Light fare seat assignment on Delta metal?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: SPG Gold, AA PM
Posts: 287
Light fare seat assignment on Delta metal?
Looking at direct NYC-EDI flights on DL metal this summer and while DL, AF and KLM are all pricing the same, it looks like DL Basic Fare doesn't allow seat selection at all until DOD, whereas at least AF and KLM do, albeit at a cost. Is that correct? And if, so does anyone know more or less how much assigning seats costs? 5 pax so even small differences add up. TIA!
* Forgot to mention one person is DL Silver but that's it for status.
* Forgot to mention one person is DL Silver but that's it for status.
Last edited by snaporaz; Mar 9, 2022 at 1:01 pm
#2
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,746
Looking at direct NYC-EDI flights on DL metal this summer and while DL, AF and KLM are all pricing the same, it looks like DL Basic Fare doesn't allow seat selection at all until DOD, whereas at least AF and KLM do, albeit at a cost. Is that correct? And if, so does anyone know more or less how much assigning seats costs? 5 pax so even small differences add up. TIA!
* Forgot to mention one person is DL Silver but that's it for status.
* Forgot to mention one person is DL Silver but that's it for status.
However, things that I know:
- From personal experience, flying on KLM/AF on a KLM/AF Light Fare as a Delta Silver, I get one piece of checked luggage, and my travelling companion and I both get free seat selection. I assume that would extend to a reservation with 5 PAX, but don't know.
- DL Basic Economy fares do not allow seat selection before check-in. I think that there may be an opportunity to buy seat selection in advance, but it is not guaranteed. I don't know what happens if you buy a KLM coded ticket for a flight operated by DL. I wouldn't believe anything that DL or KLM would tell you on that question.
#3
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
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You might want to ask on the Delta forum.
However, things that I know:
However, things that I know:
- From personal experience, flying on KLM/AF on a KLM/AF Light Fare as a Delta Silver, I get one piece of checked luggage, and my travelling companion and I both get free seat selection. I assume that would extend to a reservation with 5 PAX, but don't know.
- DL Basic Economy fares do not allow seat selection before check-in. I think that there may be an opportunity to buy seat selection in advance, but it is not guaranteed. I don't know what happens if you buy a KLM coded ticket for a flight operated by DL. I wouldn't believe anything that DL or KLM would tell you on that question.
#4
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,746
DL BE is even worse in that the DL computer assigns you a seat or you get a seat request card instead of a boarding pass at check in and the GA gives you a seat as boarding starts; you don't get to choose it during OLCI. Also, they say that seat assignments aren't changeable on BE tickets (although I suspect that some lounge agents or even GAs might be willing to do it if it's not too complicated and you ask nicely). Families tend to be assigned the blocked seats in the last few rows of the aircraft, although the concern is merely that a *small* child should be seated adjacent to *one* parent or other adult.
There is also the anomaly that travelling on a KLM Light fare gives me Skymiles accrual, while with a Basic Economy fare on Delta there is no mileage accrual.
#5
Moderator: Aegean Miles+Bonus
Join Date: Oct 2009
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Posts: 7,339
From what I understand, though without personal experience, is that Delta only sells a limited number of Basic fares on each flight. With KLM you can choose Light for every seat that is being sold. When you buy a KLM Light fare while Basic Economy is still available you are booked into basic, if Basic is no longer available you will be in the main cabin. When booked in Basic Ecoomy, even on a KL codeshare, you won't be able to do seat selection.
Like I said I do not have personal experience - however read the above somewhere recently.
Like I said I do not have personal experience - however read the above somewhere recently.