Using Delta Global Upgrade (GUC) with KLM Consolidated
 

I get every year 4 Global Upgrade when qualify for Diamond. These GU are limited to certain routes and ticket class with KLM and Air France.

Obviously the highest class ticket can be upgraded and AF only routes from US to Europe (not from Europe to Latin America), the number of seats are limited, etc etc.:(

Every time I tried to use them with KLM, called Delta Customer Service and the answer was always the same: "I don't meet one of the many criteria for using GU".:o

BUT, I found a better way to use them. I normally flight from TLV to AMS and then from AMS to a city in Latin America.@:-)

What I do is, when I arrive into Amsterdam, go to KLM lounge (Crown something) and ask from the very nice ladies at the Customer Service Desk, inside the Lounge, to use one of my GU.

SURPRISE, all they ask is for the GU number and as long as there are seats available, I GET THE UPGRADE.;)

Simple, easy, without too many questions! Enjoy!:cool:
If you have other tips like this, share it with us.

Yes, have to rely on same day J availability ex-AMS, but it's a great option. Used it for AMS-HKG last November.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...s-delta-9.html

FYI to the OP, changes were made around March to GUC usage on KLM. They now allow GUC's to be used on nearly all fare classes and the upgrade still books into Z. It is true that there's no waitlist for KLM but if you are booking far out enough in advance, you may be able to book an upgrade that a few months ago was not allowed.

wow....good info

everytime I have tried to use one I could, but only on Y rather than the lower bucket, and that as much as discounted J

I tried AMS-DXB in Feburary, decided to go coach since it is during the day and only 6 hours and coach fare was very low. I did inquire in the lounge and it was 40K miles and $200 co-pay. I would have done either one, but not both.

Sat in first row of Y and stared at empty J seats for 6 hours.

Wow!!! I don't know how I missed that! Did they advertise the change?

Someone was recently commenting on FB how they went to JNB through AMS on KL using GUC all the way and back from a cheap coach fare.
So I went back an checked the rule of PU590 again on delta.com and they still indicate YBM requirement for KL
https://www.delta.com/edoc/displayEd...ource=internal

Opens so many possibilities!

Don't think they talked about it but the website clearly mention it:


Use Global Upgrade Certificates on KLM-Operated, Delta-Marketed Flights

Beginning April 1, 2016, SkyMiles Diamond Medallion members can now use Global Upgrade Certificates for all fare classes (excluding Basic Economy (E)) on all KLM-operated flights that are marketed by Delta Air Lines. In addition, Global Upgrade Certificates will be available for use during the check-in process for all flights leaving from Amsterdam. The changes are designed to provide greater choice to our Diamond Medallion members across our partner network and greater access into KLM’s new World Business Class product. Onboard amenities of the cabin include:

180-degree seat recline
Private seat canopy
Meals prepared by Dutch three-star chef Jacob Jan Boerma

KLM currently offers service to Amsterdam from seven US cities (with Salt Lake City starting this May) and five Canadian cities. In addition, Global Upgrade Certificates can be used for KLM connecting flights from Amsterdam to Africa, Middle East, Asia, or any market with a World Business Class cabin.* With the exception of flights departing Amsterdam, Medallion members must contact a Delta reservations agent directly to apply the certificates for travel, and upgrades will remain subject to availability. For more information, please see Upgrade Certificates.

*Not all KLM-operated flights feature the new World Business Class product. Global Upgrade Certificates are still usable for any variation of KLM’s World Business Class product.


REDEMPTIONS ON KLM – ROYAL DUTCH AIRLINES

Valid on Delta-marketed, KLM-operated flights for use globally on published Main Cabin fares booked in Y, B, M, S, H, Q, K, L, U, T, X or V class to Business Class.
Valid on all KLM-marketed, KLM-operated flights from published Main Cabin fares in Y, B, M, S, H, Q, K, L, U, T, X, or V class to Business Class.
Global Upgrades on KLM flights must be confirmed 24 hours prior to departure.
For flights departing Amsterdam, Global Upgrade Certificates may be applied prior to check-in either with a KLM ticketing agent or at a KLM Crown Lounge.
Global Upgrade Certificates may not be used to waitlist for a KLM-operated flight.

edit: That link shows your RL name. You ok with that?

How do you apply a GUC in the lounge "prior to check in"?

The wording makes it sound like RUCs can't be used to upgrade intraEU KLM frlight to/from AMS to their EuroBusiness class. Does anyone know whether this is what DL really means or is the reference to upgrading only to (old or new) WBC a mistake? The bottom part says business class, suggesting that EuroBusiness class is included.

Important caveat -- the new rules allowing GUCs to be used in advance on all fares on KLM only applies if the flight is booked with a DL flight number. Doesn't work if booked on a KL flight number.

