Why You’re Probably Not Getting Upgraded on Your Next Delta Flight | Global News Avenue

In the past, road warriors had a good chance of getting a free seat upgrade when flying Delta. Today, the situation is less serious.

On Delta Air Lines (Dar) Wednesday Investor DayPresident Glen Hauenstein said the airline’s domestic first-class load factor, a measure of how many passengers are in its available seats, was 92%, the same as 15 years ago.

However, only 12% of the seats were paid at the time. Fifteen years later, that ratio had reversed, with only “12 points spent on upgrades,” according to a record provided by AlphaSense.

“The price we charged when booking was 13 times higher than the price of a regular economy seat,” Hauenstein added. “So we reduce that separation. We make them cheaper. Guess what, when you make something affordable, people want to buy it.”

Delta Air Lines claims frequent flyer repurchase rate is as high as 85%

According to its investor day presentation material, 85% of Delta passengers who flew in premium seats planned to repurchase those seats.

Hauenstein explains this with a story about his first car—an “old car,” he says, recalling the 1966 Rambler. “But I kept buying better cars. I remember the first nice car I bought and how it made me feel… I guess I kept buying nicer cars. I wouldn’t go back – I couldn’t see it in the car to a beat-up car “my future.”

“We have years of experience from these great products and once people ride on them, they often don’t go back,” Hauenstein said.

In other words, you probably won’t upgrade to Delta’s domestic first class unless you’re willing to pay.