Fly Delta App - first class upgrade question

I downloaded the "Fly Delta" app onto my smartphone to keep track of our upcoming flight for our cruise (really doesn't do much in my opinion, but oh well).

Anyway, whenever I open the app, it loads the flight reservation information then asks if I would like to upgrade to first class for $xxx.xx (per passenger/entire trip, includes taxes and fees).

This amount changes continually. At one point it was up to $575/person, 2 days ago it was down to $294/person, yesterday, $339.50/person and today $418/person.

Has anyone had any experience with this app and am curious as to how low the cost might go?

I called Delta to ask them - they didn't even know about the app (go figure), but the price they quoted me for an upgrade was quite a bit higher than what the app was offering. Confused???

It is a ploy to try to get you to "buy up" to First Class/Delta One. The price is very dynamic and changes constantly. I don't think there is a rhyme nor reason to the price you see each time you log in. It is not just on the app; the website will "entice" you to buy up also. But, I imagine (I have no hard proof) that, if you call into the Delta Customer Service, they probably have to adhere to a strict algorithm for pricing a buy up.

Depending on the length of the flight if it was less than 300 I would have jumped on it that low.

I downloaded the "Fly Delta" app onto my smartphone to keep track of our upcoming flight for our cruise (really doesn't do much in my opinion, but oh well).

Not quite sure what you want it to do for you. You can change your res, change your seats, buy extras and check on flight status before you go. It will give you gate info and allows for electronic boarding passes for everyone on your reservation. The feature I really like is that it will track your bags - you can hit the bag button and it will show you each time it was scanned during your trip.

You'll see when it was scanned at checkin (confirming it was checked and with your res), scanned at planeside (so you know it is underneath you) and scanned as it gets delivered at bag claim. It is especially nice for connections - you can confirm that the bag made the connect or not. If not, you can beeline straight to the bag office rather than stand around til the last bag is off and you say "where's mine?".

So...what do you want it to do?

As for the upgrade sales - as mentioned, this is enticing you to buy a regular first class ticket and is showing you the difference. The reason the price jumps is because it is always showing the differential between what you have already paid and what the first ticket would cost - AT THAT TIME. And yes, prices for first vary dynamically just like for coach. It's that old "yield management" stuff again.

For example, have a one-way transcon coming up. DL wants $300+ for the upgrade to first over what I've paid, and that's a one-way ticket. OTOH, they offered me a round-trip upgrade here in the west for $102 round trip. First was NOT selling for that trip, so the yield software had lowered the price to almost my coach ticket. My transcon was a different story.

So...the upgrade is not a fixed number premium that moves you from coach to first. Rather, it's the difference at any point in time.

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So...what do you want it to do?

 

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All of the features you mention are nice and I'm sure beneficial for a lot of people who are regular flyers on Delta, but we will most likely not use most of those features (might use the baggage one - sounds nice).

For me, unless I'm not doing something right, it's missing what I would consider to be one of the most important features - notification of flight changes. Since I purchased my tickets, my flights have changed 3 times (flight numbers changed, times changed and they changed our seats). I would not have discovered these changes unless I checked online. I've received no emails from Delta and like I mentioned, the app doesn't have this feature (I don't think).

As for the upgrade issue, I was just curious if anyone had any idea how low the cost could go. Sounds like it's anybody's guess. If tickets are selling, prices will stay higher (price and demand), I'm also assuming Delta would rather make money by selling someone an upgrade to first class instead of just giving it away to frequent flyers at the gate even if it's just a few $$.

Never had any luck in Vegas so looks like my cheap upgrade odds are zero to none.

Depending on the length of the flight if it was less than 300 I would have jumped on it that low.

Absolutely depends on the flight. Would I pay $300 to UG to F flying ATL to FLL? No way. LAX-JFK? In heartbeat.

