McGoogles

Delta is getting more and more painful with the cost cuts.

STBCypriot

I can't help you with that routing but I will give you an example of my recent experience.

M-fare on DL JFK-ATH round trip cost me $3380.90 and I used SWUs to upgrade and had to buy a separate ticket from ATH-LCA, which cost around $150 IIRC.

Business class fare on Etihad LCA-AUH-JFK round trip cost $2877.63 and includes a hotel in AUH each way and chauffeured car at JFK (travel within 60 miles of JFK). Lie-flat seats on the AUH-JFK segments.

Cost savings is a minimum of $650, not including the car service and hotel.

5khours

M Fares are cheaper ex-Asia. If you're flying out of the U.S., it doesn't help.

fti

You really don't believe much of what anyone says if it is not 100% pro-Delta, do you?

Sorry I am right. See an example below.

At least you are honest about your arrogance and DYKWIA attitude! You really should be on my ignore list but your pseudo-knowledge is an entertaining read.

OK to an example:

DL 264M 15JAN DENAMS 310P 1050A+*
DL9574M 16JAN AMSDEL 1200N 1215A+*
AI 879Y 17JAN DELIXB 1125A 135P *
AI 880Y 31JAN IXBDEL 215P 425P *
DL9438M 01FEB DELAMS 230A 630A *
DL 259M 01FEB AMSMSP 1020A 1235P *
DL1609M 01FEB MSPDEN 220P 326P *

Priced as one ticket:

DEN DL X/AMS DL DEL M1712.00MPXIA2 AI IXB 295.89Y AI DEL
295.89Y DL X/AMS DL X/MSP DL DEN M1712.00MPXIA2 NUC4015.78END
ROE1.0
FARE USD 4016.00 TAX 5.00AY TAX 33.40US TAX 5.00XA TAX 9.00XF
TAX 7.00XY TAX 5.50YC TAX 19.00CJ TAX 17.20RN TAX 5.20VV TAX
5.82WO TAX 490.00YR TAX 104.60YQ TOT USD 4722.72 no lower fare available as one ticket when combining these airlines/flights/dates/routes.

Priced as two tickets:
Denver to Delhi round trip
DEN DL X/AMS DL DEL M584.00HJXB69US DL X/AMS DL X/MSP DL DEN
M416.50UJWP44US NUC1000.50END ROE1.0
FARE USD 1001.00 TAX 5.00AY TAX 33.40US TAX 5.00XA TAX 9.00XF
TAX 7.00XY TAX 5.50YC TAX 19.00CJ TAX 17.20RN TAX 5.20VV TAX
43.23IN TAX 3.65WO TAX 27.30YM TAX 490.00YR TOT USD 1671.48 (this fare is currently bookable with change of classes. Fare could be even as low as $1,243.48 if T class were available)

Delhi to Bagdogra round trip
DEL AI IXB 4040LIPRT AI DEL 4040LIPRT INR8080END
FARE INR 8080 EQU USD 151.00 TAX 18.96IN TAX 9.47WO TAX 4.20YM
TAX 104.60YQ TOT USD 288.23

So the total with two tickets is $1,532 - $1,960. With one ticket it is $4,722 - more than double, possibly even more than TRIPLE. I can cite dozens of other examples but I don't have the time or desire to prove the point further to someone who has no interest in the truth and the "rest of the story."

TTT

Sorry to re-open this thread. The policy clarification seems to state that DL - DL tickets will still allow for thru-checked baggage. That assumes DL is the carrier, right?

But could one book a DL paid ticket (US to EU for example) and then an award ticket for EU to ME on KLM and thru-check baggage? Both tickets would be Delta issued though the carriers would be different.

fti

My reading of the policy clarification is the operating carrier, not whose ticket stock the ticket is issued on. So no, you would not be able to through-check luggage from DL flights to KL flights if not on the same ticket number(s), regardless of who issued the KL ticket.

