Delta Fare Classes (Award/Miles tickets)

Understanding Delta award/miles fare classes is not straight forward or well understood by the casual flyer. This article was written by a very frequent Delta Air Lines flyer who has spent many years studying how the airline industry operates and documenting the changes that full-service airlines make in an effort to devalue frequent flyer benefits.

This article is designed to help a Silver, Gold, Platinum or Diamond Medallion understand fare class restrictions and rules around upgrades (including the upgrade order).

The information contained is not endorsed by Delta Air Lines. If you find something incorrect, please send me a message and I’ll get it updated.

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Delta Fare Classes & Information

Learn what the fare class letters on your boarding pass mean

Since the 2015 introduction of revenue requirements to the SkyMiles Medallion program, Delta has added TONS of fare classes and made it much more complex to keep track of the rules around each.

The ultra-simplified way to understand Delta fare classes and how they associates to ticket price, restrictions and upgrade eligibility is this:

Delta One, Delta Premium Select, Comfort+, Main Cabin and Basic Economy all have multiple seats and fare classes available for for sale to customers. By default, you’ll always buy the cheapest fare class available in the cabin of service selected; however, as the plane fills up, so do the cheaper fare classes, meaning the next higher (and more expensive) fare class is for sale until the cabin is sold out.

Delta Fare Classes, Cabins and upgrade order.

Fare classes do not relate to where you sit within your purchased cabin, they are placeholders for how much you paid and establish a pecking order for upgrades.

If you don't know, now you know about Delta Fare Classes

You can easily purchase a last minute Main Cabin ticket in the NY-fare bucket and sit a middle seat in the last row, while a NV-fare Main Cabin ticket purchased months ago may be sitting right behind Comfort+ in a preferred seat โ€“ this is due to the economics of supply vs demand (i.e.: less seats in the cabin = higher fare classes, and thus prices).

Once all fare classes in a cabin have been sold, the cabin no longer has availability. Once all fare classes in all cabins have been sold, the flight no longer has availability and is considered sold out.

Award Fare Classes

Information about each Award Fare Class on Delta Air Lines.

First Class / Delta One

A comprehensive list of all known award/miles and upgrade fare classes in the First Class / Delta One cabins on Delta Air Lines. Click on an individual fare class to find out more information about upgrades, rules and other important information to maximize your SkyMiles earnings.

Delta Premium Select

A comprehensive list of all known award/miles and upgrade fare classes in the Delta Premium Select cabin on Delta Air Lines. Click on an individual fare class to find out more information about upgrades, rules and other important information to maximize your SkyMiles earnings.

Fare Class
$$$
Most Expensive
RV
Delta Air Lines Fare Class RV
Cleared RUC/GUC upgrade ticket in Delta Premium Select
RA
Delta Air Lines Fare Class RA
Delta Premium Select ticket in Delta Premium Select
R
Delta Air Lines Fare Class R
Delta Premium Select ticket in Delta Premium Select
$
Least Expensive
Fare Class Description

Comfort+

A comprehensive list of all known award/miles and upgrade fare classes in the Comfort+ cabin on Delta Air Lines. Click on an individual fare class to find out more information about upgrades, rules and other important information to maximize your SkyMiles earnings.

Fare Class
$$$
Most Expensive
SU
Delta Air Lines Fare Class SU
Cleared complimentary upgrade ticket in Comfort+
SN
Delta Air Lines Fare Class SN
Comfort+ ticket in Comfort+
SW
Delta Air Lines Fare Class SW
Comfort+ ticket in Comfort+
$
Least Expensive
Fare Class Description

Main Cabin

A comprehensive list of all known award/miles and upgrade fare classes in the Main Cabin on Delta Air Lines. Click on an individual fare class to find out more information about upgrades, rules and other important information to maximize your SkyMiles earnings.

Fare Class
$$$
Most Expensive
NY
Delta Air Lines Fare Class NY
Full Fare Economy ticket in Main Cabin
NB
Delta Air Lines Fare Class NB
Full Fare Economy ticket in Main Cabin
NM
Delta Air Lines Fare Class NM
Full Fare Economy ticket in Main Cabin
NH
Delta Air Lines Fare Class NH
Discounted Economy ticket in Main Cabin
NQ
Delta Air Lines Fare Class NQ
Discounted Economy ticket in Main Cabin
NK
Delta Air Lines Fare Class NK
Discounted Economy ticket in Main Cabin
NL
Delta Air Lines Fare Class NL
Discounted Economy ticket in Main Cabin
NU
Delta Air Lines Fare Class NU
Deep Discount Economy ticket in Main Cabin
NT
Delta Air Lines Fare Class NT
Deep Discount Economy ticket in Main Cabin
NX
Delta Air Lines Fare Class NX
Deep Discount Economy ticket in Main Cabin
NV
Delta Air Lines Fare Class NV
Deep Discount Economy ticket in Main Cabin
N
Delta Air Lines Fare Class N
Award Economy ticket in Main Cabin
$
Least Expensive
Fare Class Description

Basic Economy

A comprehensive list of all known award/miles and upgrade fare classes in the Basic Economy cabin on Delta Air Lines. Click on an individual fare class to find out how you’ll be let down because you booked in cabin that doesn’t earn SkyMiles.

Fare Class
$$$
Most Expensive
NE
Delta Air Lines Fare Class NE
Basic Economy ticket in Basic Economy
$
Least Expensive
Fare Class Description

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