Feb 1, 2022, 4:17 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: Zorak
Index of DL forum threads on how to sit up front
Complimentary Upgrades
How do comp upgrades work?
This is the thread you are currently reading 
for questions including but not limited to
- I'm new to status and upgrades, how do I request a comp upgrade?
- when will my name appear on the list? when will I clear?
- do I need to do anything if my status went up since I booked?
- when will my name show up on the list?
- why is my position so low?
- oddities/anomalies involving the upgrade list
- and so on
Upgrade Success/Failure
Use this thread for posting or researching data points pertaining to complimentary upgrades (how many were on the list, your position, whether you cleared, etc.)
- 2023 Upgrade Success (Or Lack Thereof) Thread
- 2022 Upgrade Success (or lack thereof) Thread
- 2021 Upgrade Success (or lack thereof) thread
- ... and so on
Medallion Complimentary Upgrades on AeroMexico
Upgrades on AeroMexico flights (Consolidated Thread)
Certificate Upgrades
Global Upgrade Certificates (GUCs)
- Using Global Upgrades on Delta (GUCs) post 2/1/2022 Changes
- OLD 2014-2021 version of the thread (davetravels, RIP
): The Official - GLOBAL UPGRADE CERT success thread - Yay! I got it! - Global upgrades on partners (see also the wiki at the top of the main GUC thread, which has good "executive summary" info for using GUCs on partners, including some that don't have their own dedicated threads):
- Air France (AF): Using GUC on AF - Consolidated Threads 2020 Onward
- KLM (KL): Using Delta Global Upgrade (GUC) with KLM Consolidated
- Korean Air (KE): Using GUC on KE bookings - Consolidated Thread
- Virgin Atlantic (VS): GUC now able to be used on Virgin Atlantic (VS)???
): Regional Upgrade Certificates (RUCs)
- Using Regional Upgrades on Delta (RUC) post 2/1/2022
- OLD 2014-2021 version of the thread: Using Regional Upgrades
Buying Up Using Cash
First Class Monetization, or FCM: The Definitive Thread
Using SkyMiles for Upgrades
- Mileage Upgrade Awards (NOT the same as Upgrade With Miles, see thread wiki for explanation of the difference): Delta Mileage Upgrade Awards
- Air France (AF): Question re: upgrade with Miles on Air France
- Virgin Atlantic (VS): Definitive Thread: Use Sky Miles to upgrade on VS
Upgrading With Companions
Upgrading w/companions, eligibility, timing, Sep 2020 onward (consolidated)
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May 23, 2024, 5:16 pm
#526
SuperG1955
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NYC, MSY
Programs: DL DM, 1.5MM, NEXUS, Sky Club Lifetime, Admirals Club Lifetime, LowValueCustomer everywhere
Posts: 6,468
So much for DL's coplementary upgrades. MrsSuperG and I are booked on a flight on Sunday. I'm a DM, she'a an FO. We booked Main Cabin and we were upgraded to C+ at Booking and have the box checked for F Upgrades.
Equipment is a 738 and there are currently 9 out of 16 open in F,.We're well inside the 5 day and no upgrades have been given.to anyone.
Yesterday, the price of an upgrade from C+ to F was just under $700 per seat. Today it's $332.
Purchasing a new ticket in F is now $509. Just doing achange flight to he same flight and upgrading to F is $121 per seat.
The only conclusion I can come to is that the inmates are running the assylum called Revenue Management.
Now the question is should I bite the bullet for $121 each or take a chance that it'll drop evev more tomorrow.
Decisions, decisions...
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May 23, 2024, 5:28 pm
#527
shoodawg
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,395
Originally Posted by SuperG1955
So much for DL's coplementary upgrades. MrsSuperG and I are booked on a flight on Sunday. I'm a DM, she'a an FO. We booked Main Cabin and we were upgraded to C+ at Booking and have the box checked for F Upgrades.
Equipment is a 738 and there are currently 9 out of 16 open in F,.We're well inside the 5 day and no upgrades have been given.to anyone.
