Delta announced today, they will begin allowing customers to add upgrades to their itineraries à la carte. You will now be able to purchase premium upgrades such as Delta Comfort+, Delta One, and First Class as an add-on purchase for all or part of your trip (including individual segments). This can all be done from the Delta.com or by calling the reservation line.
For example, you can fly one leg in Delta Comfort and the other in First Class, including flying different premium products if you have a connection. Let's say you are flying from Minneapolis to Los Angeles with a connection in Salt Lake City, you can now purchase Delta Comfort+ for the MSP – SLC segment, and First Class for the SLC – LAX segment. All of this can be done on Delta.com, regardless of where you originally purchased the ticket.
Medallion Members Upgrade Control
Delta is also now allowing elites to better control their Medallion upgrades. Previously you could be upgraded to a middle seat in Delta Comfort+ with no control. You will now be able to adjust your upgraded seat and also put yourself back in normal economy if you'd prefer. I know I've been upgraded to a middle seat in Delta Comfort+ from a great exit row seat. Everyone wants to be upgraded but not to a middle seat. The seat map will now allow a Medallion Member to choose to revert back to the Main Cabin with one touch if they aren’t happy with their upgrade seat assignment.
Bottom Line
Delta seems to actually be listening to what customers want for a change. The ability to choose premium upgrades for each segment is a great addition. Some aircraft are newer and simply worth the upgrade for that individual segment. I'm also pleased to see I won't be stuck in a Delta Comfort+ middle seat in the future. This new flexibility follows Delta’s recent tech advances including RFID technology to track your bags and facial recognition for bag drops. Other bloggers continue to bash Delta for their SkyMiles devaluations, but I'm happier now than ever to be an elite in their program, especially in comparison to American or United.