Edit: Actually, the rules above suggest that maybe this has changed again. Originally when this change came out (without any fanfare) you needed a DL flight number. But maybe not even that any more.

Believe it's not what it is saying.
May be applied prior to check-in either with a KLM ticketing agent (ie KLM ticketoffice at Schiphol/Amsterdam Airport, Departure Hall 2, Opposite check-in desk 16) or at a KLM Crown Lounge
Nevertheless you can simply by using Privium or arriving at @AMS with another flight and choice to check in at one of their lounges :)

&

REGIONAL UPGRADE CERTIFICATES REDEMPTION ON PARTNERS

Regional upgrades may not be used on partner airlines.

Of course I wouldn't expect to use GUCs on KLM partners (other than DL and AF), whether SkyTeam members or not, but I've used them in the past for intraEU flights, IIRC including some that were KLM and some CityHopper (which I understand to be part of KLM and not a partner).

I understand the "prior to check in" phrase to mean that you cannot apply a GUC to a flight after you've checked in, which seems to contradict the way KLM has been emphasizing the selling (for miles and money) of upgrades in their lounges at AMS.

You can GUC's on KL, KL Cityhopper, AF and also Cityjet (the last one is afaik a partner as AF sold it). DL also states that.

2nd sentence was about RUC's as you can see and not about GUC's.

Don't worry about not being able to use your GUC's before or after you checked in. You will be able to use them, both at AMS and at outer stations.

I recently flew to Scandinavia via AMS, DL metal TATL and DL-coded, KL-metal to Scandinavia. I was using a GUC one way (and the TATL cleared immediately). I was told by several agents that I could not use it on the DL-coded, KL-metal portion. I pointed out what is stated above, and was told "that's not what that means". I did have one agent tell me that it could be done but that I couldn't wait list. So I asked, if I'm not allowed to wait list, how would I know when upgrade space was available? The answer was "just keep calling back". I didn't have time for this, especially as intra-European business is not a big deal.

I didn't bother asking in the Crown Lounge in AMS because I had given up on it at that point and basically forgotten about it.

Does that mean you'd earn 150% MQMs for the segment?

Negative, you will earn the normal pre-upgraded MQM's.

That's sadly a lot of times a problem. KLM only opens a lot of space within the 24 hour window. Too late for the Delta agents and you will end up with DoD upgrades done by KL agents at the airport (and some will not follow the rules or know how to perform the upgrade)

But in this case, if you can't waitlist, then how would they apply the GUC? DL had to reissue the ticket (otherwise I could not check in), and then they closed it (the GUC) out. So would the KLM agents know to apply a closed out GUC? So as I understand this, if KLM opens lots of space within 24 hours, I'd need to make sure to delay my check-in and hope DL doesn't reissue the ticket (and thus close out my GUC), right? What a hassle.

If Delta doesn't reissue the ticket you might run into problems with the TATL leg (for upgrades your most important leg)
Your average KL agent will ask/type the GUC number and see if it's open or closed. If it is open no problem. If it's closed the fun begins. Generally bring all my papers & the rules and explain how they work and what already happened with the GUC..then hope for the best. Prepare for 'this is not possible' ;).

I applied and cleared at booking a GUC on KLM metal LAX-AMS-STR. Called into DM line armed with the DL flight number (this was a code share) but agent booked and upgraded the KL flight numbers. So definitely not needed, and possibly must be booked as KL flights under the new rules? YMMV

expertflyer shows upgrade space available on KLM flights under the Z fare bucket, fyi

For DL flights, you can apply a GUC to one segment and wait list it for another segment. If the ticket is reissued to reflect the first upgrade, this doesn't prevent the same "closed" GUC from being cleared later for the other segment.

If a KLM agent gives you trouble on this, you could try just telling them to use a new GUC and then fight later with DL for the return of the second GUC.

How do GUCs used on KLM flights affect MQMs earned? My wife used GUCs to book into the Z fare class, will that earn 150% MQMs? The original fare class would have only earned 100%.

They don't. You earn MQMs based on the fare paid, the same as when one does an instrument supported upgrade on a DL flight. Of course, YMMV if a mistake is made.

Good point. But I only recently started using EF again after they appear to have added DL inventory information.

For a 2 hour intra-European flight, to me this is not worth the hassle. Given the time that I have spent in the past trying to resolve DL issues with GUCs, resolving this after the fact would likely take longer than the 2 hour flight.

I know this is how this is supposed to work, but have you seen this in practice? On Delta the GUC reissues the ticket to OP/OU, which keeps MQMs at the original fare class, but I thought it was strange the KLM flights were reissued to Z.

Deleted

I've never had an upgraded KLM or AF segment post at 150% unless the underlying original coach fare class should have earned 150% (Y B or Y B M formerly). Maybe others here have been lucky.