For me, unless I'm not doing something right, it's missing what I would consider to be one of the most important features - notification of flight changes. Since I purchased my tickets, my flights have changed 3 times (flight numbers changed, times changed and they changed our seats). I would not have discovered these changes unless I checked online. I've received no emails from Delta and like I mentioned, the app doesn't have this feature (I don't think).

As for the upgrade issue, I was just curious if anyone had any idea how low the cost could go.....I'm also assuming Delta would rather make money by selling someone an upgrade to first class instead of just giving it away to frequent flyers at the gate even if it's just a few $$.

 

If you pull up your itinerary on the app, it will tell you if the flight has changed or is delayed or whatever, so the information is there, even if they don't send you a notification. I find the app very helpful.... I track my bags when connections are tight to make sure they made it, I use the app to see what connecting gate I arrive at and what my departure gate will be so I know how far I have to walk in the airport, I use it to view the upgrade list or standby list to see what my chances are if I'm waiting for either, I use it to view the seat chart to see if a better seat has opened up, and as mentioned, to see if my connecting flight is still on time.

We fly Delta out of Detroit. It is pretty much the only one that we fly. I also get the upgrade offers and when it gets to a "reasonable" cost I take it. The only times it has happened is when we are going RT to FLL for early December cruises, which may be a "slow" time for air travel.

I downloaded the "Fly Delta" app onto my smartphone to keep track of our upcoming flight for our cruise (really doesn't do much in my opinion, but oh well).

Anyway, whenever I open the app, it loads the flight reservation information then asks if I would like to upgrade to first class for $xxx.xx (per passenger/entire trip, includes taxes and fees).

This amount changes continually. At one point it was up to $575/person, 2 days ago it was down to $294/person, yesterday, $339.50/person and today $418/person.

Has anyone had any experience with this app and am curious as to how low the cost might go?

I called Delta to ask them - they didn't even know about the app (go figure), but the price they quoted me for an upgrade was quite a bit higher than what the app was offering. Confused???

We got it for $50.00/pp but it was for a one way trip! We called and inquired about our trip home. They also didn't know how or why we got the upgrade offer...

I just checked our flights (MSP-MCO) in early February... offered 1st class for add'l $158 round trip. So guess whose sitting in the good seats now!!!!

And since we were going to pay $50 for bag fees, I'm taking the liberty of saying it's $108 each! (and now we can take two bags!) So excited!!!!!

Thank you for the heads up on this!!

Peg

Mango Mike, does Delta have your current email address? I ask because we have a 2 Delta flights coming up. Both have changed a couple of times and each time we have received email notification from Delta.

Mango Mike, does Delta have your current email address? I ask because we have a 2 Delta flights coming up. Both have changed a couple of times and each time we have received email notification from Delta.

Yep, just checked and they have my email address.

This is crazy - over the past week, the per person cost to upgrade my round trip flights have gone from $294 up to $375 up to $467 up to $699 and today they're down to $398.

Right now, we're in Delta "Comfort Plus" seats (sort of a mini first class) so wouldn't really miss out on a whole lot, the free luggage and wider seats would be the main things since we get free drinks, sky priority boarding and free wifi and entertainment.

I'll just keep watching (and hoping) the prices come down enough to justify the extra cost minus the free luggage.

Yep, just checked and they have my email address.

It's not enough that Delta "has" your email address. In order to receive flight change notifications, last minute updates, etc. you must proactively go to your account profile, notification preferences, and select which notifications you want to receive. Now if you have checked the "before you fly" notification box for flight updates yet failed to receive the emails, then there is a problem with the system.

It's not enough that Delta "has" your email address. In order to receive flight change notifications, last minute updates, etc. you must proactively go to your account profile, notification preferences, and select which notifications you want to receive. Now if you have checked the "before you fly" notification box for flight updates yet failed to receive the emails, then there is a problem with the system.

Yep - all checked. but I did notice under "Notifications":

"Keep informed about any changes to your flight, from 2 months out to 2 days before your trip."

