Originally Posted by DeltaUnitedContest

Update - as advised by vgb2001 and others, I booked the considerably lower fare (i.e., $2000 less than the diamond agent insisted on) online, then called DL to confirm, which they did. That itinerary was SFO-JFK (stopover to see family)-CDG and same route on return. I had wanted to go to FLR however, but was told this would add significant $$ (W fare to get PV). So I left the booking as is, and called DM line again next day. Got a great agent, and in a matter of minutes was booked through to FLR for $90 more (and she also changed the return flight from CDG to JFK on the better-timed A388 flight). I asked why there was such a discrepancy b/w agents and the fares, etc. She thinks she identified the issue: it is very hard for them to see connections that are coded as CityJet (as opposed to directly operated by AF or Alitalia). She actually didn't originally see the flights (told me that AF doesn't fly to FLR, but when I assured her I had found flights online to FLR codeshared by AF, she looked harder and found the CityJet flights...and then it was done in an instant). Crazy.