HOW TO GET ON THE DELTA UPGRADE LIST: The Ultimate Guide

Using Delta Airlines’ upgrade list wisely might be a crucial tactic for a cozier and more opulent trip. Knowing how to get on Delta’s upgrade list will help you secure that desired seat in a higher class, whether you’re an infrequent traveler or a frequent passenger. Several variables are considered during the Delta upgrade process, such as your SkyMiles status, fare class, and available seats.

We’ll take you through all the necessary procedures in this guide to make sure you’re in a good position to get upgraded and increase your chances of taking advantage of the benefits of a premium cabin. Learn the insider tricks that can improve your travel experience with Delta Airlines, from understanding the subtleties of fare classes to making the most of your status in the reward program.

How To Get On The Delta Upgrade List

Isn’t it what we all want—an improved seat? The first-class windows and seats were large. Then, how do you get there? Consequently, a seat upgrade on Delta Airlines might make your travel more opulent. This policy allows you to use miles, companion upgrades, and a host of other alternatives to achieve a better travel experience.

Once your reservations are confirmed, you can choose from up to seven travel classes, according to the Delta upgrade chart. Who receives these enhancements, however, is dependent on several variables. This article goes over the several upgrade options that Delta Airlines offers, how to upgrade, the benefits of having a credit card with the Delta logo, and more.

If you’re sick of being on the outside looking in, here’s how to get on a Delta upgrade list.

#1. Reach Medallion Status

You can get unlimited free upgrades to Delta Comfort Plus and first class on all routes if you have a Delta Medallion membership. Additionally, on domestic flights, there is no fee for day-of-departure upgrades to Delta One business class.

However, complimentary Medallion upgrades to the Delta One list or Delta Premium Select are not available for overseas travelers.

Your elite #1 status tier is important when it comes to upgrading clearance timing, which is the time when your new seat is confirmed. Because top-tier members receive precedence, your chances of getting an upgrade are better the higher your elite level.

The following is the order in which Medallion members receive Delta Comfort Plus upgrades (depending on availability).

#2. Hold the Right Credit Card

Even without elite membership, you are eligible for free upgrades to Comfort Plus or first class on domestic flights inside the United States if you possess the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card or the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card. There are terms.

Remember that your chances of getting an upgrade may be reduced if you possess the card but lack elite status because you will rank lower than all Medallion members on the upgrade list.

#3. Upgrade your Delta Ticket with Cash or Skymiles.

There is another way to upgrade your ticket if you are not a Delta Medallion member: you can use cash or miles to do so. You can upgrade a new ticket at the time of booking or an existing reservation using “My Trips” in your SkyMiles account using either method.

#4. Pay More For Your Ticket

Airline tickets are significantly more than what first meets the eye.

Although there are classes on the plane, such as first class and economy, each ticket has a confusing web of limitations, fees, and guidelines. Greetings from the airline fare-class world.

Additionally, if you have Delta Medallion status, paying extra for your ticket—that is, choosing a higher-priced class—will place you higher on the upgrade list because of the way these classes operate. Delta turns next to the fare class if two members have equivalent Medallion status and there is only one seat available for an upgrade.

Fares with higher prices are prioritized above those with lower prices. Furthermore, two passengers’ fare classes are not equivalent just because they are seated beside one another.

#5. Avoid Basic Economy Fares

When traveling with Delta, you should be sure to stay away from Delta Basic Economy rates if you want to be considered for an upgrade. This is because Delta does not allow upgrades for basic economy rates. What status you have with the airline is irrelevant.

Furthermore, Delta took a step that no other major airline has taken at the end of 2021: its basic economy fares were no longer eligible for Delta SkyMiles or points toward achieving Delta Medallion status. While some airlines prevent passengers who purchase the cheapest tickets from achieving status, Delta is the first to refuse them the ability to redeem their miles.

#6. Carry the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

The next method to move up in the upgrade order is to use the Delta Reserve Card. When fare class and status are equal, that’s the decisive factor.

This is American Express’s top-tier co-branded Delta credit card, with benefits like free membership in the Delta Sky Club and a yearly domestic first-class, Comfort Plus, or main cabin companion coupon. It also provides a means of accelerating the acquisition of Delta Medallion Status.

#7. Avoid Peak Business Travel Times and mainline Routes

Preventing travel during periods of high business travel should inevitably increase your chances of receiving an upgrade, provided that it aligns with your travel schedule. This indicates that Delta’s Diamond Medallion road warriors are active on Mondays and Fridays.

Since you will probably be competing with top-tier Medallion members, scheduling your travel on Tuesday through Thursday or during the weekend should increase your chances of receiving an upgrade. Although corporate travel has decreased since the pandemic, this is still typically a good rule to follow if you want to get an upgrade.

#8. Use an Upgrade Certificate

Only Platinum Medallion and Diamond Medallion members may choose upgrade certificates as part of an annual Choice Benefits selection process. They are valid on flights operated by specific partners as well as those operated by Delta.

Types of Upgrade Certificates

Two distinct upgrade certificates are available from Delta.

When traveling inside the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Bermuda, Central America, and Northern South America, you can use a regional upgrade certificate to upgrade to first class or Delta One.
Only Diamond Medallion members are eligible for global upgrade certificates, which can be used on flights to any destination, including South America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.

Availability of Delta Upgrade Certificates

Numerous certificates will be available to them according to their level of passenger medallion. Additionally, Platinum Medallion members will receive four regional upgrades if they decide to purchase upgrade certificates. Members with Diamond Medallions can select from the following rewards:

Four upgrades globally
Eight upgrades at the regional level
Four regional upgrades and two global ones

How Do Delta Upgrade Certificates Work?

