I fly lots of international flights and have been on Air France three times over the last two months as well as KLM several times this year. Bottom line is that your Delta status counts for almost nothing on these airlines. In fact, it seems at times to me that my Diamond status works against me. I was just given the worst seat on the airplane, I can never get upgraded at any time no matter my fare class and because you can't get to the seat map on partner airlines I end up with horrific seat assignments and they never honor my Delta status request for an aisle seat. Since I am 6'2" and travel so much an aisle seat or economy comfort is a necessity. I am on a trip now which was a significant fare to Budapest through Paris from Detroit on Air France and back through Amsterdam to Atlanta. I have not even been able to get an economy comfort seat on any leg and when I mention an upgrade to them they look at me incredulously though my fare is upgradeable! I suggest that you not fly on these two Delta partners if you can avoid it at all. They could be nice airlines but simply don't care about customers and have total disregard for Delta status.
Air France does not have EC AFAIK... This is a completely separate class. Understand the concerns about seats and would recommend you go directly to the carrier for seat assignments.
Can confirm the need to actually call the carrier (at least KLM) to get seat assignments. My mother just flew a TATL BWI-JFK-AMS-EDI where the JFK-AMS and AMS-EDI legs were KLM. Delta's site would show her the seat map, but not actually save her seat. KLMs site was no better and she ended up needing to call to get a seat assignment. While she was there she decided that EC was nice, but F would be nicer and asked if I could get her an upgrade (she has no status). Again a quick call to Delta and I was able to upgrade her Y fare to a BE seat using miles and had no issue.
I have never flown AF so I have no first hand knowledge, but there are many stories on the boards about AF agents being less than helpful for Delta passengers.
Others have mentioned going directly to AF or KLM for seat selection, don't trust DL's selection to stick. Also recheck your seats the week before the flight. Even better would be to book AF or KLM flights directly through those airlines, rather than DL.
Air France doesn't have an equivelant to economy comfort, but they do have premium economy which is far superior and a cross between economy and business. If you are fying more expensive economy fares, you should look into the cost of premium economy. It may be competetive.
Another alternative is to try to get on DL metal where you will have economy comfort, seat selections that will stick, and a possibility to get upgraded if economy is oversold (op-up). You can't get your complimentary medallion upgrade on those international trips, but you still can get upgraded. It's not as likely to happen on partner airlines.
If you are on expensive fares, have you tried using SWU's to get into business on Delta operated flights? Would have to be a Y, B, or M fare.
I fly lots of international flights and have been on Air France three times over the last two months as well as KLM several times this year. Bottom line is that your Delta status counts for almost nothing on these airlines. In fact, it seems at times to me that my Diamond status works against me.
Welcome to FlyerTalk!
Diamond doesn't work against you but you are under a serious misimpression if you ever believed it would help you. AF/KLM is not Delta. They are nothing more than a partner airline. On the flip side, their FB members are treated no better on Delta.
You are SkyTeam Elite +. In other words, you have the same status with AF/KLM that you would have if you were a DL Gold Medallion which, IMO, ranks lower than their lowest elites. Bottom line, you are not a nothing with SkyTeam partners but IME, Diamond status doesn't impress them at all. If that is important to you, flying on DL operated flts will probably make you fell much better.
AF flights within Europe don't have seat assignments until check in or gate. For anyone. The AF Premium Voyageur is a different cabin and is not available for upgrades to anyone. As somebody that purchases this cabin, I am glad that it isn't given away and filled to capacity. Yes, I am a Platinum and I sit there, but what most Medallions on here fail to realize is we are capable of PURCHASING the desired service if we want.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bubbashow
AF flights within Europe don't have seat assignments until check in or gate. For anyone. The AF Premium Voyageur is a different cabin and is not available for upgrades to anyone. As somebody that purchases this cabin, I am glad that it isn't given away and filled to capacity. Yes, I am a Platinum and I sit there, but what most Medallions on here fail to realize is we are capable of PURCHASING the desired service if we want.
Not true. On AF flights within Europe, you can certainly reserve a seat in advance in their Euro business class, whatever it's called. I do that all the time, and also on KLM. It might be restricted to within 90 days of the flight, unlike on DL where you can reserve the seat as far as 330 days in advance IIRC.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by roknroll
Others have mentioned going directly to AF or KLM for seat selection, don't trust DL's selection to stick. Also recheck your seats the week before the flight. Even better would be to book AF or KLM flights directly through those airlines, rather than DL..
I have done this on KL operated connections when RETURNING to the US. Only seems to work when you check-in on the KL website initially. Outbound when checking in on the DL website, seems changing seats on the partner flights rarely works.
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Posts: 19,567
Quote:
Originally Posted by bubbashow
AF flights within Europe don't have seat assignments until check in or gate. For anyone. The AF Premium Voyageur is a different cabin and is not available for upgrades to anyone. As somebody that purchases this cabin, I am glad that it isn't given away and filled to capacity. Yes, I am a Platinum and I sit there, but what most Medallions on here fail to realize is we are capable of PURCHASING the desired service if we want.
Not correct. Seats can be reserved in advance for AF's Euro business class, whatever they call it, IIRC beginning 90 days in advance of the flight. I do this all the time and have always gotten the seat I reserved. The same rule applies to KLM, but they have sometimes cancelled the seat assignment. (At one time PMNW would request the seat assignment type from KLM and then it could not be changed before the airport, with neither NW nor me being able to see KLM seat maps.)
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There is a common misconception between what US carriers refer to as "economy comfor" "economy plus" and the like and foreign carriers, which sell a separate class of service which is some version of "economy premium."
The former have a slightly greater pitch and that's it. Nice if you are tall. Eco. premium (however it's called) is an entirely separate class of service, typically with not only more pitch, but nicer seats, better food and the like. If you want that, you will need to book that class of service. Can't expect a carrier to hand it out freebie.
As to seat assignments in Y, it's true that your DL status doesn't get you anything on KL or AF. Same is true the other way around. It's not a benefit, so you can't expect it.
If you want to get better seats, call the operating carrier, otherwise you are just getting a random assignment which may or may not be correct.
Lastly, don't expect European carriers to be infatuated with US status. It means little to them because it's handed out like candy by the carriers. European carriers are not an UG culture.
