Sit up front: The ultimate guide to getting upgraded on Delta flights

Delta Air Lines' Medallion elite status has plenty of perks, including same-day confirmed changes, international lounge access and Choice Benefits. Still, one perk sits above all others when it comes to chasing status: a free seat upgrade.

While free upgrades are becoming harder and harder to get on Delta, they still happen. However, the upgrade process remains shrouded in mystery. Who is eligible for upgrades, and when do these upgrades occur? How does Delta prioritize upgrade lists? And how can you increase your odds of getting a seat in the pointy end of the plane?

From complimentary elite upgrades, SkyMiles upgrades, and Global and Regional Upgrade Certificates to understanding the upgrade priority process, we're here to demystify it all. Here's how you can snag a seat in the front of a Delta plane.

Complimentary Delta upgrades

All Delta Medallion elite members and Reserve credit card holders are eligible for complimentary upgrades on flights within the U.S., including flights to Hawaii, subject to various terms, conditions and restrictions explained below.

Delta is systematically selling more premium-cabin tickets. Its revenue-maximization models set Delta First ticket prices to encourage more people to buy them outright. Therefore, you may notice this when you view a Delta reservation and are offered a buy-up upgrade.

Unfortunately, the more first-class tickets Delta sells, the fewer there are available for complimentary upgrades.

Below are the Delta products that are eligible for complimentary upgrades, including paid tickets, SkyMiles award tickets, Pay with Miles tickets and SkyMiles Companion Certificates:

• Delta Comfort (typically offered on Delta-operated flights and select international flights)
• Delta Premium Select (within the U.S., including Hawaii)
• Delta First (typically offered on Delta-operated domestic flights and flights to nearby destinations like the Caribbean and Central America)
• Delta One (on certain cross-country domestic flights)

Diamond and Platinum Medallion members can immediately clear from Delta Main into Delta Comfort upon booking if space is available.

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Gold members must wait until 72 hours before departure to clear into Delta Comfort, and Silver members must wait until 24 hours before departure.

For Delta One domestic upgrades, Medallion members will clear on the day of departure following the same clearance priority hierarchy as with first-class upgrades, subject to upgrade availability.

Even if your upgrade doesn't clear in advance, it may still clear at the gate. If an upgrade is still not confirmed at your upgrade window or when you check in, your pending upgrade request will automatically be added to the airport standby list for a potential gate upgrade before you board.

Medallion members are also eligible for complimentary upgrades on Aeromexico-operated flights within Mexico and between Mexico and the U.S., Central America, the Caribbean, Colombia and Ecuador. Upgrades are available to all ticketed passengers except those seated in Basic.

Complimentary upgrade hierarchy

Here's how Delta will determine your spot on the upgrade list:

1. Medallion status

2. Cabin purchased (including all postpurchase upsells), in this order: refundable Delta Premium Select, nonrefundable Delta Premium Select and award Premium Select, refundable Delta Comfort, nonrefundable Delta Comfort and award Delta Comfort, refundable Delta Main and award Delta Main (Basic is not eligible)

3. Million Miler status

4. Travel Experience tier (Extra clearing before Classic)

5. Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card or Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card holders

6. Delta corporate travelers (ticket must include your employer's corporate ticket designator)

7. Medallion Qualification Dollars earned in the current calendar year

8. Date and time of upgrade request

If two members are identical at a given level, it goes down the list until the tie is broken.

Diamond and Platinum Medallion members will clear Delta First upgrades beginning 120 hours (or five days) before departure. Gold Medallion members will clear beginning 72 hours (three days) before departure. Silver Medallion members will clear beginning 24 hours (one day) before departure, subject to upgrade availability.

It's also worth noting that upgrade certificates (Regional Upgrade Certificates and Global Upgrade Certificates) and upgrades with miles are prioritized ahead of these complimentary upgrades.

Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card: Earn up to 125,000 bonus miles after meeting two spending thresholds: Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. Plus, earn 25,000 bonus miles after spending an additional $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership (for a total of $9,000 in spending to earn the entire bonus). Offer ends April 1.

