Originally Posted by
RealHJ
Some connections at ICN are blocked, yes. Also, KE connections at NRT are also generally blocked.
DL has been indeed stepping up blocking booking connections, forcing you to book multiple separate tickets for the same through flights, thus creating all sorts of difficulties. DL res refuse, or cannot, put it on the same ticket even as broken fare and also will tell you, even after escalation to GTS, that you have to book your connecting flights as separate tickets. With something like a 1h05m connection (legal but tight) that is rather risky, not knowing can the connecting airline check you in at the gate when the plane is already boarding. But, that is what DL wants you to do. (And so forget about checking bags. From now on it's carry-ons only on award tix.)
Yes, and in essence DL is exercising routing control on partner awards which they started doing on their own metal a long time ago and its nuanced. So in my searches, you can fly KE and CI but only to/from ICN and TPE and not beyond. For example, from MNL to LAX both KE and CI have award availability if you search segment by segment on many dates, but they are blocked on through routings. You can only fly for what used to be the saver amount in business on MU (85K) through PVG (and pay over $200 in fuel surcharges) or for whatever DL wants to charge you by flying KE to ICN and then DL metal to the USA or all DL metal through NRT (which in my searches has never been less than 120k or 35K more miles than the de facto saver amount). UA and even AA don't come close to this type of chicanery the way they run their FF program IMHO. It's true AA blocks almost all long haul business class awards, but they also don't exercise routing control over their partner awards except in limiting what zones your can connect through.