uclacolumbiaunc

For example, if I have a reservation ticketed by KLM, outbound on KLM from US to Europe, return inbound on AF from Europe to US, can I credit miles to Delta in the first leg and to Alaska in the second leg??? (i.e. changing frequent flyer program after departure)....

irishguy28

Your question relates to the Delta Skymiles and Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan programmes, and therefore has nothing to do with Flying Blue.

The answer, though, is yes - but beware that sometimes changing a number doesn't work, and the miles may end up in the wrong programme.

Tokyoite

Yes you can. 2 ways. But FFPs screw up, so be prepared for an outcome where one FFP mistakenly credits both legs.

1. Do not put your FFP number on the ticket, either at booking or checkin. Do retro claim for each leg to each FFP, preferably at the same time, so that one FFP does not mistakenly credit both legs to them.

2. Put the Delta FFP number on your ticket at checkin on outbound, then change the FFP number to Alaska on your ticket at checkin on inbound.

uclacolumbiaunc

So they definitely let you change frequent flyer program after taking the outbound flight when checking in for the return flight at airport counter?

I believe some airlines don't let you change FFP after the trip starts, but i am not sure AF/KLM is one of them.

Ditto

Not quite sure how will that work, it will not work with 'automatic' retro-claim websites like the AF/KL one which will credit all segments on the same e-ticket, and most likely an agent will also do the same unless they are:
1. Being very competent
2. Getting very specific instructions from the OP

Now good luck with doing that on 2 different FFPs, I guess it is not impossible but I really doubt it is worth the hassle.

irishguy28

The only "definite" things in life are death and taxes.

Whether your check-in agent will be willing and able to change the number can never be guaranteed.


They may refuse to do so, but they don't hold the keys to the FQTV field. Anyone with access can change it.

irishguy28

Do not do this. The first retro-claim action is likely to add both flight. Claiming "per sector" is not really how retro-claims works - unless you are doing so via a competent, helpful human agent.

orbitmic

The alternative is even worse. Including an FFP number to start with and then changing it half way works in about 0% of cases and almost invariably will lead to all of the op's flights being credited in one FFP.

For retroclaims it might work per sector but you have to use snail mail with very precise instructions, and be lucky that the people processing it pay proper attention.

HarbourGent

I have had Delta refuse to change the frequent flyer number after the first sector was flown, on several itineraries. On each occasion, the Delta gate agent said that it could not be changed after the first sector was flown.

irishguy28

It may be company policy to refuse to change it, but it's certainly not impossible.

However, people should not go around crafting elaborate (re-)qualification strategies, or mileage runs, in which the ability to "change" the FFP number during any ticket is a vital prong of the strategy. The potential for things to go wrong, and miles to go the "wrong" account, is too great.

The best strategies are simple - such as only ever associating a single FFP with any ticket. (If you're unusure where you want your miles to end up, don't associate any FFP number with the booking until you are certain that you know - or even fly without any FFP number associated and retro-claim from the "correct" one)

In may cases, a number associated with a booking may be remarkably "sticky", and even after apparently having changed the number, the miles may end up in the original account.

TerryK

That's how DL system is setup. You cannot change FFP for DL itinerary after first segment. This applies to AF/KL itineraries where ground handling is by DL.

simonsuo

TerryK

If you have not flown any segment on your itinerary, then airport agent can change FFP. If have flown any segment, then re-read my post #11 .

simonsuo

Thanks man.

My story ended by talk with check-in staff about it. So I basically want to check in a 66 lbs bag, which should be free with SkyTeam Elite (70lbs limit). However, because of the FFP of my reservation is SkyMiles without status, the initial check-in agent at SkyPriority refused after checking things for a few minutes unless I pay $100 overweight fee. But, then she went to a back room for a few minutes, get the supervisor out, and surprisingly, they want to check the domestic baggage allowance for domestic China flights for China Eastern Elites (which I'm having status), then they came out 30kg (67 lbs). *For domestic China flights, everyone gets 20kg free, and elites get 10 or 20 kg more. But after that, they can't go through the DL system to waive the fee. They eventually did something on the computer, and I checked my bag, and seeing bag fee paid on my bag tag. The whole process took about 25 minutes provided it's a very light hour for Delta (5 agents, but basically no passenger in line), I arrived 2 hours early. My suggestion, don't try it unless you want to take the risk to get refused.