Exclusions and fine print on Delta upgrades

Unfortunately, not all tickets are eligible for complimentary upgrades — here's what's excluded:

• Basic (E) fares are not eligible for paid or Medallion complimentary upgrades, regardless of Medallion or other elite status.
• Delta Premium Select fares are not eligible for a complimentary Medallion upgrade outside of the U.S.
• Delta One seats on flights that start or end outside of the U.S. do not qualify for a complimentary Medallion upgrade.
• No passenger, regardless of status or fare class, can select complimentary upgrades while aboard the aircraft.
• Companions who change their itinerary and no longer travel with the higher-tiered Medallion after the change are not eligible for a complimentary upgrade at the higher-tiered member's clearance window.

Improving your chances of a Delta upgrade

Beyond racing for a higher tier of Delta's Medallion status, you can better your chances of receiving a complimentary upgrade by opening a Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card or Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card. These cards also net you 15 visits per year to Delta's global network of Sky Club airport lounges. To earn unlimited visits each year, the total eligible purchases on the card must equal $75,000 or more in each calendar year thereafter.

You'll often have a better shot at an upgrade if you avoid peak business travel periods. This lets you compete with fewer frequent flyers. Generally, this means avoiding flying Sunday night, Monday morning and pretty much all day Friday if you want to sidestep top-tier business travelers.

Delta upgrade certificates

Delta offers two types of dedicated upgrade certificates: Global Upgrade Certificates and Regional Upgrade Certificates. You can only get them by earning Platinum or Diamond Medallion status and selecting them using your Choice Benefits.

Upgrade certificates have a higher priority than complimentary upgrades; they may be requested and, subject to availability, cleared at the time you book your ticket. In other words, they're a hyperexclusive way to sit in the front of the plane.

GUCs, available exclusively for Diamond Medallion members, offer upgrades on both international and domestic flights with Delta, along with select flights with KLM, Air France, Virgin Atlantic, Korean Air and Aeromexico. RUCs, available for Diamond and Platinum Medallion members, offer upgrades on the same routes as complimentary upgrades, including all flights with Delta First and the domestic Delta One experience.

As a Choice Benefits selection, Diamond Medallion members may choose any of the following three options:

1. Four global upgrades

2. Eight regional upgrades

3. Two global upgrades and four regional upgrades

Platinum Medallion members may choose four regional upgrades as their single Choice Benefits selection.

Important notes about Global and Regional Upgrade Certificates

These certificates come with several quirks and nuances to bear in mind.

They only offer confirmed upgrades to one cabin higher than the one originally purchased for any seat not yet sold (cleared immediately upon request). Delta Main tickets will be upgraded to Premium Select on flights with a Premium Select cabin. If you've upgraded to Premium Select, you will be placed on a Delta One upgrade waitlist 24 hours before departure.

Therefore, it's possible to book Delta Main and eventually make it to Delta One, though you may end up only in Premium Select if there are no more Delta One seats left.

An RUC or GUC is for one-way travel, so you'd need to burn four to take a guest with you on a round-trip itinerary. You can apply an RUC or GUC to a paid ticket, a SkyMiles award ticket, a Pay with Miles ticket and a companion ticket. Crucially, you cannot apply an RUC or a GUC to a Basic (E fare) ticket, regardless of your Medallion status.

While these certificates are not fully transferable to others, Delta will allow you to apply your RUC or GUC to a guest's ticket if that person is traveling on the same flight as you. Even if you're booked on separate reservations (e.g., your company books your economy ticket, and you book your spouse's economy ticket later), you can use your upgrade certificates for both passengers.

Each GUC or RUC will expire at the end of the Medallion year that was associated with the Choice Benefits selection. Each certificate may be used to upgrade flights operated by Delta Air Lines or Delta Connection booked in the P, A, G, S, W, Y, B, M, H, Q, K, L, U, T, X or V fare classes and upgrade into RV/OK/OV class. They may also be used to upgrade on SkyMiles awards, Pay with Miles tickets and companion certificates.

Upgrading on Delta partner flights with certificates

You can also use GUCs to upgrade select partner flights. GUCs applied to Air France and Virgin Atlantic flights will only move you from economy to premium economy unless you book a premium economy ticket outright. Note that all partner upgrades must be booked by Delta 24 hours before departure (waitlisting is not allowed).

These are the rules for upgrading partner-operated flights:

Upgrading KLM flights

• Delta-marketed, KLM-operated flights: Delta Main 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 P, G or A class to Z class (business class).
• 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 A class (premium economy), or from W, S or A class to Z class (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 A class (premium economy).
• 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.

