JFK-SEA Upgrade
Aug 17, 2018, 8:16 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 483
JFK-SEA Upgrade
We are just regular SkyMiles members. We are in regular economy for this flight next week, on a Saturday at 1pm. (booked with AirFrance Flying Blue miles). Can we call to be added to the upgrade standby list? Does it cost anything? How much would this upgrade cost at the gate? I read something about this route not being upgradeable. Thanks in advance.
Aug 17, 2018, 8:43 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 483
We are just Skymiles members. We aren't Silver or anything. I wasn't sure if possible pay to upgrade would be available on this route if we are in the Main Cabin? Would we do this at the gate? We normally don't fly Delta and usually do everything with miles and this would be the first time paying to upgrade.
Aug 17, 2018, 8:43 am
#4
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL Diamond 1.7MM, Starlux Insighter, Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,947
If you have Flying Blue elite status, you can ask at the airport to be added to the upgrade list subject to availability. You will be at the very bottom of the upgrade list, though, so expect no first class upgrade will be available unless you are flying a very obscure route. Your odds of obtaining a Comfort+ seat in this manner are much better, though.
One quirk is that you are on an award ticket. Upgrades on award tickets are typically a benefit of Delta’s own rewards program for their own elites. I can’t find details on whether FlyingBlue elites are eligible on award tickets, but be prepared to discover this specific situation is ineligible for upgrades at the airport.
If you have no Flying Blue elite status, there is no path to an upgrade of any kind - sorry.
One quirk is that you are on an award ticket. Upgrades on award tickets are typically a benefit of Delta’s own rewards program for their own elites. I can’t find details on whether FlyingBlue elites are eligible on award tickets, but be prepared to discover this specific situation is ineligible for upgrades at the airport.
If you have no Flying Blue elite status, there is no path to an upgrade of any kind - sorry.
Aug 17, 2018, 8:44 am
#5
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL Diamond 1.7MM, Starlux Insighter, Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,947
We are just Skymiles members. We aren't Silver or anything. I wasn't sure if possible pay to upgrade would be available on this route if we are in the Main Cabin? Would we do this at the gate? We normally don't fly Delta and usually do everything with miles and this would be the first time paying to upgrade.
Aug 17, 2018, 8:48 am
#6
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL Diamond 1.7MM, Starlux Insighter, Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,947
(Just saw the route in the thread title; JFK-SEA is a very, very popular route for paid first class, and is a tough upgrade even for top tier elite members - so the likelihood of an upgrade being available is pretty low in general anyway. In the event a paid upgrade is offered, it will likely be multiple hundreds of dollars.)
Aug 17, 2018, 8:50 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 483
Thank you for the information on this! So no possibility of upgrade even to a comfort+ seat? The only thing is: I booked with Flying Blue miles but the route changed so I called delta to make a change. The agent did something he wasn't supposed to do, because Delta isn't supposed to touch Flying Blue awards booked with them. He booked me a more direct flight. Maybe the status of how the flight was booked was changed in the system since he did something he wasn't supposed to do. How would I determine this..do I just call? And you're saying that even at the gate I can't pay cash to upgrade even if there is plenty of availability?
Aug 17, 2018, 8:51 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 483
(Just saw the route in the thread title; JFK-SEA is a very, very popular route for paid first class, and is a tough upgrade even for top tier elite members - so the likelihood of an upgrade being available is pretty low in general anyway. In the event a paid upgrade is offered, it will likely be multiple hundreds of dollars.)
Aug 17, 2018, 8:54 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 483
Also, I just looked at the seat map. It doesn't look like any First or Comfort Plus seats are available. There are barely any main cabins seats left. Does that mean they are reserving them for upgrades, or they are just all sold out?
Aug 17, 2018, 9:04 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,231
If you're looking at the seat map through "Choose my Seat" from your own reservation, then you will only see available seats in the cabin you are booked in - other cabins (Comfort+ and First/DeltaOne) will appear booked.
You have to do a new search for the flight and view the seat map from the search display results to see all cabins.
If that version of the seat map is full in C+/F then it is likely sold out.
But generally, short of an offer to upgrade during online check-in (for $$), it very likely won't be possible. Do not get your hopes up.
You have to do a new search for the flight and view the seat map from the search display results to see all cabins.
If that version of the seat map is full in C+/F then it is likely sold out.
But generally, short of an offer to upgrade during online check-in (for $$), it very likely won't be possible. Do not get your hopes up.
Aug 17, 2018, 9:08 am
#11
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: MSP
Programs: Delta PM, 1MM
Posts: 3,784
I don’t see a non-stop 1pm flight JFK-SEA on Saturday 8/25. Are you sure you’re not on connecting flights?
Last edited by CarmenOM; Aug 17, 2018 at 9:45 am Reason: Date correction
Aug 17, 2018, 9:14 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 483
Our flight is Saturday August 28 at 3:30pm. It's a layover on the way to anchorage.
Aug 17, 2018, 9:19 am
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 483
If you're looking at the seat map through "Choose my Seat" from your own reservation, then you will only see available seats in the cabin you are booked in - other cabins (Comfort+ and First/DeltaOne) will appear booked.
You have to do a new search for the flight and view the seat map from the search display results to see all cabins.
If that version of the seat map is full in C+/F then it is likely sold out.
But generally, short of an offer to upgrade during online check-in (for $$), it very likely won't be possible. Do not get your hopes up.
You have to do a new search for the flight and view the seat map from the search display results to see all cabins.
If that version of the seat map is full in C+/F then it is likely sold out.
But generally, short of an offer to upgrade during online check-in (for $$), it very likely won't be possible. Do not get your hopes up.
The first class seat is only $220 more than the main cabin seat when I search it now. How much could the upgrade be at the gate?
Aug 17, 2018, 9:37 am
#14
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Santo Domingo, Dom. Rep. / Washington, DC
Programs: AA PPro/DL PLT, PPass, Marriott / Hilton Gold, JetBlue Mosaic, Hertz Presidents Circle, Amex Plat
Posts: 4,630
Thank you for the information on this! So no possibility of upgrade even to a comfort+ seat? The only thing is: I booked with Flying Blue miles but the route changed so I called delta to make a change. The agent did something he wasn't supposed to do, because Delta isn't supposed to touch Flying Blue awards booked with them. He booked me a more direct flight. Maybe the status of how the flight was booked was changed in the system since he did something he wasn't supposed to do. How would I determine this..do I just call? And you're saying that even at the gate I can't pay cash to upgrade even if there is plenty of availability?
At the gate, I doubt there will be upgrades for sale in this route.
August 28 is not a saturday btw. If you meant August 25, there are indeed 10 First class seats not assigned and at least 9 First Class seats for sale. There are also many Comfort+ seats already unavailable, while these might be customers who purchased C+, there's a high probability that many of these seats are already occupied by Diamonds and Platinums waiting for an upgrade. Moving on to Economy, there are at least 5 preferred seats already occupied, and most of the time these passengers are also eligible for complimentary upgrades.
Your only option here might be to purchase a C+ upgrade if offered, which seems to be very likely.