Yesterday, the price of an upgrade from C+ to F was just under $700 per seat. Today it's $332.
Purchasing a new ticket in F is now $509. Just doing achange flight to he same flight and upgrading to F is $121 per seat.
The only conclusion I can come to is that the inmates are running the assylum called Revenue Management.
Now the question is should I bite the bullet for $121 each or take a chance that it'll drop evev more tomorrow.
Decisions, decisions...
If you don't pay you likely won't get F.
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May 23, 2024, 5:46 pm
#528
SuperG1955
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NYC, MSY
Programs: DL DM, 1.5MM, NEXUS, Sky Club Lifetime, Admirals Club Lifetime, LowValueCustomer everywhere
Posts: 6,468
Originally Posted by shoodawg
If you don't pay you likely won't get F.
How do you come to that conclusion? I don't think this is a DM heavy flight.
I did bite the bullet so that we could get the seats of our choice and sit together
Last edited by SuperG1955; May 23, 2024 at 8:07 pmReason: spelling
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May 24, 2024, 7:39 am
#529
chipbennett
Join Date: Aug 2022
Location: IND
Programs: Delta SkyMiles (DM), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium, LTP)
Posts: 591
Originally Posted by SuperG1955
How do you come to that conclusion? I don't think this is a DM heavy flight.
I did bite the bullet so that we could get the seats of our choice and sit together
The last time DL disclosed numbers, paid FC was up to like 75% or something? And they seem to be pushing it ever-higher. DL appears to be dedicated to making complimentary medallion FC upgrades an endangered species.
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May 24, 2024, 9:14 pm
#530
xliioper
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,271
Originally Posted by chipbennett
The last time DL disclosed numbers, paid FC was up to like 75% or something? And they seem to be pushing it ever-higher. DL appears to be dedicated to making complimentary medallion FC upgrades an endangered species.
My sense is if you have a companion, it may be more challenging for DM upgrades (if they release a single seat to upgrade bucket, they will pass you over for solo flyers). I did MQM to MQD conversion to get DM and missed upgrades on both DTW-MCO and MCO-DTW with a companion (we were #3 and #4 both ways). However, I have DTW-LAX-SEA and SEA-LAX-DTW flights coming up as a solo flyer and have been upgraded on all segments.
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May 25, 2024, 5:48 pm
#531
gm1955
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Flyover country
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 70
Originally Posted by chipbennett
The last time DL disclosed numbers, paid FC was up to like 75% or something? And they seem to be pushing it ever-higher. DL appears to be dedicated to making complimentary medallion FC upgrades an endangered species.
There have been a number of posts on various threads where people comment about making PM or DM earlier than usual (or for the first time ever), which matches my impression when I compare 2024 to prior years. While those are scattered data points, depending on what people select for CB, the number of RUCs in circulation could potentially increase significantly.
Combine that with additional data points related to lower FCM offers (some crazy-low based on recent posts on the FCM thread) and it makes me wonder if complimentary medallion UG will become rare except on shorter flights where the additional cost of FC (or burning a RUC) isn't worth it.
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May 25, 2024, 6:58 pm
#532
flyerfirsts
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Virginia USA
Posts: 1,242
Originally Posted by SuperG1955
How do you come to that conclusion? I don't think this is a DM heavy flight.
I did bite the bullet so that we could get the seats of our choice and sit together
My experience has been they are now consistently holding back at least half of the first class cabin until the gate, and by then they sell them to FCM or last minute business travelers.
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May 25, 2024, 9:09 pm
#533
gm1955
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Flyover country
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 70
Originally Posted by flyerfirsts
My experience has been they are now consistently holding back at least half of the first class cabin until the gate, and by then they sell them to FCM or last minute business travelers.
Agree. What used to be an "automatic" for complementary UG earlier in 2024 now remain open at 120 hr window (same routes, days of week, time of day.) I've had several flights with 6+ FC seats with no change 5 days out, and a few of them "sold out" 2+ days before departure.