Using a certificate does not guarantee a free Medallion upgrade, but it does give you precedence. You may find yourself placed on a waiting list based on the service classes that are offered during your vacation.

You can upgrade to a Delta one as soon as a seat opens up on your flight without a premium select cabin.

The good news is that if there is no availability and you are unable to utilize your Delta upgrade certificates, you do not lose them. Additionally, it’s important to remember that the Delta global and regional upgrade certificates expire at the end of each year. On the other hand, you can use them to upgrade the seats of other travelers.

Delta Airlines Seat Upgrade Policy

The Delta Aseveralt Upgrade Policy lists several choices for seat upgrades. Using the website’s My Trip area, passengers can choose to upgrade for a fee. Passengers may change their seat selection after booking a maximum of three hours before departure or until the check-in window shuts. This allows you to upgrade from Main Cabin to First Class, Delta Comfort Plus, Delta One, or Delta Premium Select.

Second, switching from First Class, Delta Premium Select, or Delta One to Delta Comfort+ In addition, the passenger has the option to upgrade their seat and make any necessary modifications up to 24 hours before the flight departs. Just confirm that Delta Airlines is handling all aspects of the flight.

Elite members are entitled to a Delta upgrade through the SkyMiles program. If not, please enter the details for your credit card. Eventually, make purchases to accrue Delta miles. Through Delta Medallion, an upgrade can also be requested ahead of time without incurring additional costs.

How to Receive Free Upgrades on Your Next Flight with Delta

For all medallion tiers, Delta Airlines provides complimentary upgrades to first-class and Delta Comfort Plus seats. Furthermore, on both domestic and international flights to Hawaii, all Delta Medallion Elite members are entitled to unlimited free upgrades to the Delta One experience. However, Delta Airlines must advertise and run the flight.

Although it is much easier to get a free Delta upgrade if you have elite status with the airline, you still have to fight for seats with other status holders. Having the right Delta credit card can help people without status, but you will still have to fight with other elite passengers for those premium seats.

If you have an upgrade certificate, you will advance on the Delta upgrade list; if you spend money on SkyMiles, you will advance even faster. However, paying in full for the class you wish to enroll in is the only way to ensure a specific seat. Paying for a ticket in a premium cabin with miles or cash guarantees you the upgrade you desire.

How to Get Complimentary Upgrades on Flights as a Delta Medallion Member

On all itineraries, all Delta Medallion members—Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond—are entitled to unlimited free upgrades to first-class cabins and Delta Comfort+. Furthermore, free upgrades to Delta One are offered on domestic flights inside the US, including those to Hawaii and Alaska.

Free Medallion upgrades to Delta Premium Select or Delta One cabins are not available for flights abroad.

Remember that the fewer seats available for free Medallion upgrades, the more first-class tickets Delta sells. Here, members with platinum medals are given precedence over those with gold medals, and vice versa for elite diamond medals.

Several things depend on several things after your status tier (more on that below).

When your upgrade eligibility window opens, you can choose to have manual upgrades applied to any available seat, or you can choose to have automatic upgrades applied on every flight. By selecting the latter option, you can prevent automatic upgrades to middle seats.

If you have Delta status, here’s when you may anticipate a Medallion upgrade to first class (depending on availability).

How to Get Upgrades on Delta Flights When Traveling with Companions

When booking flights together, Delta Medallion members do not have to forfeit their chance to upgrade.

If you are a Medallion member and you are traveling with a companion, you may be eligible for a complimentary upgrade as long as the companion is also a normal SkyMiles member (enrollment is free). A companion upgrade must be explicitly requested, and it is granted to the traveler with the highest status level on Delta.

To be eligible for complimentary upgrades, a party of three or more passengers must all be Medallion members. In this instance, the traveler with the lowest Delta status receives upgrades.

How Do I Contact the Delta Agent for an Upgrade?

I hope you can now simply get on the upgrade list in a variety of ways by reviewing all the information on the update on Delta. Contact a Delta representative directly or go to the airline’s upgrade page if you’re still having problems or would like more information about the airline’s seat upgrade policy.

You can call +1-800-865-1848 if the airline is busy and does not answer your call during technical issues. You can get a prompt answer to any inquiries you have about the Upgrade List Delta by calling this number.

What is the Delta Upgrade?

Traveling on Delta Air Lines in first class can offer a more opulent and comfortable experience. Here are a few strategies for getting an update: Utilize coupons or miles. You can buy a first-class upgrade with your Delta SkyMiles if you have any.

Can I Ask for a Free Upgrade on Delta?

You can always request a Delta seat upgrade, with or without using cash, regardless of the departure city or kind of flight. The facility is open when you book afterward with the airline. Additionally, visitors can reserve upgrades on Delta Reservations using the official website or mobile application.

How Many Points Do You Need with Delta to Get a Free Flight?

The Delta SkyMiles usage guide With Delta award flights starting at approximately 6,000 miles, you don’t need a lot of SkyMiles to receive free travel. SkyMiles can be used for seat upgrades and Delta Vacations packages, in addition to complimentary flights on Delta Air Lines and its affiliates.

How Many Delta Points Is $100?

What is $100 worth of Delta miles? Partial payments are accepted, and you can redeem your Delta miles in increments of 5,000 miles. Thus, five thousand miles is fifty, ten thousand miles is one hundred, and so on.

Summary

It’s not a guarantee that you will get upgraded with Delta just because you can. This is particularly true these days, when there are fewer available seats to fill and more rivalry between travelers with status for a free seat up front.

However, these are the six things you can do to increase your chances of sitting up front if you have status and want to increase your chances of getting upgraded.

HOW TO GET ON THE DELTA UPGRADE LIST: The Ultimate Guide