Originally Posted by
RealHJ
Now, if you contact the operating airline, you may be able to get them to open up alternate award flight availability for you, but if they are reaccommodating their pax on non-SkyTeam flights (e.g. only flight on a route is cancelled), then you are out of luck, as then no matter what, DL can't book it under award fare classes for SkyTeam and DL partner airlines - which is all what DL will do. In short, cancel for refund or change to alternate available award flights - that's it.
+1, but you should nevertheless try to get booked on such non-SkyTeam flight using SkyTeam airline's award class space. Indeed it's rather an exception than a rule, but there are multiple non-ST airlines codesharing with ST airlines and flights on their metal is bookable using ST airline's award space. Those airlines are usually independent of an alliance, for example, AZ7178 is actually operated by FB (FB190), but you can get an award seat in economy class on FCO-SOF 2/2/14 flight using SkyMiles. Same for AF1936 CDG-KBP on 1/31/14 - it's operated by PS (PS128), but you can book two award seats in business on that flight using SkyMiles.