rikramer

After a year with AA, I have made the jump to Delta. This week I had my first flight as a Delta Silver and I am very confused by how to manage upgrades to Comfort+. This morning I was booked on an aisle seat in regular economy. I didn't want to end up in a middle Comfort+ seat, so I unchecked the box to request an auto-upgrade to this class of service. Based on the Delta website, I was expecting that I would receive some notification when upgrades to comfort+ became available, so that I could manually select a seat. I kept checking the seat map and the comfort+ seats never became available to me. Nor did the app provide me any notice. This would be all well and good, except for the fact that comfort+ had mostly empty seats. So how come I was not offered an opportunity to move into one of these seats? What is the strategy for getting comfort+ without risking a middle seat?

Thanks in advance for the knowledge!

Qwkynuf

As a Silver, your upgrade window would be at 24 hours - the same as check in. Remember that Delta treats C+ as a separate class, so you can't just "select" a seat there (unless you bought straight into C+), you have to be "upgraded" to it.

So before checking in, you would want to recheck the Request Upgrade to C+ check box. If there is an upgrade seat available, it should move you into one within a few minutes, and then you will be able to select any of the remaining C+ seats that you desire.

Keep in mind that Diamond and Platinum can make their selection more or less immediately after booking, and Gold gets it at 72 hours - so there may not be a ton of inventory by the time it comes to Silver.

rikramer

My concern with checking that box is that I would end up in a middle comfort+ seat and no ability to move back to my exit row seat. Is there not a way to avoid getting auto-upgraded into a middle seat?

Qwkynuf

You should be able to look at the seat map before you request the C+ upgrade. If you see something you like, check the box, wait a minute, select the seat you want.

There is a small risk in that delay, but worst case you can call in and request to be put back in C-.

defrosted

There are threads about this...

Basically to answer your direct question, yes you can move yourself back to main cabin.

If you don't request an upgrade in advance, when you check in you should get an option for a non middle seat upgrade.
In the same way if you move yourself back to main cabin before check in, when you do check in you should get the non middle option.

Gig103

At online check-in, the option to request a C+ upgrade adds a second box to only allow aisle+window seats. But ahead of time that isn't available, and once you check-in I am not sure if you can go back and add it.

hi55us

The strategy I've been using (successfully I might add) is not requesting a C+ upgrade. When doing OLCI, on a computer, you'll see the option to upgrade to C+ but only for Window + Asile seats. This has worked for me every time, I usually check the app and see the new seat assignment, but I haven't been getting emails from Delta alerting me of my upgrade. I also find in scenarios like this I get a seat assignment slip printed at the gate.

rikramer

Interesting. I didn't realize that checking in on the computer would allow me access to more functionality. I've only been using the mobile app and it checks me in automatically and does not provide any check-box option to re-request the upgrade, view c+ seat availability, or specific no middle seats

Qwkynuf

In the app, when you get to that auto check in page, instead of clicking Confirm, or Agree, or whatever the highlighted button is, click the X in the corner. It will give you a dire warning about un-checking you in, but then you can look at the seat map and upgrade list as they look at that moment, make any changes you want, and then hit the check button in from the main screen when you are ready.

hi55us

Yeah even if the app automatically checks you in you can go in online and check in the old fashioned way.

loratliff

You can. Open the app and click the green check that says "Checked In" and it walks you through the check-in process again with the option to only select window-aisle.

pvn

You do NOT need to check the box, ever. If you're inside your upgrade window and there is available inventory, you can just pick one of the seats without checking the box.

The box is only for *automatic* change to an available C+ seat.

rikramer

I don't think this is correct. At least not my experience today. C+ seats never became available for me select. Despite most of the seats remaining empty for the flight.

yaychemistry

I don't have exact knowledge - but I think it's possible that there may be some C+ seats available for sale, but not available for upgrades. So in that case you won't be able to select them directly from the seat map. If they were available for upgrade, then you would be able to select them from the seat map.

This is mostly just a theory - and you can test the theory by checking the upgrade box and seeing if you get upgraded automatically within a few minutes or not (make sure there's an open window/aisle seat first unless you're willing to risk getting upgraded into a middle seat). If you do get upgraded, even through the seat map was blocked off, then my theory is wrong.

JeffCO

YMMV but in my experience Delta only shows you open seats in your current cabin class, Main, C+ or FC. If you get bumped up then indeed you can see the open seats in C+ but then you can't see or select Main Cabin. I know because it's happened to me more than once being upped from an Exit row aisle seat to a middle C+, and there was no way to decline without calling (which was a whole mess in itself - 3 hour wait time!).

Not that they care but I've given them plenty of feedback about this system not quite operating as explained, or maybe their explanations are lacking. Regardless, I have yet to see any real factual reason why you shouldn't be able to specify all your preferences for C+ upgrades at the time of booking, i.e., three checkboxes for your willingness to accept an upgrade to window, aisle, and middle.