Delta Eliminates Middle-Seat Upgrades

Members of Delta Air Lines’ Medallion loyalty club will have a new option for upgrading seats, including avoiding the dreaded middle seat in Comfort+.

Previously, Medallion members could request an upgrade but it would be at the whim of the airline where you sat. Could be an aisle seat, could be by the window … or could be a middle seat which, well, no matter what level or section of the airplane that is better than Economy, it’s still a middle seat.

According to the respected airline industry blog The Points Guy, Delta has been testing a new policy for a year. Now, elite fliers can specify what kind of seat they’d like to be upgraded to if it is available.

As the blog noted, upgrades to a Comfort+ middle seat have long been a major complaint for SkyMiles Medallion members.

“Following nearly a year of testing, Delta is launching the ability for all Medallion Members to choose their seat preferences on a flight-by-flight basis for complimentary upgrades to Delta Comfort+, ultimately resulting in a better upgrade experience for this loyal group of customers,” the airline said in a statement.

Here’s the way it will work. Once your itinerary is ticketed, passengers who qualify for complimentary upgrades can specify if they’d like to be upgraded into an aisle, window and/or middle Comfort+ seat. Passengers will not have to worry about a ‘second choice,’ so to speak. If their request for an upgrade cannot be granted, passengers have the right to withdraw the request.