Quick Question: Traveling with Family
Nov 14, 2011, 4:37 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: DCA
Programs: DL Plat, Priority Club Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 183
Quick Question: Traveling with Family
I'm a new Plat and have a DL Amex Plat.
Family is joining me on business trip in January. I booked my travel through work travel agency per usual. Then I used miles to book 3 coach award tickets for DH and kids.
I understand that there is someway that you can call the Plat Line and they will "connect" your reservation to the others so you are one party - if I do this, would they then show up as receiving the free checked bags through my DL Amex Plat ("free bags for everyone in your party") as its a ski trip so we will have lots of bags? Also, would it open up more options for better coach seats (or maybe the Plat line could help me with the seat assignments for the family just by calling them)?
Also, anyway to do that but be eligible to get an upgrade on my seat (no one else in family has status - although I could gift DH Silver as I haven't used my Plat choice yet)? My hope was that if I get upgraded, DH and I could split 5 hour flight, 1/2 dealing with kids in coach and 1/2 enjoying the quiet of FC. But I believe that if you "connect" your ticket to a larger group that includes folks without status, then you basically lose a lot of your chances for upgrades?
Silly issue but figure others will have traveled with non-status family more than I have and would have thoughts.
TYIA!
Family is joining me on business trip in January. I booked my travel through work travel agency per usual. Then I used miles to book 3 coach award tickets for DH and kids.
I understand that there is someway that you can call the Plat Line and they will "connect" your reservation to the others so you are one party - if I do this, would they then show up as receiving the free checked bags through my DL Amex Plat ("free bags for everyone in your party") as its a ski trip so we will have lots of bags? Also, would it open up more options for better coach seats (or maybe the Plat line could help me with the seat assignments for the family just by calling them)?
Also, anyway to do that but be eligible to get an upgrade on my seat (no one else in family has status - although I could gift DH Silver as I haven't used my Plat choice yet)? My hope was that if I get upgraded, DH and I could split 5 hour flight, 1/2 dealing with kids in coach and 1/2 enjoying the quiet of FC. But I believe that if you "connect" your ticket to a larger group that includes folks without status, then you basically lose a lot of your chances for upgrades?
Silly issue but figure others will have traveled with non-status family more than I have and would have thoughts.
TYIA!
Nov 14, 2011, 5:05 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: on the path to perdition
Programs: Delta, United
Posts: 4,786
The linking is just a note in the PNR nothing more.
For the free bags all need to be under the same reservation:
http://www.delta.com/traveling_check...t_bag_free.jsp
The same for a companion traveling with a some one with status:
http://www.delta.com/traveling_check...cked/index.jsp
However, if not under the same reservation all members must traveling together with the same itinerary. This is where the "*" foot note is on this page. However, the explanation is not on the page but used to say something to that affect.
As for upgrades, given the bloat of people with status I would not be concerned with it. That said you can put in for a companion upgrade not on the same PNR but I can not remember the mechanics of it. I think you need to do it at the gate.
As for seats call the plat line and ask. Should be able to do that as a family.
For the free bags all need to be under the same reservation:
http://www.delta.com/traveling_check...t_bag_free.jsp
The same for a companion traveling with a some one with status:
http://www.delta.com/traveling_check...cked/index.jsp
However, if not under the same reservation all members must traveling together with the same itinerary. This is where the "*" foot note is on this page. However, the explanation is not on the page but used to say something to that affect.
As for upgrades, given the bloat of people with status I would not be concerned with it. That said you can put in for a companion upgrade not on the same PNR but I can not remember the mechanics of it. I think you need to do it at the gate.
As for seats call the plat line and ask. Should be able to do that as a family.
Nov 14, 2011, 7:18 pm
#4
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Columbia, SC
Programs: AA Plat, SPG/Marriot Gold, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Expl
Posts: 2,363
Nov 14, 2011, 7:36 pm
#5
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: AL
Programs: All of the Above
Posts: 1,374
I'm a new Plat and have a DL Amex Plat.
Family is joining me on business trip in January. I booked my travel through work travel agency per usual. Then I used miles to book 3 coach award tickets for DH and kids.
I understand that there is someway that you can call the Plat Line and they will "connect" your reservation to the others so you are one party - if I do this, would they then show up as receiving the free checked bags through my DL Amex Plat ("free bags for everyone in your party") as its a ski trip so we will have lots of bags? Also, would it open up more options for better coach seats (or maybe the Plat line could help me with the seat assignments for the family just by calling them)?
Also, anyway to do that but be eligible to get an upgrade on my seat (no one else in family has status - although I could gift DH Silver as I haven't used my Plat choice yet)? My hope was that if I get upgraded, DH and I could split 5 hour flight, 1/2 dealing with kids in coach and 1/2 enjoying the quiet of FC. But I believe that if you "connect" your ticket to a larger group that includes folks without status, then you basically lose a lot of your chances for upgrades?
Silly issue but figure others will have traveled with non-status family more than I have and would have thoughts.
TYIA!
Family is joining me on business trip in January. I booked my travel through work travel agency per usual. Then I used miles to book 3 coach award tickets for DH and kids.
I understand that there is someway that you can call the Plat Line and they will "connect" your reservation to the others so you are one party - if I do this, would they then show up as receiving the free checked bags through my DL Amex Plat ("free bags for everyone in your party") as its a ski trip so we will have lots of bags? Also, would it open up more options for better coach seats (or maybe the Plat line could help me with the seat assignments for the family just by calling them)?
Also, anyway to do that but be eligible to get an upgrade on my seat (no one else in family has status - although I could gift DH Silver as I haven't used my Plat choice yet)? My hope was that if I get upgraded, DH and I could split 5 hour flight, 1/2 dealing with kids in coach and 1/2 enjoying the quiet of FC. But I believe that if you "connect" your ticket to a larger group that includes folks without status, then you basically lose a lot of your chances for upgrades?
Silly issue but figure others will have traveled with non-status family more than I have and would have thoughts.
TYIA!
I've done this a couple times. It's worked where I've been upgraded at my window, so I get 3 bags free. Whenever we've had more than 3 bags, at the check in counter they can manually not charge the fam for their bags because of the Am Ex. Phone agents tell me YMMV, but I've never had a DL agent at the airport not waive the baggage fee for the fam. I've even had friends/colleagues that were traveling on some portion of my flight (like only 1 segment), without having our itineraries "linked", still have their baggage fee waived just because I was checking in with them, and we asked.
They won't join the PNR, but "link" them, aka it looks as though you're all traveling together, but not on the same reservation. Then you can ask for the fam to be put on the UG list. It doesn't change you're place on the UG list, and most certainly they will be on the bottom of the UG list. In doing this, the Mrs. has only gotten an UG about 10% of the time, but there is a chance. Of course, when I get the UG and she's #25 of #25, I always give it to her.
As far as seat assignments, call the PM desk and have them link the tickets, then ask to move the fam to the same row you're in (or any other row that has enough open seats). The fam can't move the seats for themselves to your row, but you can move them via the PM phone agents.
I may get flamed for this, but last month we were flying for my daughter's b'day to MCO, and on the return I cleared at the window, and my 4 yr old daughter was begging me to sit up front. I talked to the FA, seatmate, and the mom and daughter across the aisle. I told them "daughter's b'day, she's never gotten to sit up front. she's just gonna sit here and color, and I'm 3 rows back (I always pick the back row FC seat if flying with fam). Is that cool?" All said of course, FA's were great (even got a JWD cert), and it absolutely made my daughter's day.