The ultimate guide to getting upgraded on Delta

The post has been updated.

Same-day confirmed changes, international lounge access, and Choice Benefits are some of the perks of elite status. The lure of a free seat upgrade is one of the perks that distinguishes you from the rest.

Paying for one class of service and being upgraded into a superior cabin is one of the most amazing things you can do.

You can see how many points away you are from on a 10-hour flight with the free app.

The upgrade process is shrouded in mystery Who can be upgraded? When do these changes happen? Which flights can be improved?

We are here to explain the upgrade process. Buckle up and learn how to get to the front of the Delta plane with complimentary elite, SkyMiles, Global and Regional upgrade certificates.

Complimentary upgrades

unlimited complimentary upgrades to first class and Delta Comfort+ seating on a wide array of routes is available to all tiers of Medallion members by Delta. Day-of-departure unlimited complimentary upgrades to the Delta One experience on flights within the U.S., including flights to Hawaii, have been available since April 1, 2018.

Delta sells more first-class tickets than any other airline. According to quarterly earnings reports over the years, it continues to sell more of its forward cabin rather than give it away via an upgrade because of its revenue maximization models. When you view a Delta reservation, you might see this.

The more first-class tickets Delta sells, the harder it is to get a complimentary upgrade.

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Delta products that are eligible for complimentary upgrades include paid tickets, SkyMiles award tickets, pay with miles tickets and SkyMiles Companion Certificates.

• Delta Comfort+ (all Delta-operated flights).
• First class (all Delta-operated domestic flights and select short-haul international flights).
• Delta One (all Delta-operated domestic flights, including Hawaii and Alaska).

Delta gives preference to its top-tier Medallions over lower-tier ones. If space is available, Diamond and Platinum Medallion members can leave the Main Cabin into Comfort+. Gold and Silver members have to wait until 72 hours before departure to clear into Comfort+.

For flights with a lot of passengers, the Comfort+ cabin is usually full. The gate can be upgraded last minute.

Delta elite status is worth a lot of questions.

On the day of departure, Delta One members will clear following the same clearance priority hierarchy as first class.

You can still clear at the gate even if you don't get your upgrade in time. If an upgrade is not confirmed at your upgrade window or when you check in, your pending upgrade request will be added to the airport's waiting list for a potential upgrade at the gate. You can see your spot on the list in the My Trips section of the Delta app.

Complimentary upgrade hierarchy

Delta will determine your position on the upgrade list.

1. Medallion status.
2. Fare class groupings. Higher-priced fares are ranked above lower-priced fares per the following order: B, M, H, Q, K, L, U, T, X and V, then SkyMiles award tickets, then Pay with Miles.
3. Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card cardholders.
4. Delta corporate travelers (ticket must include your employer’s corporate ticket designator).
5. Cobranded credit card members who earned the Medallion Qualification Dollars waiver in the current calendar year
6. Million Miler status.
7. Date and time of upgrade request.

The upgrade priority for elite members who earned or re earned status in 2021 is different from elite members who had their status extended. A Diamond with extended elite status is more likely to be upgraded than a Diamond with earned status.

All Medallion members with Y-class tickets are eligible for instant upgrades. The last available seat on a weekend flight to the Super Bowl host city is not usually booked by passengers unless it is very last minute or demand is high.

It goes down the list until the tie is broken if two members are the same. A passenger with a Delta Reserve credit card will be prioritized over another passenger who does not have a Delta Reserve credit card.

First-class upgrades will be granted to Diamond and Platinum Medallion members after 120 hours. Members of the Gold and Silver Medallions will clear beginning 72 hours before departure and 24 hours before departure, subject to upgrade availability.

It is important to note that upgrade certificates and upgrades with miles are prioritized ahead of complimentary upgrades; we will cover these in the sections below.

Exclusions and fine print

Not all tickets can be upgraded for free.

• Basic economy (E) fares are not eligible for paid or Medallion complimentary upgrades, regardless of Medallion or other elite status.
• Delta Premium Select is not eligible for a complimentary Medallion upgrade.
• Delta One seats on flights that start or end outside of the United States do not qualify for a complimentary Medallion upgrade.
• Complimentary upgrades are not available for selection by any passenger while aboard the aircraft regardless of status or fare class.
• For companion upgrades, both passengers must be ticketed, and upgrades must be requested at least three hours before the scheduled departure of the flight.
• Except for eligible Pay with Miles tickets and eligible award tickets, complimentary upgrades are not eligible on fares that do not earn miles.
• Companions who change their itinerary and are no longer traveling with the higher-tiered Medallion member after the change are not eligible for a complimentary upgrade at the higher-tiered member’s clearance window. If an upgrade were confirmed before the itinerary change, a reservation for a companion without Medallion status would be changed to reflect the original class of service for the new itinerary, and they will no longer be eligible for a complimentary upgrade. If the companion is a Medallion member, the reservation will be changed to reflect the original class of service. It will continue to be eligible for an upgrade at the companion’s own clearance priority. If the Medallion or partner airline elite member is no longer traveling on their original reservation, the companion traveling on the original reservation will no longer be eligible for complimentary Delta Comfort+ seating. Their Delta Comfort+ seat assignment may be removed.

