Last week we broke news that Delta One Business Class Expands to More US Domestic Routes, as mentioned New York (JFK) to Seattle (SEA) return to a Delta One business class route and New York (JFK) to San Diego start on April 1, 2018. Then, New York (JFK) to Las Vegas will also become a premium Delta One business class route starting on May 1, 2018. We also explained how Delta is Adding Premium Select to trans-Atlantic Routes.

Originally, Delta had planned not to offer complimentary Medallion upgrades on these new routes, however after getting so much negative attention from our post, Flyertalk, even INC. it appears they’ve made a last-minute change to their Medallion upgrade policy on these routes.

New Medallion Upgrade Rules:

The expansion of domestic Delta One comes with an industry-leading perk: Starting April 1, 2018, Delta Sky Miles Medallion Members will be eligible for unlimited day-of-departure Complimentary Upgrades to the Delta One cabin on all domestic flights, including Hawaii. This is the airline’s latest move to simplify its SkyMiles program while making it more rewarding for customers.

The domestic Delta One upgrade process will align with the airline’s domestic First Class process, except upgrades will be awarded in the hours leading up to the flight, as opposed to beginning several days ahead of time.

Medallion Members will be eligible for Complimentary Upgrades in:

• All U.S. 50 Delta One cabins on the day of departure
• All First Class cabins worldwide (beginning up to 120 hours/5 days prior to departure depending on Medallion Tier)
• All Delta Comfort+ seats worldwide (beginning at booking a ticket depending on Medallion Tier)
• Diamond and Platinum Medallion Members may also use Regional Upgrade Certificates on any flight that is eligible for Complimentary Upgrades, including all First Class and U.S. 50 Delta One flights. These certificates are available through Delta SkyMiles’ industry-exclusive Choice Benefits program.

Bottom Line

I’m thrilled to see that Delta was testing the waters, and once they saw all the negative feedback about no more upgrades on these expanded transcontinental routes, they made the decision to axe this change and ultimately allow upgrades.

Additionally, current Delta One routes including New York (JFK) to Los Angeles and San Francisco, now return to being upgrade eligible as they once were years ago!

However, it’s important to note that all these Delta One routes, will only be eligible for complimentary Medallion upgrades day of departure, rather than starting 5 days in advance.

What are your thoughts on this announcement from Delta, when it comes to Medallion upgrades on transcontinental flights?