Breakdown of Delta fare classes?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 252
Breakdown of Delta fare classes?
Is there a thread somewhere that breaks down all of the different fare classes? E.g., why are there so many different classes in coach? What's the difference between V and F? Is there that much of a difference in price between T and U? If someone could explain all this to me it would be very helpful. Thanks!

#2
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: RIC/CHO
Programs: Delta Platinum, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 79
http://www.cwsi.net/delta.htm gives a good explanation of all that....

#3
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: RDU, Delta PM, Hilton Diamond (for now), Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 3,438
Y - Full coach fare
B, M - slightly discounted coach fare
H,Q,K - discounted coach fare
L,U,T - deeply discounted coach fare
F - Full First class fare
A - discounted first class fare
J - Full Biz class fare
D, I - discounted biz class fare
V - Upgrade bucket for domestic upgrades
X - Upgrade bucket for domestic upgrades on flights considered business instead of first
Z - Upgrade bucket for international upgrades (miles, PMUs)
N - Coach skymiles bucket
O - Business skymiles bucket
R - First skymiles bucket
E - Special coach bucket (Was used in the past for the fly 3 get 1 flight free promotion)
S - used to be student fares
That's all I know - there are others.
B, M - slightly discounted coach fare
H,Q,K - discounted coach fare
L,U,T - deeply discounted coach fare
F - Full First class fare
A - discounted first class fare
J - Full Biz class fare
D, I - discounted biz class fare
V - Upgrade bucket for domestic upgrades
X - Upgrade bucket for domestic upgrades on flights considered business instead of first
Z - Upgrade bucket for international upgrades (miles, PMUs)
N - Coach skymiles bucket
O - Business skymiles bucket
R - First skymiles bucket
E - Special coach bucket (Was used in the past for the fly 3 get 1 flight free promotion)
S - used to be student fares
That's all I know - there are others.

#5
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 5,630
Is there a thread somewhere that breaks down all of the different fare classes? E.g., why are there so many different classes in coach? What's the difference between V and F? Is there that much of a difference in price between T and U? If someone could explain all this to me it would be very helpful. Thanks!
Because the airlines have hired a bunch of MBA/finance people who make a lot of money and have nothing to do,
By offering so many differnt fare codes/rules per flight and constantky change them they are very succesful and make a lot of $ of profit for the share holders. Something like AIG.
AA (Crandell) several years ago (when airlines made money) tried to simplify the codes by reducing them big time. Like down to less the 10 per flight.
But it failed as all the other airlines offered more uner differnt rules and under cut AA on pricing. So AA changed back.
And now the airlines have so many low cost coach fares they can not even make money on a full plane.

#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Under an ORD approach path
Programs: DL PM, MM. Coffee isn't a drug, it's a vitamin.
Posts: 12,933
I've long had that site bookmarked. Also, on the same site, http://www.cwsi.net/nw.htm can be useful during the NW/DL merger period.

#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Programs: DL PM, HH Diamond, Fairmont Prem, SPG Gold, Priority Club Plat/IC Amb, AmEx Plat
Posts: 10,839
Shame on a company for trying to make money for shareholders. But a look at the shares of DAL show what? A decline in share prices the past two years, so how is that "a lot of $ for the share holders"?
http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=D...l=DAL;range=2y

#8
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: KATL
Programs: DL DM/2MM
Posts: 2,007
Y - normal coach fare
B, M - deeply discounted coach fares
H,Q,K - we're-cutting-close-to-the-bone-deeply discounted coach fares
L,U,T - ohmigosh-we're-practically-giving-this-thing-away-the-sales-manager-back-in-the-showroom-will-be-crying-about-this-one-for-a-long-time-deeply discounted coach fares

#9
Join Date: Jun 2009
Programs: UA Premier
Posts: 193
I did a search and checked other threads, so here goes...
I used FF miles to book an award ticket for my wife. We're traveling on the same itinerary. While I know award ticket travelers do not receive upgrades, has anyone had luck getting a companion upgrade in such circumstances?
Also, although I booked the tickets at the same time and selected seats next to each other, her e-itinerary shows us sitting separately. Will I have to wait until check-in to ask for changes?
We're both just lowly FOs. My ticket is an "M" fare.
I used FF miles to book an award ticket for my wife. We're traveling on the same itinerary. While I know award ticket travelers do not receive upgrades, has anyone had luck getting a companion upgrade in such circumstances?
Also, although I booked the tickets at the same time and selected seats next to each other, her e-itinerary shows us sitting separately. Will I have to wait until check-in to ask for changes?
We're both just lowly FOs. My ticket is an "M" fare.

#10
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: CMH/CVG
Programs: DL
Posts: 484
I did a search and checked other threads, so here goes...
I used FF miles to book an award ticket for my wife. We're traveling on the same itinerary. While I know award ticket travelers do not receive upgrades, has anyone had luck getting a companion upgrade in such circumstances?
Also, although I booked the tickets at the same time and selected seats next to each other, her e-itinerary shows us sitting separately. Will I have to wait until check-in to ask for changes?
We're both just lowly FOs. My ticket is an "M" fare.
I used FF miles to book an award ticket for my wife. We're traveling on the same itinerary. While I know award ticket travelers do not receive upgrades, has anyone had luck getting a companion upgrade in such circumstances?
Also, although I booked the tickets at the same time and selected seats next to each other, her e-itinerary shows us sitting separately. Will I have to wait until check-in to ask for changes?
We're both just lowly FOs. My ticket is an "M" fare.

#11
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 1
I just saw a new code to me:
ECONOMY (ND)
This is an award ticket, which has always been N.
Any ideas what the D is for?
ECONOMY (ND)
This is an award ticket, which has always been N.
Any ideas what the D is for?
