How do you explain the language on DL's site then? "or similar 'light' or 'basic' tickets on a Delta partner flight"
What's "similar"? What's "basic"? That means that DL isn't just looking at tickets booked with them; they are also looking at tickets booked with other partners. IF that's so, then AF/KLM tickets will be affected, too.
As explained above, AFKL has no "similar" tickets.
Delta Basic Economy tickets are designed to ignore, and withhold, any and all status perks
* and status-earning rights (However, Flying Blue allows its members to earn miles and XPs on Delta Basic Economy flights). You simply board last and get whatever seat DL deigns to assign to you after check-in.
AFKL has no similar product on the market. I'm not familiar enough with all of Delta's "partners" to determine which of them, if any, offer "similar" products.
EDIT: * I now discover, via
Delta's baggage page that, on domestic flights at least, Silver Medallions can check a 1st bag for free, and Gold Medallions and above can check 2 bags for free, on Basic Economy fares. BUT I also discovered that, again on domestic flights at least,
Main Cabin tickets do not have any inherent free checked baggage allowance either, and the same status allowances apply.
In terms of the ability to check a bag, Delta Basic Economy is indistinguishable from Delta Main Cabin, again at least on domestic flights.
So, if we consider the defining aspect of AFKL Light fares being that they don't have an inherent luggage allowance - then they more closely resemble Delta's "Main Cabin" fare than the "Basic Economy" fare, because at least DL's Main Cabin tickets also award miles/status credits, in the same way that AFKL Light fares do.