Free Delta One Upgrade
As ToP's resident Delta fan boy, I've had my fair share of Delta stories over the years. I mean, I've single-handedly delayed an entire flight, met TV stars on Delta planes and played the status and upgrade game quite a bit, including a recently botched status match. I confess: I even dated a Delta flight attendant. However, those are stories for another day. Are you ready for my craziest story ever? My free Delta One upgrade all started as the kind of experiment I usually do not try.
Delta One Upgrades
For me, flying Delta One has always meant I'm either on the domestic version—especially back in those dreaded 2020-2022 years—or booking via a partner, which is much more difficult these days. But getting a true international Delta One upgrade is rare. It usually would only happen in a couple of scenarios, neither of which are free. We do not recommend paying for an economy ticket in hopes of upgrading. Now, if you're fine flying economy and you get lucky and see an upgrade option, great. You can then do the math and see if that fits your budget. Many say $50 per hour is worth it to them, so for a 12-hour long-haul flight, they would happily pay $600 as an example.
The Data Point I Wanted To See
In this hobby, just trying things is very important. Sitting around waiting to hear that something worked for someone else first means you will miss out on things. Be the DP (data point) that you want to see. I recently wanted to see if I could fit in a quick trip to Asia. Like many of my trips now, I usually operate last-minute and take shorter trips. I have written often about the various flights I have booked to Asia, usually with the goal of ending up in Vietnam or Thailand. I am Delta SkyMiles-poor these days, and I do not transfer my Membership Rewards to Delta unless absolutely needed. You usually can't get Delta One on points for good value, except during SkyMiles sales. I missed out on some previous SkyMiles sales when I did have the points. Thrifty Traveler is a great resource for learning about these sales.
The Route and Booking
All that being said, I saw a trend I wanted to test. I heard some DPs from our Facebook group members that Delta had recently been giving good cash upgrade options for Delta One on the route I was looking at. It seemed to be happening more often for Los Angeles (LAX)—Hong Kong (HKG) around the $799 range. Word seemed to indicate that Delta was pushing some routes hard, and this was one of them.
I (gasp!) was debating trying this. That really says something since I am still pretty frugal at times. I also like the ability to cancel last-minute if needed. Upgraded fares rarely result in a refund, unless something goes awry (such as a canceled flight). But this route provided a very quick option, at the right times, for getting where I needed to go. Once I knew my schedule would work, I booked a flight for 29,700 points in economy. And then I waited to see how this would play out.
The Upgrade Path
Earlier, I mentioned the botched status match. When I booked this, I still had Platinum status. That meant I could hopefully get an upgrade to Delta Comfort+, at least. But on these international products, that means there is still Delta Premium Select, which is like a domestic first-class seat, and then Delta One. So I was specifically targeting flights and dates that not only worked for me, but also had what I thought to be enough seats.
I was indeed upgraded to Delta Comfort+. And then I saw a $399 upgrade offer to Delta Premium Select. But I was holding out for that other upgrade. I had an offer that came and went at $799, but it disappeared before I pulled the trigger on paying. As I mentioned, I can be frugal—and this was a big purchase for someone who changes their plans frequently. I booked another flight, same route, but a different day. All of the same upgrade offers appeared—and this time, I decided to jump on it. That's when things got crazy.
The “Paid” Upgrade
I decided to buy a Delta One upgrade. I used a freshly upgraded Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card (upgraded from a Chase Freedom Unlimited®). I thought maybe the $300 travel credit would make me feel better about paying for the upgrade. I made the purchase and got a confirmation. That was followed immediately by a Chase fraud alert. As I mentioned, I recently upgraded this card, so I had not been spending on it previously. I verified the charge, and it seemed as if the charge did not go through. But my Delta account showed the upgrade! This was perplexing. Now, obviously, I was not trying to pull a fast one or get caught up in any fraud or a denied boarding. I really tried to purchase the upgrade. So now it was time to see what Delta had to say about it and try to pay for the upgrade again.
The Chat
I hopped on a chat and quickly explained to the rep that I was concerned that my upgrade still showed, but the payment did not look like it went through. I couldn't believe what the rep said next. As you can see in the screenshots above, they said they appreciated my honesty—but the upgrade was done. The rep then sent me a receipt for the upgrade, in case I had any concerns. I literally tried to pay Delta $799 and they said no, keep the upgrade. Now of course, I was still worried. And I continued to worry all the way until I boarded the flight. I even had a backup flight booked.
So, Did the Flight Happen?
Less than a week out, I got emails asking me to choose my menu. This seemed like a good sign! But yes, I was still worried. Then came check-in night. I stayed up late to be awake right at the 24-hour mark. The flight did, indeed, let me check in. I was still in disbelief. Just 22 hours later, I was sitting in the Delta One lounge enjoying some Champagne, still not believing this was happening. I would only breathe a sigh of relief when I passed through that boarding door and found myself sitting in Delta One.
Delta One Free Upgrade: ToP Thoughts
My craziest Delta story yet concluded with me flying long-haul in business class with a free Delta One upgrade! Yes, I tried to pay Delta. Twice, technically. And they told me to keep the upgrade. I should have bought a lottery ticket, but I was too busy relaxing in my Delta One seat. In what might have been my last Delta long-haul flight, I got to have one more Delta adventure. I guess sometimes points and miles technical issues can work in your favor, after all. Have you had anything crazy like this happen? Come over to our Facebook group and let us know.
