Re upgrades on Delta flights

[Girls1]

Hello. My family is traveling soon and our economy tickets were purchased a couple of months back. When checking our itinerary, I noticed that there see several Economy Comfort seats available. These remaining seats are going for about $166 more per seat then our originally purchased seat.
I'm wondering if they will offer free upgrades to people who arrive early at the airport or if they will substantially mark these seats down if not filled by the day of our flight.
Does anyone know how that works?
Tia.

 

[DebbieB]

Hello. My family is traveling soon and our economy tickets were purchased a couple of months back. When checking our itinerary, I noticed that there see several Economy Comfort seats available. These remaining seats are going for about $166 more per seat then our originally purchased seat.
I'm wondering if they will offer free upgrades to people who arrive early at the airport or if they will substantially mark these seats down if not filled by the day of our flight.
Does anyone know how that works?
Tia.

http://www.delta.com/traveling_checkin/inflight_services/economy_class/economy_comfort.jsp

Medallion® members and those with Y, B, and M fares may receive complimentary or discounted access. (See chart for details.)

It can't hurt to ask at the counter if they are still available. If those are the only seats on the plane left and there are people without seat assignments, they may move people free. You may want to ask on the flyertalk board.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

I doubt you would get an upgrade by showing up early.

I am Silver on Delta and I've never been upgraded to an Economy Comfort seat since I started traveling regularly again in April.

 

[francie57]

When we flew Delta last year you were able to upgrade when you checked in on-line the day before our flight. It wasn't free, you had to pay the difference in the seat. When we were at MCO for our return trip they upgraded a few people but they were traveling alone and my guess would be that they wanted their seat to accomodate people with kids.

 

[Brian Noble]

It's $166 more to move your current seat assignments to those seats, or $166 more to book a new flight with those seats chosen? I'm guessing it's the latter, but I'm currently Gold so I never pay for them...

That said, they aren't *that* much better than "regular" coach seats---the only difference as near as I can tell is that there are a few extra inches of legroom. That's nice, to be sure, but not all that and a bag of chips. I'd pay a few bucks for them, but not much more.

With even Silvers getting to move to them for free in the check-in window, I think the chances that you can get one standby is probably pretty slim, but you never know.

 

[TandEsMommy]

It's $166 more to move your current seat assignments to those seats, or $166 more to book a new flight with those seats chosen? I'm guessing it's the latter, but I'm currently Gold so I never pay for them...

That said, they aren't *that* much better than "regular" coach seats---the only difference as near as I can tell is that there are a few extra inches of legroom. That's nice, to be sure, but not all that and a bag of chips. I'd pay a few bucks for them, but not much more.

With even Silvers getting to move to them for free in the check-in window, I think the chances that you can get one standby is probably pretty slim, but you never know.

Agree. We've been upgraded to the various Economy+ "class" on different airlines, and it is not anything I would ever pay more than $15-$20 for. Maybe if either of us were exceptionally tall it would hold more appeal, but even then, I just didn't really find it worth it. Same snacks, seats are still pretty hard and uncomfortable and cramped.

The times we were upgraded was because we were either in uniform, or volunteered to give up seats for families to sit together. Not much to lose by giving up Row 24 We each sat on an aisle next to each other in + rather than an aisle and middle in regular economy. Still wouldn't have paid for it, though.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

$166 sounds high so where is OP flying from?

If this is an international flight Delta seems to selling these so I would not count on a free upgrade. For me it is worth it on a really long flight, like across the Atlantic, but not on a short flight

 

[Girls1]

Thanks for the replies replies everyone. To clarify: the $166 difference is in airfare. To change to these seats we would have to pay $29. Our flight is a couple of weeks away and I was just wondering what the possibilities were that they would not be sold and thus offered as free upgrades.
But now while reading these responses I'm thinking that others will jump at the chance to upgrade for $29 more than their original ticket price. Since we are a family of four, it does not make sense in our case.
We still try our luck at check-in though. Thanks everyone

 

[Girls1]

And to the last poster, we are flying in from NYC.

 

[Brian Noble]

I was just wondering what the possibilities were that they would not be sold and thus offered as free upgrades.

Almost zero. Any Silver elites have to pay 50% of the price to reserve them more than 24 hours prior to flight time, but can change to them for free when they check in. There might be some middles left after that (I'd never take an EC middle vs. an aisle anywhere else) but that's it.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Chances of 4 together are REALLY REALLY slim. Looking at my flight today for example just before check in there were a only middle seats left and just a few of them...

 

[serene56]

wow- that posted in the wrong forum

 

[ain0004]

We too have just bought our tickets with Delta and seats to be announced. I'm not sure how it will work. We hope they give up 3 and 2 for our family. 2nd hope will be 2, 2 and 1. We hope not more split up than that. I am thinking of upgrading 3 of our tickets. that way very worst the kids can sit together. We will see how it works out. I don't know if being a delta sky miles members help or not. We will have to wait till NOv to find out!

 

[Girls1]

Almost zero. Any Silver elites have to pay 50% of the price to reserve them more than 24 hours prior to flight time, but can change to them for free when they check in. There might be some middles left after that (I'd never take an EC middle vs. an aisle anywhere else) but that's it.

Thanks.

 

[Girls1]

We too have just bought our tickets with Delta and seats to be announced. I'm not sure how it will work. We hope they give up 3 and 2 for our family. 2nd hope will be 2, 2 and 1. We hope not more split up than that. I am thinking of upgrading 3 of our tickets. that way very worst the kids can sit together. We will see how it works out. I don't know if being a delta sky miles members help or not. We will have to wait till NOv to find out!

Did you book by phone? When I book online, I'm able to choose our seats.

 

[DebbieB]

Did you book by phone? When I book online, I'm able to choose our seats.

Seats are not always available to choose. If the only seats left are preferred seats or seats being held for airport check-in, you do not have free seats to choose at that point.

 

[Daddio]

Did you book by phone? When I book online, I'm able to choose our seats.

Delta now has a new booking category on certain flights with even lower prices that standard economy but seats are assigned at check in.

~ David