Improving your chances of an upgrade

You can get a complimentary upgrade if you open a Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card or Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card. You can get complimentary access to the Sky Club airport lounges when you fly with Delta.

You may be able to book a corporate ticket through your employer. You can change to a less popular route on your day of departure if you are a Platinum/Diamond Medallion. One of the best tools for searching flights is ExpertFlyer. You can use the flight availability feature to find out how many seats are still open.

If you avoid peak business travel periods you will have a better chance of getting an upgrade. It allows you to compete with less frequent flyers. If you want to sidestep top tier business travelers, you should avoid flying on Sunday night, Monday morning and Friday.

The best credit card for flyers.

Upgrade certificates

We can help you find the creme de la creme of Delta upgrades.

Global upgrade certificates and regional upgrade certificates are available from Delta. If you want to get them, you need to earn Platinum or Diamond Medallion status and use your Choice Benefits.

Subject to availability, upgrade certificates can be requested and cleared when you book your ticket. They are a way to sit in the front of the plane.

Delta, Air France, Virgin Atlantic, Korean Air and Aeromexico are some of the airlines that offer upgrade certificates for Diamond Medallion members. All flights with first class and the domestic Delta One experience are included in the regional upgrade certificates.

There is a guide to Delta Choice Benefits.

Diamond Medallion members have the option to choose any of the three options.

1. Four global upgrades.
2. Eight regional upgrades.
3. Two global upgrades and four regional upgrades.

Four regional upgrades can be chosen as their single Choice Benefit.

If you want to get one of the coveted Global Upgrade Certificates, you need to get the highest published tier of Diamond.

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Important notes about Global and Regional upgrade certificates

You have to be aware of the quirks of these certificates.

TheGUCs recently changed for the worse. The certificates will only offer confirmed upgrades for one cabin higher than the original purchase price. Main cabin tickets will be upgraded to Premium Select on flights. After the upgrade is processed, the elite member will be placed on a Delta One upgrade wait list. There will be last seat upgrade availability in Premium Select on international flights. Even on Delta One routes, there will be last seat availability when you use your GUC to upgrade a domestic flight.

You would need to burn four to take you and a guest on a round trip itinerary. An RUC can be applied to a paid ticket, a SkyMiles award ticket, a Pay withMiles ticket and a companion ticket. You can't apply an RUC or aGUC to a basic economy ticket even if you're a Medallion.

Delta will allow you to apply your RUC orGUC to a guest's ticket if that person is travelling with you on the same flight. You can use upgrade certificates for both passengers even if you book your economy ticket and spouse's economy ticket at the same time.

One year is the length of time that aGUC or RUC lasts. Through the end of the elite year, there are upgraded. If you earned a certificate on June 10, 2022, they are good until January 31, 2024.

Delta extended Choice Benefits from March 1, 2019, to January 31, 2022. You need to book and fly by this date.

Delta Connection flights booked in the P, A, G, W, Y, B, M, H, Q, K, L, U, T, X or V fare classes can be upgraded with each certificate.

Upgrading partner flights with certificates

Select partner flights can be upgraded with the use ofGUCs. Unless you book a premium economy ticket, you won't be able to upgrade from economy to premium economy on Air France and Virgin Atlantic flights. All partner upgrades must be confirmed before departure.

The rules for upgrade partner-operated flights will start in February of 2022.

The flights of the Dutch airline are being upgraded.

• Delta-marketed, KLM-operated flights: Main Cabin seats booked in Y, B, M, H, Q, K, L, U, T, X or V to Z class (business class). This is because KLM does not offer a premium economy cabin on most flights.
• KLM-marketed, KLM-operated flights: Economy seats booked in Y, B, M, K, H, L, Q, T, N, R or V class can be upgraded to Z (business class).
• Air France-marketed, KLM-operated flights: Economy seats booked in Y, B, M, K, H, L, Q, T, N, R or V class can be upgraded to Z class (business class).
• For flights departing Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), Global Upgrade Certificates must be applied prior to check-in with a KLM ticketing agent or at a KLM Crown Lounge.

