Sorry but this is incorrect. You can upgrade with Skymiles on the following airlines: Aeroflot, Aeroméxico, Air France, China Airlines, China Southern, Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Korean Air. This is a Skyteam benefit and valid for all Skyteam FFPs (including DL SM) from full fare Y. This has been the case since November 2008.
http://www.skyteam.com/en/Why-SkyTea...-Redeem-Miles/ and on the page you cite, you will indeed note the phrasing: "SkyMiles members can also use miles to upgrade to Business class when flying on a full fare economy class (Y) ticket on many of our SkyTeam member airlines.
In addition, as a result of our enhanced relationship with KLM and Air France, SkyTeam mileage upgrades can now be used on the following KLM and Air France
booking classes." (emphasis mine)
What you are referring to as being limited to AF and KL as part of the joint venture is the extension of this benefit to some additional classes of travel, as well, incidentally, as the use of SWUs which is completely different. With AZ having now joined the JV it is also likely that more AZ classes will also be eligible for upgrade.
With regards to the ability to book award tickets on AZ using SMs, this has also been the case for several years, it was not pending six months ago. Again, I'm sorry that the agent you spoke to misinformed you when you contacted them at the time but this was, indeed, misinformation even then.
By the way, if you have questions on using Skymiles for awards and/or upgrade awards on partners, you are much better looking/asking on the DL forum where it has been discussed ad nauseam, for instance on this thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...m-partner.html I hate to say that the information you will find on the DL forum is often more accurate than what you will hear from many DL agents but - well, I've said it anyway!
