I really appreciate all the great input from everyone - I certainly have some good food for thought here. I'll poke around on Google Flights and see what I can do to get the powers that be to approve J (and agreed with the above comments...J in MU is better than Y on DL!).
Originally Posted by
GagaPilot
My opinion would be to try your best to stick to purely DL metal. Agreed the schedules are becoming more and more favorable to KE because that’s what DL eventually wants all Asian connections to shift to. But IMO there’s too much of an issue between how DL and KE’s systems interact. Seat assignments with KE are hit or miss, highly subject to reassignment (if one can be assigned at all)... despite being booked in Y or J.
Bottom line if KE was the only option they are bearable. But if you can do it on DL metal, at a semi reasonable price/schedule, I would stick to DL.
This is a great point - super frustrating that DL hasn't figured it out with KE in the same (relatively) seamless way that they have with KL/AF, particularly given how much they're shifting connections over to them.