bsh932

If you check the standby list on travelnet and there are only a few coach seats available, but there are many seats available in first class do you stand a good chance of getting on the flight. I am not worried about flying first class, I just want to know if having a lot of seats in first class will increase my odds of getting on a flight.

makersmarc

In the past this has been true for me. Delta will not "upgrade" pax out of coach to make room for more revenue pax. If coach is full and first is empty that is a good sign.

Also, those revenue pax upgrading from coach gennerally leave behind plum seats (exit row aisle) that the non revs end up in.

John Pennekamp

I guess I don't really understand your question. An open seat on the flight is an open seat. On DAL your chances of either seat are the same... it's not like some airlines where non-revs can't get First of have to pay a fee.

From what I've seen in my 8.5 years of Delta non-revving (5 as a commuter) is that there are usually ample Medallions standing by for an upgrade to fill First. This opens up coach seats provided you're high enough on the standby list to get one of them.

heading180

It does not matter where in the airplane the seat is open. Even if, at the gate, someone in the back elects to upgrade to first, their original coach seat will be empty then. Where you may have a problem with that is if coach is already oversold. When that medallion member etc upgrades to first then their leftover seat in the back will be taken by a paying pax that may have originally not been able to get on. If that is NOT the case, then the empty seat, first or coach, will be given to a NON-REV in order of seniority. Most senior on the list will get the open first seats until first is full, then the coach cabin empties are filled by non-rev's and so on down the list until either the plane is full or no more non-rev's left.

EX: when all is said and done and it's time for non-revs there are:

-5 first class available seats/10 coach seats open and 3 standbys waiting.
all three standbys, considering they are w/in the guidelines (not kids or dressed like thugs) will get the first class seats

-Same senario but 10 standbys waiting:
the most senior 5 on the list will get first and the remaining 5 will be in coach

-Same senario but 20 standbys waiting:
most senior 5 in first, 10 in coach(in order of seniority) and the last 5(least senior on the list) will have to wait for the next flight and try again.

Seniority at the gate depends on Hire date and can be manipulated by priority code used.
EX: Someone who was hired in 2002 vs Someone who was hired in 2003

-if the same priority code is used then the 2002 hire will out rank the 03 hire
-however if the 03 hire is able to use a better priority code than the 02 hire then the 03 can out rank the 02

General codes are as follows in order of most importance:

HK... PAYING PAX THAT HAS BEEN BUMPED FROM A PREV FLIGHT
S1 REQUIRES MANAGER APPROVAL
S2 HIGH PRIORITY
S3 GENERAL DELTA EMPLOYEE PRIORITY
S3B
S3C
S3CR --- ALL THREE OF THESE ARE GENERALLY USED BY PARENTS OF EMPLOYEES OR "DELTA CONNECTION" EMPLOYEES

S4 BUDDY PASS

So if you work for a regional and are say... s3b priority. Even if you had been at that regional for 20 years.. an actual delta employee who has only been there for 6 mos will out rank you. Not based on hire date but on priority code.

ratsnrip

HK are passengers who purchased a ticket but did not select a specific seat. HKI are passengers who did not get on their ticketed flight and are standing by for the next or a different flight.

The current process as it plays out for many of the "connection carrier" flights shows over 1/2 of the seats as preferred seating and it costs the passenger extra if they choose one. If they don't choose a specific seat, they will be assigned one at the gate (watch the screen) and if it turns out to be in an exit row, they don't have to pay the extra money. If the flight is oversold, these HKs don't get on and then roll over to another flight and become HKIs. (HKI's can also be passengers who missed their connection etc.)

Check out travel net, find a flight far enough into the future where few or no seats have been sold. Then go on an expedia type site and find the flight. Look at the seating chart. From the flights I've looked at, it appears that everything on a 50-76 seat RJ, from the over wing exit seats forward, is the "preferred seat" catagory and it costs an additional fee. Also check a flight for this weekend and compare the difference. You can play around a lot on those sites without having to furnish your CC and it is very educational for non-reving.

jayray

Do they upgrade Medallion members for international also?

H46Bubba

Luckily no, which makes your chances of getting a f/c seat pretty good (if your high enough on the list).

RightSide

Is first class free on both NW and DAL operated flights? I am with mesaba and someone told me first class is free only on nw? I thought it was free on both delta and northwest operated flights???

ratsnrip

First Class, if you can get it, is free on both NW & DAL

RightSide

Thanks ratsnrip, I thought so..