Policy Clarification: Effective for travel on or after January 15, 2013, Delta Air Lines policy will be to check a passenger’s baggage between the origin and destination points that are issued on a single ticket or conjuncted ticket exclusively. If a second ticket is presented for travel on another airline beyond the destination of the first ticket, the passenger will be advised that Delta will only check the bag to the destination on the Delta ticket(s). The passenger must collect the baggage at baggage claim for their Delta ticketed destination, and then re-check their baggage with the down-line carrier for the next flight(s).

TTT

Fair point - I guess I was focusing on the Delta will only check the bag to the destination on the Delta ticket(s). part. But I think you are right, the another airline part is more important.

itsaboutthejourney

If that is true, then between the AF blocking O and this, SkyTeam really is losing some core features.

cmh flyer

Has anyone written Delta - or the DOT - about Delta's interpretation of this policy and its negative impact on consumers? If so, I'd be curious to know the response.

What about customers who have already booked tickets in early 2013 with another airline, who will now have to allow more time to collect bags, recheck them and go through TSA lines? Who will have to change their tickets and incur a change fee?

How much time does Delta recommend that we allow for this process for booking the second ticket?

Rather than having to recheck bags, taking a later flight, I'd be HAPPY to pay an extra fee to not do so. Wonder if that may become another possibility? And another way for airlines to earn more revenue via fees vs fares.

Xeno

I returned from GVA last night and have not followed this discussion closely in a week, but you can see upthread that there is no hope for relief. As a result, in the next week I will have to pay change fees + new fares for 4 international trips I bought already for 2013. Also, I will also be adding layover days to at least two of those trips.

jwhite4

Wouldn't it be easier (at least for us travellers) if the airlines just charged for ALL baggage fees at time of initial checkin? If I'm travelling ATL-HNL on DL, then HNL-OGG on HA, just charge me the HA $17 baggage fee when I checkin at ATL. Heck, add $1-$2 service fee if you need to. I'll gladly do that then have to exit security, get the bag, check it in (still paying the $17), and go back through security.

And for a previous comment that said this might drive more people to travel sites, I disagree. Those seemed very likely to mix carriers to get the lowest price. People who get those flights will be upset when they find out they need to pay 2 (or more) baggage fees, AND have to claim and recheck your bags.

Definitely not a change that benefits travellers.

Often1

Consumers have two choices, particularly if they are traveling either on a US carrier or on an itinerary originating in or destined for the US:

1. Book a single ticket for the entire routing. The baggage allowance for the first segment becomes the minimum allowance for the rest of the itinerary and is easily calculated.

2. Book multiple tickets and run the risks of this thread.

While the idea of asking the first segment carrier to calculate, collect and then distribute bag fees for down line carriers is feasible from a technology standpoint, the real question is whether and why any carrier wants to accept the responsibility for this collection process and why down line carriers want to accept the liability for baggage IRROPS enroute (after all its the final carrier who effectively eats the loss).

While the DOT rules were well-intentioned and probably are good for most consumers, sophisticated travelers who do the research and thus find price breaks on separate tickets, are losers here. Also losers will be the unsophisticated who book on third-party sites thinking that they bought a single "ticket" when, the third-party site has used multiple tickets to achieve a better price.

The more sophisticated traveler can evaluate this stuff (am I saving a couple of hundred dollars on air, but now need to overnight at an expensive airport hotel??) while the unsophisticated get whacked at the various check-ins.

BOB W

There is an excellent letter in the Alaska Air forum here http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alask...tickets-2.html

that I sent to my Congressman and Senators. It's worth taking a look at and sending on to yours also.

bludevil

I’m a little confused. Say I’m flying from Tampa to Seoul via Atlanta. TPA to ATL is on Delta, ATL to ICN is on Korean Air. The there is one ticket and one itinerary since both are Sky Team airlines and they were ticketed and purchased at the same time as one itinerary. Does this mean I’d have to claim my bag in Atlanta and re-check it for the next leg?

timeasterday

Your bags should be checked all the way through to ICN since they are all Sky Team.