a seat up front without relying on MU's. (My experience SEA-ATL have been the worst, though admittedly the flights were mostly as an FO).

mtparadis

ATL-LAS (and v.v.) is off and on, you'll have flights with upgrades for sale and flights where you are #30 on the list. There are definitely more difficult routes (LAX, SFO, SEA).

IrieDame

I must say I find ATL-LAS realtively wasy, I think I am at 100% there but ATL-LAX is a challenge for me sometimes.

griffinj

What's an FO? The flyertalk glossary says First Officer, but I doubt that's what you mean.