Even after reading everything here, I'm still confused.

Going MSP -> AMS -> JNB. If I use a GUC on this, and can't be confirmed on the second portion but also (according to Delta) can't be wait-listed, what is my status with respect to the second flight? I don't understand how, when, or who can help me get that upgrade.

I am not 100% sure, but I would hope that if your first leg upgrade is confirmed, and the second leg upgrade later becomes available, you would be able to call Delta and have them extend the GUC that is used on the first leg to also cover the second leg. (I would think this should work since it is similar to the strategy when one flies a routing like ORD-JFK-LHR and applies the GUC only to the JFK-LHR leg, and then if that leg clears, calls back and asks for it to also be applied to the ORD-JFK leg, so as not to waste it on a domestic flight if the international leg doesn't clear.)

Up to you but if you are unable to confirm the upgrade on the second leg, it may be worth signing up for an ExpertFlyer account so you can set a fare class alert for when/if the second leg becomes available.

If you don't want to do that you could also call or tweet Delta periodically to check if upgrade space is available on the second leg. But in this case EF is probably worth it since KLM upgrades are still relatively new so I wouldn't be surprised if some agents were to give you misinformation on KLM upgrade availability through those channels.

Nothing will happen if you don't do anything. You have to make regular calls to Delta and ask if KL released a seat. Before the T-24 mark Delta agents can upgrade you, within the T-24 (when KLM most likely releases the seats) you have to go inside the KL lounge or KL ticket desk in AMS.

I've been keeping an eye on ExpertFlyer for an upcoming KL-operated segment where I have applied a GUC and cleared the DL TATL portion so that I can call and jump on it if Z opens up in advance. Once this gets to T-24 and can no longer be cleared by Delta, has anyone had any luck calling KL at T-24? Seems to be lots of mention of going to a KL desk or lounge to clear it, and the possibility that they will have sold the seats by the time you get there, so I'm just curious if anyone has tried calling KL.

Also just to share my experience for others who might be trying to apply a GUC for a flight with a KL segment, it took me three tries before I got an agent that correctly understood the process for KL flights, including one who simply told me "that flight is completely sold out" (which it is not.) So it may take a few calls.

no, 'that's not possible' you have to go to the airport.

Anyone have a workaround for DL agents not seeing the Z inventory that EF shows available? I have a KL coded DL operated flight; agents not seeing what EF shows.

Fair enough. When I go to the airport, I'm assuming I'll need to give the KLM agent the number of the GUC that DL has applied to the rest of my itinerary? Is there any way to determine that other than calling DL and asking them, and then writing it down? I see the numbers for 3 of my certificates in my 'wallet' on delta.com (but not in the app) though I can't actually tell which GUC is applied to which leg.

They will ask the number & redemption code. Please remember that the KLM agents are not Delta agents and are working with different systems. They basically can only see if it closed or open and rely on you to providing the correct info. They are unable to see what kind & amount of GUC's you have in your wallet.
Better make sure you have the correct info before you are in AMS.

So, I have a flight coming up very soon. I have been cleared the whole way using a GUC. Including two KLM flights intra Europe. I have seat assignments on my DL flights, but not on my KLM flights. Does anyone know if I need to have the certificate numbers to clear on those flights? I looked in my Delta Wallet, and the certificates are closed and gone. No idea what the numbers are.

You should be able to select those seats using KLM or AF.com or by calling/using twitter. No GUC needed once cleared.

So at the airport, I was able to upgrade with miles on a KLM flight from Africa to AMS, which was great. You don't get any MQM bonuses (just originally paid fare) and the check-in desk has you go to the ticket office first to clear the upgrade. Similar to a GUC, just paid with miles. Pretty easy. At AMS, my flights always seem full in biz, so no luck for me!

I assume you mean you upgraded with Delta miles? Out of curiosity, how many miles did it cost, Africa to AMS?

Was 35k miles (the guy before me was 30k) so I assume it's based on either fare class or fare paid. AMS-MSP was going to be 25k but then none were available on a DL flight (required approval from a Delta Red Coat at the gate)

From my experience just now at the KLM Crown Lounge in AMS, it sure appears that it does prevent the GUC from being used for the KLM leg on day-of-departure (or the agent just didn't know how.) The KLM agent took my GUC and reference code, and it said the it was already exchanged and there was nothing she could do. The whole thing was quite an affair, including the DL agent on the phone with me asking to talk to the KL agent, and the KL agent refusing.

In the end, I ended up burning a different GUC, and the DL supervisor said she will document it so that I get it back. Hopefully that happens quickly enough for me to use it on my return KLM flight, since it was my last one and I imagine the GUC I have currently applied to that leg will be of no use to me, since the DL leg has already cleared.