Air France flights need to be upgraded.

• Air France-marketed, Air France-operated flights: Economy seats booked in Y, B, M, K, H, L, Q, T, N, R or V class can be upgraded to A class (premium economy), or from W, S or A class to Z class (business class).
• KLM-marketed, Air France-operated flights: Economy seats booked in Y, B, M, K, H, L, Q, T, N, R or V class can be upgraded to A class (premium economy), or from W, S or A class to Z class (business class).
• Delta-marketed, Air France-operated flights: Economy seats booked in Y, B, M, H, Q, K, L, U, T, X or V class can be upgraded to A class (premium economy), or from W, S or A class to Z class (business class), or from P, A or G class to Z class (business class).

The Virgin Atlantic flights are being upgraded.

• Delta-marketed, Virgin Atlantic-operated flights: Economy seats booked in W, S, Y, B, M, H, Q, K, L, U, T, X or V class can be upgraded to P class (premium economy), or from P, A or G class to Virgin Atlantic’s G class (business class).

The Aeromexico flights are being upgraded.

• Delta-marketed, Aeromexico-operated flights: Economy seats booked in W, S, Y, B, M, H, Q, K, L, U, T, X or V class can be upgraded to O class (business class).

Korean air flights are being upgraded.

• Delta-marketed, Korean-operated flights: Economy seats booked in Y, B or M class can be upgraded to J class (business class).

There are the best Virgin Atlantic seats.

How to use an upgrade certificate

You used to have to call to apply for a Delta ticket. Existing tickets can be upgraded online, so you only need to do this for them.

Upgrading a new Delta booking with a certificate

New bookings can be upgraded online, but not on the Fly Delta app. On the checkout page, you will be able to upgrade your ticket with an RUC orGUC.

Select the flight you want to upgrade from the box. Select the type of certificate you want to use.

When you book, the upgrade certificate will be applied.

Upgrading an existing Delta booking with a certificate

If you want to make a new booking, you need to dial the phone number given to you with your associated tier. You must call at least three hours before departure to apply your certificate.

You can confirm an upgrade on the Delta website. The availability of upgrade is shown. You need to log in to your Delta account to see upgrade availability.

Don't wait if you can. Waitlist upgrades are not guaranteed to clear, and on certain routes, they are known to rarely clear.

Ask the Delta agent to give priority to the leg that is most important to you. You remain waitlisted on the long leg if you don't clarify this. The upgrade certificate is used if you don't prioritize the hard to get leg and the upgrade clears on any other leg of your itinerary.

You don't want to burn a Global upgrade certificate on a domestic leg when the long-haul ride is important. It's burned when it's burned.

It is possible for upgrade requests to be cleared before you get to the gate, but it is more likely that they will be cleared before you leave. You can use your certificate on a future flight if it doesn't clear.

The Delta Regional and Global upgrade certificates should not be wasted.

SkyMiles mileage upgrades

It isn't always practical to keep SkyMiles until you can exchange them for a real award ticket. Passengers can upgrade their tickets with SkyMiles regardless of their status.

If you want to upgrade to Delta One, Delta Premium Select, first class or Delta Comfort+, you can use Delta's upgrade with miles feature. You will be able to upgrade in your trip summary if your reservation is eligible.

Delta usually puts a value on each SkyMile of 1.07 cents. If Delta charges $60 for a seat upgrade, you can part ways with 5,600 SkyMiles to get the same upgrade. It is possible to achieve marginally higher value by booking an award ticket directly.

If you're trying to get elite status, buy-up upgrades can be useful. You'll earn MQDs on the cash or SkyMiles if you upgrade, which will give you a boost towards the next tier. You will earn MQDs the same way you would on award tickets if you use SkyMiles. A 10,000-SkyMile upgrade will earn 100 MQDs if you spend 1000 Skymiles.

I upgraded my Paris flight to Delta One using SkyMiles.

Bottom line

You can get upgraded for free if you hold a Delta SkyMiles Reserve card or a Delta SkyMiles Reserve business card. Avoid Delta's largest hubs like Atlanta, Minneapolis, New York and Los Angeles if there is a connection involved.

SkyMiles can be used to upgrade your flights. Delta will only allow you to extract 1.07 cents per SkyMile via this method, so you need to be careful.

Platinum or Diamond status is required to get upgrade certificates. If you have a few in your account, you can plan a dream trip, pay for an ok seat and fly there in a great seat.

Victoria Walker and Andrew Kunesh were contributors.