indufan

Yeah it does. Unless the GA goes in and manually looks, when you board you are removed from the upgrade list.

BingoLoco

I was also upgraded on the redeye back last night, LAX->ATL, and this one was confirmed 24 hours out when I got my checkin email

Yes, I'm hooked. I've got to make Gold so I can get these all the time.

ECOTONE

being GM will certainly help, but don't expect these "all the time".

BamaVol

In fact 50-80% would be reasonable GM success depending on day, time and routes most frequently travelled.

DLFan2

I have seen it happen that the GA pages a passenger who has already boarded and upgrades him to FC, but perhaps this only happens if there are still available seats after everyone else has boarded. And maybe also only if the GA feels like doing it.

Suspecting (but not knowing for sure) that boarding would take me out of the lottery, I tend to delay my own boarding unless I am so far down the list that it looks like waiting would be futile.

jetguy727

I became Silver Elite this year, and have scored upgrades on most of my flights this year! It's amazing that I've been upgraded ATL-PDX on all of these flights this year! Flights in/out of SLC seem to be a bit harder, but PDX-SLC is such a short flight, I don't mind. The longer flights are the ones I hope and pray the upgrade will automatically kick in! When I saw my first upgrades clear on delta.com, I said "this upgrade stuff really does work"! Many of the flights PDX-ATL or ATL-PDX are 757 (ex-Song birds) with PTV. It's really nice up front with the PTV's and extra room.

indufan

Yes, in fact I have even been the one on the plane that has been upgraded. But I was at BOS last year and I was holding on for the last seat. I watched person after person board and the upgrade list kept getting smaller and smaller until I was the only person left on it and the only person standing at the gate. They were waiting on a no show but finally gave up and gave me the seat.

Marq

Boarding should not take you out of the lottery. Unfortunately, there are some very lazy gate agents; especially in ATL. Getting someone to wait to board is ridiculous.

One time, I boarded in my assigned seat only to have a non-rev be given the last upgrade due to a no show. I was able to get the flight attendant and gate agent when I landed in DCA to give me the necessary documentation to file a thorough complaint with Delta. There is no excuse for not upgrading people in the correct order.

Marc

BingoLoco

She did page him first. He did not come. I think she didn't want to delay the flight, since this was an open seat because of a no-show and I was right there waiting, and was the last to board.

Bulldog King

Ah.....congrats on your upgrade.

Heck....it hasn't been too long (Jan 2005) since I was first seated in F via a complimentary Medallion upgrade on DL.

It was also around that time when I registered here at FT.

I can still remember those first few upgrades quite well.......

My first happened to also be my first flight of 2005 and 3rd (well, 4th if you count a flight on Song in Dec 2004) overall Delta flight after receiving Silver Medallion status in late 2004.

Then again.....if you want to get technical, my actual first upgrade (ATL-SLC flight) cleared in advance.......but was never flown.

That's because I lost that upgrade when I used SDC to switch to an earlier LGA-ATL flight........as I was also switched to an earlier ATL-SLC flight without my knowing or approval.

Then again, it was this new LGA-ATL flight (DL750 - 6:00am departure) that actually became my first upgraded DL flight......as I managed to clear at the gate.

Back then.....as a newly minted FO, I was somewhat surprised with what I thought was a decent upgrade percentage.........which hovered around 66%......even if most upgrades cleared at the gate......with it being rare for any 'long' flights to clear. I do know that FOs have a much harder time now than I did.......as back then, it was rare for an upgrade list (except for ATL-West Coast flights) to have more than 10 people listed. However, that has all changed...as even short flights now regularly have 20+ on the upgrade list.

Anyway.....getting back to my initial experiences in F.....

I can still remember that first time.....seated in 1A on a 757 (definitely not my favorite seat...as I now try to avoid most bulkhead seats even though I'm not very tall - 5'10")......the pre-departure drinks......when the FA passed out hot towels and then set down a linen cloth over my tray table (once I managed to get it out of the armrest )........and when juice was served in actual glasses and coffee in actual mugs.....with only the plastic utensils seemingly out of place.

On subsequent F flights before the April 2005 cutbacks to first class service, I can remember wine being served in short stemmed glasses, meal service in F on flights under 1550 miles that were not in select markets (i.e. SLC-MSY), an actual choice of meals for breakfast (JFK-SEA - had blueberry pancakes w/sausage / even ATL-BOS offered a hot meal for breakfast as I had Eggs Benedict) and choices from the breadbasket on JFK-SEA......which IIRC held muffins, croissants and bagels.

I could go on......but I'll stop here.

Perhaps the recently announced changes to F cabin service will bring back some/all of this.......

Personally, I would really like to see the 'bread basket' brought back.

Also.......perhaps Delta could finally offer some additional beverages....such as decent grapefruit juice (not that sugary pink crap they switched to in some CRCs ), lemonade / limeade (Minute Maid is a perfect choice for both) and possibly iced tea (Nestea?).

Regardless......it would appear that things are definitely on the upward trend....both in onboard service......and also in the CRCs.

If this continues.....then it's definitely a good thing.

A.J.

Bulldog King

How so?

Once someone boards, it seems that they are automatically removed from the standby upgrade list.......possibly due to the fact that they are no longer 'standing by' for a seat assignment.

It is after all....the standby upgrade list.

All joking aside, I have been 'advised' many times by Delta agents NOT to board if there was even a faint chance that I might get upgraded (i.e. such as being #2 on the upgrade list with 2 seats F reserved but not occupied).

In such cases in the past, the GA usually made a PA announcement advising certain people by name to remain in the gate area.....just in case their upgrade cleared (usually waiting until <15 minutes before the scheduled departure time).

I had to wait for my upgrade to clear earlier this year......even as a PM......as there were 30+ names on the list for 1 available seat.

Since I was #1 from the start (PM booked in Y class) with possibly 1-2 F seats available (1 of those was apparently claimed by a paid F passenger just prior to the 30 minute mark).....there was no way I was gonna board until I knew for certain. I simply waited near the counter....and watched many of the names drop off the list as other Medallions boarded......and somewhere around the 10-15 minute mark prior to departure, asked the GA if/when he would finally be able to clear me into F.......which he immediately did....as well as apologized for making me wait.... since he had thought the last F seat had already been assigned/cleared for use as a Medallion upgrade.

Oh well....I was happy enough to not have to sit 'way in the back of the bus' as I didn't even have an exit row seat since this was a last minute flight change.

A.J.

Marq

Think of all the times that you have been upgraded after boarding in your coach seat. Either the gate agent comes onboard and gives you a new boarding card or hands it to a flight attendant to find you. Obviously, just because the names fall off the screen by the gate doesn't mean they are off the list and the list is maintained in priority order.

Marc

BingoLoco

As soon as I arrived at the gate, boarding for zone 1 had begun, and she called my name and asked me if I wanted to wait and see if the last FC passenger didn't show up. I assume she called the other names too, just before I arraived, and they elected not to wait. I was at the bottom of the upgrade list, lowest priority. The seat wasn't cleared for upgrade until the last minute.

Seems right to me. He didn't wait, so I got the seat.

bradfordm

I beg to differ ever so slightly --- there are about a dozen CO Platinum's here along with two DL golds and two Silvers --- we all ask each other "Did you get the Bump?" --- to each thier own I suppose. Now like you mentioned Bumped is another story ---- just drop the ED.

DiscoPapa

I think you may be right, haha. My upgrade cleared a full day and a half outside of the 1-day window!