Delta to Offer Private Jet Upgrades for Medallions

Airlines seem to be on a never-ending quest to outdo each other with perks for their most profitable customers. But since no one has invented teleportation yet, it looks like Delta — with its new upgrade to an entirely different plane that's all your own — is the newest airline to beat.

One of the more interesting aspects of this upgrade is that it's actually working in the favor of Delta — or at least Delta Private Jets (DPJ), its wholly owned subsidiary. Bloomberg reports that DPJ has what's known as an "empty legs" problem, with up to 30 percent of its fleet of 66 jets flying without passengers just to get to where they need to be. And by offering these upgrades for anywhere from $300 to $800, it's at least getting some money in the door.

But don't start primping for those private jet selfies just yet. These upgrades are not for everyone; after some tweaking, the offer will be extended to Medallion members and even then, it's entirely subject to availability. And while they've been approved for 160 domestic destinations, right now they're going to be concentrating on Atlanta, New York and Cincinnati, which is near the Delta Jet Center in Erlanger, KY.

Passengers will be contacted between 24 and 48 hours prior to their flight if they're eligible for a paid upgrade. As for switching passengers from a commercial carrier to a private jet operator, well, Delta has actually filed a patent for their process, so we'll see how it works in practice — which could happen as early as this week.

If you get this ultimate upgrade, give us the juicy details!

H/T: Bloomberg[card card-name='Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express' card-id='22034414' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']