Originally Posted by
NYCConcierge
An update. I booked it through Kayak on Air France for Basic Economy ($479 each) and found that although I couldn't choose a seat on the outbound (operated by Alitalia), I was able to choose seats on the return (operated by Delta). This makes no sense. I would have thought the opposite on those airlines. I guess I'll see when we get to the airport how this goes. Thanks for the great tips everyone.
Glad it worked out. My curiosity is piqued -- I'm wondering if you check the fare in the confirmation/receipt if it's actually an "E" on the return ticket - OTAs like Kayak and Expedia can sell mixed fare codes (unlike directly w/ Delta).