Originally Posted by
nerdbirdsjc
It has to do with a combo of general airline industry practices + JV practices. In fairness, at AA and UA, agents will similarly pushback on using BA/AY or LH/OS coded flights wherever AA or UA coded segments exist.
Under airline industry rules, the carrier marketing the first overwater segment on an international itinerary should issue the ticket. Therefore, if a ticket is issued on Delta (006-) stock, the first overwater segment should carry a DL prefix. Defaulting itineraries to DL-marketed flights whenever possible helps ensures compliance.
Additionally, airline Joint Venture agreements weigh the marketing code of a covered flight as a factor in allocating revenue. This means it is slightly advantageous (miniscule on any one ticket, but adds up in the aggregate) for Delta to sell a flight under the DL code versus the code of KL, AF, or anyone else.
That’s a very thorough and comprehensive explanation. A couple of questions:
1. What if I want to buy a 006 ticket where KLM is the first overwater carrier? Would Delta then be more amenable to put KL flights?
2. How can I book KL-marketed flights on 006 stock without talking to representatives? KLM used to have a call center in the US, which was issuing all tickets on 006 stock, but that’s no more.
3. Is Delta “upset” that I want KL-marketed flights? Will they penalize me in some way or fashion?