Advice Needed: Next Amex Travel Card

[iced]

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@digitek wrote:

I was actually really surprised at how often my Delta Plat got me seat upgrades.  Before I almost never got a seat upgrade, not sure if I ever did, but after I got it I had 3 upgrades out of 6 flights from main to Comfort+.  Wasn't really expecting it, was pleasantly surprised, never thought much about that perk on the card.

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This is very route dependent. Unless you're happy with a middle seat in W+, good luck with this (even as an actual Medallion Gold+ status holder and not the lolgroupone "status" half the plane has) on routes like JFK-LAX, BOS-SFO, and such. On the other hand, if you're flying from ATL to cities in the southeast/midwest, this might work out.

First upgrades are even rarer, though I'd say are slightly more likely to occur on Delta than United. EWR-SFO on United as a 1K meant you had the honor of making the first page of upgraders that missed the upgrade rather than the second or third.

[redpat]

+1, hate the upgrade game I never want to play that game.

BTW, main to comfort + means you have a half pregnant upgrade.  

[staticvoidmain]

Whenever I request for to be listed for upgrade, I only choose the first class and never bother with Comfort+. I usually pick better seats in economy anyway, than a possible middle-seat in Comfort+. I just have to be mindful of my flight schedule to get the best chances. Doing this got me upgraded even when I was SM, and even had been upgraded with a companion as GM, round trip, on a usually busy route between two delta hubs.

[digitek]

So it's strange I just read the terms for the Amex Delta cards and I pretty sure that they removed the wording for the card being a part of seat upgrade algorithm. I'm not talking about Priority Seating either, which I just find bizarre, I try to be the last to board if all possible.

I am 100% sure the wording used to be in there and it is to be listed as one of the benefits of the card on the app page, not just tucked into the terms. I know other people can back me up on that because it wasn't that long ago, within the last year.

I don't have any kind of status with Delta and have no real idea what happened, just know that I paid for basic fare and had Comfort+ seats for 3 of my flights since I've had the card and I am pretty sure I'd never gotten a upgrade before in my life. Routes weren't super popular or commuter routes or anything. Cincinnati is my home airport and it's got some strange history with Delta.

Only reason I got the card was companion pass and free checked bag and the SUB was really good, I didn't think much of the seat upgrade perk.

[staticvoidmain]

I think it may all be up to Delta. If there were no elite flyers on the plane, and no else to upgrade (which is super rare), they might have an unofficial policy to look at Delta card holders in the flight, or just look at people with priority boarding (Amex Platinum perk). Offifially though, only the Reserve gets you higher on the list for Medallion upgrades.

[digitek]

Thanks for the heads up, but I think I was right and that those terms are gone from all their cards.  I can't find it either on the webpage or in the benefits agreement for either the Delta Platinum or the Delta Reserve anymore, and I am about 99% sure that it used to be listed both on the application website as one of the benefits as well as explicitly in the terms and benefits.  This benefit in particular was NOT on the Delta Gold, but was on both the Plat and Reserve.

I wouldn't really be surprised if they did away with that from the card all together.  It seems no one has noticed, and it was so incredibly complicated.

I know that this benefit used to be explicitly stated in writing, but can't find it listed at all anymore.  Please let me know if you can find any kind of official language from either Amex or Delta that says they upgrade based on whether you have their cobranded CC anymore.

[kudosalert]

the cobranded Delta cards does get you some recognition but it's at the bottom of the consideration list (fare class, status.....) so flying from a Delta heavy airport it's pretty much impossible to get an upgrade. 

[Batsamandrobin]

@charp150 I’m a Marriott guy. While I don’t believe they do a straight up status match, they do have “status challenges.” Current challenges are: 8 nights in 3 months gets Gold, while 16 nights in 3 months gets you to Platinum Elite.

Like you, I travel a lot for business and was able to complete the Platinum challenge easily. Given your stated schedule, I think you’d hit it quickly too.

Only downside you’d have to consider is that Platinum Elite is still 2 levels from Marriott top status, but it sounds like you may be able to hit Ambassador anyways depending on the length of your trips.

Everyone has a different opinion, especially post merger, but I’ve been treated very well by Marriott. If you’re not that impressed with your Hilton Diamond Status, I’d suggest giving Marriott a look.