<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">None of what you describe is odd for a non US flight</font>
That begs the question then regarding what safety procedures AM and other SkyTeam members have to abide by when using a DL code on their flights. It stands to reason that DL would require adherence to their practices and policies in return for placing a code on the flight. Just because the flight is International doesn't seem to be an excuse to throw caution to the winds.