I flew Delta as an elite status holder and saw how difficult it is to get coveted first class upgrades as travel returns

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.Thomas Pallini/Insider

• More travelers have been returning to the skies amid the vaccine rollout and returning to work.
• Travelers with airline elite status, as a result, are starting to see their top perk of complimentary first class upgrades becoming less attainable.

There's often no better way to travel than in first class, and the only thing better than flying in first class is not having to pay for it.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Complimentary upgrades to first class are a perk of having elite frequent flyer status with an airline. Just one upgrade can increase the value of a ticket by more than double the original purchase price.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

As a Silver Medallion status holder with Delta Air Lines, I've had luck earning in scoring free upgrades to premium cabins during the pandemic. A trip I took on Delta in February yielded more than $800 in upgrades while a trip in May yielded more than $500.

Flying Delta One on a Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-400.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Here's how I've managed to score hundreds of dollars worth of first class upgrades during the pandemic.

But as more travelers return to the skies for business and leisure, first class cabins are filling up and complimentary upgrades are becoming harder and harder to come by. Some airlines are also dropping prices on paid upgrades to first class to entice economy class flyers to make the jump.

A first class seat on a Delta Air Lines Boeing 757-200.      Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

With summer over and Americans more at ease with flying, I wanted to see how hard it was to land a coveted first class upgrade on a recent trip.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

I booked Delta on a recent flight from New York to Mexico City, Mexico to see how I'd fare as an elite status holder. Here's what I found.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

One thing I've learned when booking flights with the hope of getting an upgrade is that it helps to be strategic. When searching flights to Mexico City, for example, I opted for a flight on a wide-body aircraft as those aircraft often have a great number of first class seats than single-aisle aircraft.

Flying Delta One on a Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-400.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

I booked Delta's Boeing 767-300ER aircraft for the five-hour flight to Mexico's capital. That aircraft has a total of 26 first class seats available and 12 were open at the time I booked, just three weeks before the flight.

A Delta Air Lines Boeing 767.      Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto/Getty

Delta clearly wasn't having an easy time selling first class seats given the fact that so many seats were open and an upgrade from economy class was only selling for $138.68.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Part of me was tempted to just pay the upgrade fee and guarantee a first class seat. But I wanted to leave it to chance, even if it meant risking a long flight in economy class.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

My chances of securing an upgrade seemed great but then the number of open seats started to dwindle as the flight's departure approached. The 12 seats went down to eight the week before the flight, and then eventually to three the day before the flight.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

As a Silver Medallion, my upgrade would be processed no sooner than 24 hours before departure. And there's no telling how soon before the flight it would clear. So I headed to the airport with no upgrade.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

My hope started to fade as I fell further and further down the upgrade list. It was par for the course as I held the lowest tier of frequent flyer status and only booked the flight three weeks prior.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

I eventually settled to the ninth spot on the upgrade list and it was becoming certain that I wouldn't be in first class on this flight. I was, however, first in line for an upgrade to Delta's Comfort+ cabin which features extra legroom seats.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Delta was also selling an upgrade to those seats, but for far cheaper.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

And while I'd normally take a seat in Comfort+ without issue, the only availability was for aisle and middle seats. I preferred to sit in a window seat for the long flight so I opted against the upgrade.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

It was becoming clear that I would go without any upgrade on this flight. And that was fine with me as I'm no stranger to economy class and preferred a window seat over an upgrade.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

But having elite status isn't just about upgrades. At check-in, for example, I was able to use the exclusive Sky Priority check-in area and didn't have to wait too long in line to get a boarding pass.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Just that perk alone made having the elite status worthwhile since it saved me at least 15 minutes of standing in line, from my estimation. After that, Mexico was just a flight away.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

I scanned my boarding pass, however, and was given a slip of paper with a new seat assignment in the Comfort+ cabin. The downside was that it was for an aisle seat.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

I didn't get to ask the gate agent why I was given the aisle seat when I opted against it but I wasn't all too happy with the upgrade. As ungrateful as it may sound, I truly valued the window seat more over the upgrade.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

My new seat for the flight was 14F, an aisle seat on the far side of the cabin. At the very least, I wouldn't be on the side of the aircraft that the sun was going to hit on the way down to Mexico.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

The seat had all the standard economy class amenities but did offer 35 inches of legroom, between two to three inches more than in regular economy.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Source: SeatGuru

I sat down and got comfortable for the long flight ahead. The seat also offered a decent-sized in-flight entertainment screen, USB charging port, and 110v AC power outlet.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

And to my luck, the window seat never filled up. I quickly moved over to occupy it once the boarding door closed.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

The flight was delayed by around a half-hour due to maintenance troubles on the aircraft. But we were soon on our way and bound for Mexico.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

The in-flight service began shortly after takeoff with the beverage offering. Alcohol is complimentary for Comfort+ passengers but I went with soda water as it was much too early to begin drinking.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Next came the snack service, which consisted of a snack basket being passed around with more premium offerings than what is served in regular economy class. Selections included chocolate chip cookies, potato chips, Kind bars, Biscoff cookies, and more.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

This was the first time during the pandemic that I got to pick from a snack basket that was being passed around. Snacks are very clearly back on Delta.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

I was surprised, though, when flight attendants said that this would be the first and last time that snacks would be distributed, and I made sure to grab extras on their advice. I know Mexico isn't classified as a true international destination when it comes to the in-flight service but it was still a five-hour flight.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

And it didn't seem like I was missing too much in first class. Cold boxed lunches were served and they didn't seem overly appealing.

Flying first class on a Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-800.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

With the in-flight service out of the way, I turned to my laptop to help pass the time. The extra legroom offered by the Comfort+ seat made working on the computer far easier than a standard economy seat.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

The rest of the flight continued uneventfully as we made our way across the Southeast and over the Gulf of Mexico.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

A second drink service began around an hour before landing, and it was late enough in the day where I felt comfortable imbibing.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

I choose a Miller Lite from Delta's beer selection that also included Heineken, SweetWater 420, and SweetWater IPA.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

The descent into Mexico City was perhaps one of the most enjoyable of my flying career. This was my first time landing in Mexico City and I couldn't believe how expansive and colorful the city was while surrounded by mountains.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Touchdown at Mexico City International Airport marked the end of the flight and it was a great experience. The small touches of Comfort+ made for an enjoyable flight down without costing a penny extra.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

I said goodbye to my Comfort+ seat and headed off of the plane. The total value of my $376.20 ticket was $402.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

Looking back, I should have purchased the upgrade for the bargain price of $138.68. But first class upgrades will truly be worthwhile once Delta restores hot meals to the cabin.

Flying Delta Air Lines from New York to Mexico City, Mexico.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

This was my sixth Delta flight of September and I did manage to score upgrades on two flights between Seattle and Fairbanks, Alaska. But other flights I took elsewhere in the Delta network similarly yielded poor upgrade results.

Flying first class on a Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-800.      Thomas Pallini/Insider

So while flying Delta might not yield a first class upgrade every time, there's still additional value for an elite status holder.

Flying first class on a Delta Air Lines Boeing 737-800.      Thomas Pallini/Insider