Upgrading Air France flights

• 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).

Upgrading Virgin Atlantic flights

• 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).

Upgrading Aeromexico flights

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

Upgrading Korean Air flights

• Delta-marketed, Korean-operated flights: Seats booked in J class can be upgraded to Korean Air's A class, Y or B class can be upgraded to Z class, or if you're booked in M class, you can be upgraded to Korean Air's O class.

How to use a Delta upgrade certificate

Until recently, you had to call to apply a GUC or RUC to a Delta-operated ticket. Now, you only have to do this for existing tickets and partner-operated flights, as new tickets for Delta-operated flights can be upgraded online.

Upgrading a new Delta booking with a certificate

Delta lets you upgrade new bookings online and through the Fly Delta app. On the checkout page, you'll see the option to upgrade your ticket with a GUC or an RUC.

Look for the "Upgrade Certificate Request" box and select the flight you'd like to upgrade. Then, select the type of upgrade certificate you'd like to use.

The upgrade certificate will be automatically applied when you complete your booking.

Upgrading an existing Delta booking with a certificate

For existing bookings, you must call 800-323-2323 (and select your associated Medallion tier) to make your request. Be sure to call at least three hours before departure to apply your certificate (24 hours before departure is strongly recommended).

If you want to confirm an upgrade immediately, search for your flight on the Delta website. You'll see upgrade availability displayed underneath the flight times. Make sure you're logged in to your Delta account, as upgrade availability only shows on elite accounts.

If you can avoid waitlisting, do so. Waitlist upgrades are not guaranteed to clear, and they rarely do on particular routes, such as from U.S. West Coast gateways to Hawaii.

On itineraries with connections, ask the Delta agent to prioritize the upgrade for the leg that matters most to you. If you don't clarify this, upgrades might clear on relatively unimportant or short legs while you remain waitlisted on the long leg. The upgrade certificate is considered used if you don't prioritize the hard-to-get leg, and the upgrade clears on any other leg of your itinerary.

For example, you don't want to burn a valuable GUC on a 45-minute domestic positioning leg when the leg that matters is the long-haul ride from the U.S. to Europe, Asia or Oceania. Remember, there's no way to "undo" an upgrade clearing. Once it's burned, it's burned.

While upgrade requests on the waitlist can be cleared before you get to the gate, they are more likely to be cleared at the gate before departure. If your certificate doesn't clear, it will be automatically reissued to your account and can be used on a future flight.

Delta SkyMiles mileage upgrades

While we typically recommend storing up SkyMiles until you can exchange them for a true award ticket, that's not always practical for infrequent flyers. Delta allows its passengers to upgrade their existing tickets with SkyMiles regardless of status.

You can use Delta's Upgrade with Miles feature to upgrade to Delta One, Delta Premium Select, Delta First or Delta Comfort for eligible flights. If your reservation is eligible for an upgrade, you'll see the option to upgrade in your trip summary.

Delta typically prices mileage upgrades by assigning a value of roughly 1.07 cents per SkyMile. In other words, if Delta is charging $60 for a particular seat upgrade, it'll also allow you to part ways with roughly 5,600 SkyMiles to achieve the same upgrade. Just note that you may be able to achieve a marginally higher value by booking an award ticket outright.

Buy-up upgrades can also come in handy if you're chasing elite status. You'll earn Medallion Qualification Dollars on the cash or SkyMiles you spend on an upgrade, boosting you toward the next status tier.

Bottom line

Getting upgraded for "free" is a glorious thing, and you can better your chances by climbing Delta's Medallion elite ranks and holding the right credit card. You'll also be wise to choose flights that aren't during peak business travel periods.

Using a stash of SkyMiles to upgrade can be a great way to boost your flight experience. Still, you'll want to think carefully before using Upgrade with Miles — Delta will only let you redeem roughly 1.07 cents per SkyMile via this method (prices vary by market).

Upgrade certificates are the most exciting option, but you must reach Platinum or Diamond status to secure them. If you're fortunate enough to have a few in your account, you can strategically plan a dream trip, pay cash for an OK seat and fly there in a great seat.

Related reading:

• The best credit cards for airport lounge access
• The ultimate guide to getting Delta Sky Club access
• The best credit cards to reach elite status
• Domestic lounges that are worth going out of your way for
• Best Delta credit cards