The specific suggestions are great, but whenever booking outside I check this web page first --
http://skymilesoffers.delta.com/airline_partners.php. Mostly complete explanation of the booking classes and what they earn. And if there are some possible discrepancies, I'll print the page on the day I make the booking.
Back in the NW days I booked a flight to IST that when I booked it was both operated and flown by KL. KL was having some equipment problems then and subbed in a Tran-Avia plane, crewed by KL. It carried a Trans-Avia flight number and I had to make the case for earning miles. I got them, but having printed something out when booking helped me prove I'd booked a flight that had a KL flight number,.