I will be traveling tomorrow on a transatlantic trip on a DL 767. The flight is sufficiently full that no premium seating options are available (in fact, no seat assignments are available at all except for one lone center).

Since I never sleep on planes but rather work throughout the long-haul trip, it is critical to me to be somewhere where I can work without a passenger in front being able to recline into me, making it impossible to work on laptop. Legroom, although always welcome, is not as critical a consideration.

With other carriers who I more often use for these trips, I am able to contact the elite desk the day prior to travel and they can generally get a bulkhead seat released for me, if no exit rows, etc., are available. I have just spoken with Delta with regard to tomorrow's travel, and they were quite insistent that this is never possible on Delta - that those seats may be assigned only "at the airport". This seemed to contradict a previous emailed contact I had from them - in which they said essentially "please call the elite desk and I am sure they can work that out for you". The phone agent was rather unclear (and could not be pinned down) as to whether "at the airport" meant at the airport upon checkin for the (Delta North) connecting flight, or at the gate at the international gateway.

Can anyone tell me what REALLY are the rules for release of those seats? Can they really not be assigned by phone, email, etc., under any circumstances? Can they be assigned at ANY Delta airport check-in within a certain time frame prior to the flight in question? If that cutoff is, say, 24 hours, does that mean that I could do that when at the airport tonight, for tomorrow's flight? Can such requests be handled in the Delta lounge, rather than at the check-in out front?

Failing getting that bulkhead or the possibility of getting really lucky and scoring an operational upgrade (Business is empty, I note), are there viable options for upgrading on the spot at the airport, whether paying or using miles?

Thank you for your assistance with these questions. The answers aren't significant only with respect to tomorrow's travel. The viability of getting guaranteed seating in a position where I can work will be a major factor in deciding if it is practical to fly Delta on future trips of this nature (and I go back and forth fortnightly).

So far I have been very pleased with my experiences on DL aircraft, but the restrictions on bulkhead seats have me concerned. In my time as a NW elite, I can't remember having to sit somewhere other than a bulkhead (or the exit row in the rare case that the bulkhead was already full) when not upgraded except in the case of last minute flight swaps. The bulkhead always has been the best row on NW aircraft.

Having just flown on a MD-90, the experience was terrible even in Row 11. I was looking forward to trying the GoGo service, and struggled to get my laptop open in the small space provided. As soon as I did, the person in front of me decided to recline and the tray table clip caught on the top of my screen and nearly broke it. That was the end of that attempt. Thankfully it was only an hour long flight, but it demonstrates your point perfectly.

It's completely unreasonable for Delta to hold back bulkhead seats for airport assignment. NW always had a few seats that were set aside for disabled passengers until check-in, but even those were selectable via online check-in 24 hours in advance. If anything, Delta should treat bulkhead seats the same way. If they have to move me out of a seat to accomodate a passenger with special needs that's fine, but they shouldn't just be a reward for getting to the airport early. I am not looking forward to the merging of reservation systems if the future is status quo.

THere are no options for upgrading on Delta UNLESS you spent a lot of money on the ticket and get lucky.

As a FF I have reserved the bulkhead seats so I know that they aren't currently all "held" for airport release.

(Of course the "it's fine" to move someone if they need the seat for medical reasons will ONLY apply if it's not YOU that's moved.... Honestly, on this board that would grounds for a class action lawsuit by some posters )

Hi everyone,

thanks in advance for helping me with this inquiry.

First, I did a search and came up with a thread that was about 2 years old regarding my very same question, so I wanted to ask it again in case any of the rules and regs changed.

I am scheduled to fly LAX to SYD on December 8 and return on Dec 16. Unfortunately, row 44 has already been taken, both ways. My next obvious choice in coach is row 30, the forward bulk head seats. These seats, as everyone knows, are held and not available until the day of departure (i assume by the gate agent)?

Being a PM (DM if that level was in place), what is the best advice for me to try and secure the forward bulk head seats? Is it only released by the gate agent when the gate opens? Is there any other way I can try and secure these seats?