If I remember correctly, the last change was more than 2 months out so if there's a change now, I should receive a notification by email. I just thought their fancy "app" should do this.

 

Right now, we're in Delta "Comfort Plus" seats (sort of a mini first class) so wouldn't really miss out on a whole lot, the free luggage and wider seats would be the main things since we get free drinks, sky priority boarding and free wifi and entertainment.

 

The free entertainment varies from aircraft to aircraft. Not all have the individual entertainment screens.

Just an example......We booked first class airfare on Delta for our February cruise yesterday for $800/ticket. Normally the price is approx $500/ticket for nonstop DTW TO MIA round trip. I waited a week before booking, but we're about 62 days out so I pulled the trigger. (Coach was super expensive/inflated as well for flying in same day and flying out same day at premium times)

The price for those tickets went to $1500/person today!!! The weekends before and after in comparison are obnoxious too for first or economy. We almost were taking the 22 hour one way drive to the port!

The free entertainment varies from aircraft to aircraft. Not all have the individual entertainment screens.

Agree. 3 of our 4 flights are on MD88's or MD90's, (1 flight is on a 757) so the entertainment would only be available on the 3 smaller planes if we brought tablets and used Delta Studio.

Pardon my ignorance here, what is delta studio?

Pardon my ignorance here, what is delta studio?

http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/traveling-with-us/onboard-experience/delta-studio.html

Update for those interested.

As expected, upgrade prices have been fluctuating all over the place over the past month.

Checked today and there was a major drop from $578/person yesterday to $297/person today. The reason was first class seats weren't available for 2 of my 4 flight legs.

So for those that have and use the Fly Delta app, if there is what seems to be a good price for a first class upgrade, check for seat availability first.

I booked our upcoming Delta flights using points. Any possibility they will offer me an upgrade to biz using miles or cash? We don't have status with DL.

I booked our upcoming Delta flights using points. Any possibility they will offer me an upgrade to biz using miles or cash? We don't have status with DL.

Not enough info.

Did you get a regular award ticket or was this a "pay with miles" kind of purchase? If the former, you officially cannot upgrade those tickets. For the latter, you used "miles" as "pennies", and so it was a purchased ticket rather than an award ticket.

Go to your reservation on the DL website. If you see a price to upgrade, then you have it. If you don't see a price, then you can't upgrade. DL will offer that upsell from the moment you buy your ticket if it can be done with cash.

Upgrading with miles is a WHOLE different subject, and one that is completely dependent on the fare basis of your ticket, even if it was a purchased revenue ticket rather than an award ticket.

Not enough info.

 

Did you get a regular award ticket or was this a "pay with miles" kind of purchase? If the former, you officially cannot upgrade those tickets. For the latter, you used "miles" as "pennies", and so it was a purchased ticket rather than an award ticket.

 

Go to your reservation on the DL website. If you see a price to upgrade, then you have it. If you don't see a price, then you can't upgrade. DL will offer that upsell from the moment you buy your ticket if it can be done with cash.

 

Upgrading with miles is a WHOLE different subject, and one that is completely dependent on the fare basis of your ticket, even if it was a purchased revenue ticket rather than an award ticket.

FlyerTalker, thank you for your very clear explanation as always. Unfortunately, no upgrade for us. They are reward tix obtained by transferring Amex rewards into our DL ff accounts. I then paid cash for Economy Comfort.

BTW, DL changed the time of the first leg by 4 minutes resulting in the loss of our chosen seats. They changed equipment for the return flight with the same result. I'm now checking the website daily. I'm especially concerned about the return because it's from St. Thomas on the last day of the President's Week vacation. Few seats left and no other flights to switch to, not even the next day.

 

BTW, DL changed the time of the first leg by 4 minutes resulting in the loss of our chosen seats.

Was there an equipment change also on that leg? Because a time change, if that's all it was, shoudn't affect your seat selection. :confused: