Big enough news to warrant a post here...Delta upgrades
 

Picked this up from an email I received from travelskills.com

RE: New Delta Upgrade Purchase Plan

So you were just getting good at sweet-talking your way into first class. Now
you can add another tool to your upgrade arsenal: cold hard cash.

As we predicted in last week’s June issue of THE TICKET, Delta has confirmed
that it will introduce a new standby upgrade purchase plan at 14 airports,
including Atlanta, effective tomorrow (June 18).

Here's how it works: On the flights where gate agents expect empty first class
seats to be available at departure time, they will offer customers the
opportunity to buy standby upgrades to the first class cabin for $40, $60 or $80 per
flight, based on the length of the flight. ($40 for flights up to 799 miles, $60
for flights between 800 and 1599 miles and $80 for flights over 1600 miles.)

Similar to its 800-mile segment upgrade program, the least expensive fares (U or
L), as well as SkyMiles award tickets, are not eligible for the upgrades.

The problem is that on flights to/from large Delta hubs like Atlanta or Salt
Lake City, almost all first class seats get snatched up by high ranking SkyMiles
Medallion members anyway, leaving few if any for those hoping to utilize the new
paid upgrade program. (Fly at off-peak times and you might luck out.)

As of today, the program is available at airports in Atlanta, Boston,
Cincinnati, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York's LaGuardia
and JFK, Orlando, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, DC
(National). The program should be in effect system wide by the end of the year.

Delta stresses that the new standby upgrade purchase program will have no effect
on the number of first class seats available to Medallion members using
confirmed upgrades. These requests will receive higher priority than the standby
purchase requests.

Delta is actually following the lead of AirTran when it comes to a standby
upgrade purchase plan. At AirTran, upgrades to its business class cabin are
available in advance for $25 over the full one-way coach fare for nonstop
flights and for $50 over the full one-way fare for connecting flights.

Typically they are not available for use with discounted fares. But currently,
as a special promotion, passengers can upgrade from ANY fare class for $25 on a
standby basis at the gate.


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Tom

Let's bet on how long it takes the moderators to move this thread to the Delta board. I give them 3 hours!

Bruce

You are probably right, after further thought I should have only posted on the Delta site.

Should I edit?

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Tom

No. Thanks. I don't read the DL Board but I just may take a chance to fly them if I know I can get an UG for $80.

This was annouced on the Delta boards a few months back. I believe the program was piloted (no pun intended) at CVG.

Delta Elites are not a happy bunch.

[This message has been edited by skofarrell (edited 06-17-2002).]

Tom,

I saw your posting shortly after you started it. Not being a Delta flyer it looked like something that a potential wide range of flyers might be interested in (such as UA "slave" http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif, auh20). If you desire I'll close it.

Craig

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Craig6z
Buzz & United Moderator
[email protected]

What you're doing is flying DL for a chance that you can actually get the upgrade and pay $80 for it. Given the large number of Gold and Plats on the initial routes they're announcing your chances of snagging an upgrade are slim.

Craig-

That's why I no longer bet! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

This may prove to be of some value to DFW customers. I've got several trips to Boston and DC in the next 6 months. I'm thinking a little creative routing will get me a good hit rate.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thumbsup.gif

I hope those who do not fly Delta very often realize that to even be ELIGIBLE for this option you have to purchase a K class ticket. These can range from $80 - to several hundred more dollars then L & U fares. So you pay for the CHANCE to upgrade, and then pray that you have success.

I think I would find better odds at the craps table in Vegas. It might be cheaper too.

It's deja vu all over again.

That USED to be the regular deal. If you had Y tix you could upgrade on DL at the gate for $30/60/90, depending on distance.

Then US upped the deal to 1st w/ any full-fare tix. Then CO matched.

Then, they instituted elite programs instead.

I am pretty sure that is still the deal. Often you will find that the difference between Y and F fares is only the cost of segment upgrades.

Delta ticketing makes no sense at all. A few months ago, I booked DFW-MCO for both Dec, 2002 and March, 2003 at $160 per RT. Last week I got tickets for my brother and his son for the same December trip, their cost - $245 RT. My brother's tickets are booked in L class while my $160 tickets are booked in K.

... following the lead of AirTran...

now there's a leader worth following!

Airtran upgrades are easy, cheap, and available. Works for me.