Thanks again!

nypdlieu

P.S. I was originally supposed to take this flight on Oct. 30, 2009 but fell ill and was hospitalized for a few days. Delta, with proof of my hospitalization, waived the international ticket change fee without any problems. I wanted to thank Delta for making the rebooking of this flight an easy one and for waiving the int. re-ticketing fees. ^

As far as I am aware, unless you have a fused ligament, seeing eye dog, or immobilization, there is no way for anyone to "secure these seats".

Just ask the gate agent to see if he/she will be willing to put you up in one of those seats.

zz

(Bumping this thread): Now that the NW aircraft which have been converted to DL metal for September and October 2010, bulkheads can no longer be pre-selected (except, oddly, on an A320 I'm on DTW-DEN, where I was able to select 5F for next October).

Row 5 on the DC-9's were particularly great - - more legroom than in First.

Are there other veterans of the DL board who can provide insights or experiences on getting bulkheads preassigned (e.g., calling elite line in advance - - how early?; kiosk; counter; gate)?

If you ask at the gate, do you have to look kind of tall?

IME, it really is not consistent. Sometimes you can move in at check-in, sometimes at kiosk/luggage. Most often I get moved at a Sky Club or at the actual gate.

I've never had SMS be able to do it if it wasn't also available online.

Sometimes bulkhead IS available at time of booking for me... often they are later blocked out (I'm talking a couple months in advance).

I have nothing to add to this conversation other than when I read the word "fortnightly", I laughed out loud. I know it's a word, but it's a word that makes me laugh!! Fortnightly! Happens when I type it too!

Two FYI's...

1) anybody who is flying ex-NWA flights and who had bulkhead seats in your reservation, check your new Delta records. It's pretty much guaranteed you won't have bulkhead seats anymore.

2) When I called to restore my seats for an upcoming February trip, Chisholm didn't have a good rationale as to why Bulkhead seats aren't selectable anymore. My own personal guess is that they're holding them back for FAM's, handicapped/assisted or much more likely, future Roach Choice sales. The Elite line agent said that if enough frequent flyers write in to complain about this, management may change their mind regarding bulkhead seat availability.

What leads you to think they might bring it back? I haven't heard any rumors or seen anything indicating that they plan to bring it back. They made a pretty big deal about killing it; I'd be very surprised to see it come back.

It has long been DL's policy to hold bulkhead for airport assignment. I don't know why this is.

Email sent to Delta contact us.

This was a huge perk for me as an elite, because at 6'8, those bulkhead seats were ideal. Delta is doing a great job driving me to fly another airline. Between the worthless FF miles and the slowly diminishing perks, I question my sanity.

I'm pretty sure that no one at Delta actually reads what you write.

<My original email to Delta>

I am writing with regards to the new policy on bulkhead seating. Under
the old Northwest website, I was able to reserve bulkhead seats prior to
the flight and this proved to be a very nice elite perk to accomodate my
6'8 body. I'm very disappointed that Delta has chosen to block the
availability of all of these seats during the booking process. I do hope
that Delta reconsiders the current method for handling bulkhead seats
and takes an approach similar to that of Northwest.


<Delta's Response>

Thank you for your e-mail regarding Delta's SkyMiles program.

Based on the information you have provided, your request cannot be
addressed via e-mail.

In order to process your request, please contact our Reservation Sales
Department at 800-221-1212, 404-765-5000, or the number on the back of
your SkyMiles card. A representative will be glad to assist you.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. Suggestions from
our customers are an invaluable resource and we welcome any ideas you
may have to make our website even better.

There was a period on Saturday where the seat maps on former NW flights had been cleared out and the bulkheads were selectable. As of Sunday however, they are now blocked off as they are on all DL flights. However, I was able to select them during the time they were available on Saturday and they still appear as my seat assignments.

1) was not true for me. I had 5E on two DC-9s in my March trip, and they transferred over fine.