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May 26, 2024, 8:35 am
#534
chipbennett
Join Date: Aug 2022
Location: IND
Programs: Delta SkyMiles (DM), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium, LTP)
Posts: 591
Originally Posted by gm1955
There have been a number of posts on various threads where people comment about making PM or DM earlier than usual (or for the first time ever), which matches my impression when I compare 2024 to prior years. While those are scattered data points, depending on what people select for CB, the number of RUCs in circulation could potentially increase significantly.
Combine that with additional data points related to lower FCM offers (some crazy-low based on recent posts on the FCM thread) and it makes me wonder if complimentary medallion UG will become rare except on shorter flights where the additional cost of FC (or burning a RUC) isn't worth it.
Exactly. And same with the post after yours. These moves, and their apparently intended impact on complimentary Medallion FC upgrades, is why I'm not likely to be particularly bothered if/when I start failing to hit the DM MQD thresholds for 2027 and beyond. Aside from the CBs (and losing access to the GUCs is admittedly pretty huge), one of the most important benefits of DM vs PM is prioritization for Medallion FC upgrades. For most of my flights I'm perfectly happy getting the complimentary C+ upgrade at booking. That doesn't change from DM to PM.
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May 26, 2024, 8:37 am
#535
chipbennett
Join Date: Aug 2022
Location: IND
Programs: Delta SkyMiles (DM), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium, LTP)
Posts: 591
Originally Posted by gm1955
Agree. What used to be an "automatic" for complementary UG earlier in 2024 now remain open at 120 hr window (same routes, days of week, time of day.) I've had several flights with 6+ FC seats with no change 5 days out, and a few of them "sold out" 2+ days before departure.
I do wonder if some of this settles out somewhere more in the middle, eventually, as Delta adjusts its algorithms. But for right now, agreed: the pendulum has swung to the extreme.
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May 31, 2024, 3:14 pm
#536
BusinessElite25
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: SAN
Programs: DL PM, WN A-List
Posts: 409
A data point for silver medallion status because I never really paid attention but my sister has a connecting flight tomorrow, and at 24h prior to first flight without checking in she was able to get in to C+ for both flights, even with the 2nd flight being in 28h. I guess I always assumed it was 24h before the actual departure time, but this is nice to know - 1 less alarm to set!
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Jun 7, 2024, 8:53 am
#537
CarmenOM
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: MSP
Programs: Delta PM, 1MM
Posts: 3,788
Data:
6/4/24 MSP-BOS 7AM flight - Not even close to the top of the upgrade list as a PM. Then took a VDB for $400 and rebooked for a flight three hours later. No chance of even C+ on that flight, but for $400 I was happy.
6/11/24 PVD-MSP Upgraded to F four days before departure. It’s a summer flight from a non-hub city; the once-a-day MSP<->PVD nonstop just resumed for the summer. I didn’t have much competition for the upgrade!
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Jun 7, 2024, 9:50 am
#538
itaexpat
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: BLQ/DEN
Programs: Flying Blue Platinum, United Premier Silver
Posts: 206
Hi, I have a question. I'm Flying Blue Platinum, so my chances of complimentary upgrades on DL are always really slim - I'm bottom of the list no matter what - although it has happened a decent number of times.
There used to be a way on the Delta app to mark whether you wanted to add yourself to only the First class upgrade list, or Comfort+ as well. Now that's gone, and I see my name added to the First class list (bottom of it), but not on the C+. The reason I'd like to be on the C+ list is because there are currently two available seats and only one person on the list, so my chances of an upgrade are much higher (I know very well C+ is worth little, but hey, at least you board sooner than Sky, etc.).
What's happening that's preventing me from sending signals to DL about my interest in C+? Perhaps that I'm not a SkyMiles member but a partner airline elite member?
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Jun 7, 2024, 5:49 pm
#539
zeke3
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 334
6/10/24 flight CLE-ATL upgraded at D-5 as PM to Comfort+ on a 73J. This might be the hardest complimentary upgrade to get in the fleet. 
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