No complimentary upgrade if ticket is not on DL stock?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: MSP
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium, UA Silver, Hertz 5*
Posts: 911
No complimentary upgrade if ticket is not on DL stock?
Perhaps this thread may be more appropriate in the Korean Skypass forum. If so, please feel free to move.
I purchased 3 award tickets on the same reservation using Korean Air Skypass miles from MSP-KOA (via LAX) earlier in the year for the wife (who is DM), daughter and myself. I pulled up the reservation on DL.com and replaced the KE Skypass numbers with our DL Skymiles numbers in order to get seat assignments and checked bag benefits. Since there are 3 passengers on the reservation, complimentary upgrades are not available. I called the DM line asking them to split the reservation. After some amount of time and after multiple HUCA episodes with various DM agents, I am ready to give up. My outbound flight to KOA is tomorrow.
Some of the excuses are:
1. Reservation cannot be split because its not on DL stock (A 006 ticket number is needed, mine's on KE)
2. Upgrades are not allowed for mileage tickets. I corrected that by pointing them to delta.com
3. Upgrades are not given to companions on mileage tickets. I corrected that too.
4. Upgrades are not allowed if you buy a ticket from another airline. Umm.. really? We now make up excuses as we go along?
5. A number of other variations of the above.
Has anyone experienced this? What are the real rules? One of the agents suggested that I get my tickets re-issued by KE into 2 reservations and then see what the reservation system does. She still seemed to believe that even if I did that, the upgrade wouldn't go through since it was not a DL issued ticket.
What are my options at this point? Talk to the gate agent and hope s/he is having a good day?
I purchased 3 award tickets on the same reservation using Korean Air Skypass miles from MSP-KOA (via LAX) earlier in the year for the wife (who is DM), daughter and myself. I pulled up the reservation on DL.com and replaced the KE Skypass numbers with our DL Skymiles numbers in order to get seat assignments and checked bag benefits. Since there are 3 passengers on the reservation, complimentary upgrades are not available. I called the DM line asking them to split the reservation. After some amount of time and after multiple HUCA episodes with various DM agents, I am ready to give up. My outbound flight to KOA is tomorrow.
Some of the excuses are:
1. Reservation cannot be split because its not on DL stock (A 006 ticket number is needed, mine's on KE)
2. Upgrades are not allowed for mileage tickets. I corrected that by pointing them to delta.com
3. Upgrades are not given to companions on mileage tickets. I corrected that too.
4. Upgrades are not allowed if you buy a ticket from another airline. Umm.. really? We now make up excuses as we go along?
5. A number of other variations of the above.
Has anyone experienced this? What are the real rules? One of the agents suggested that I get my tickets re-issued by KE into 2 reservations and then see what the reservation system does. She still seemed to believe that even if I did that, the upgrade wouldn't go through since it was not a DL issued ticket.
What are my options at this point? Talk to the gate agent and hope s/he is having a good day?
#2
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: FLL
Programs: Delta PM, Marriott Plat., SPG Plat.
Posts: 127
I had an issue with a Delta flight on KL ticket stock, where the domestic segment would not waitlist me for an F upgrade. However, this was a revenue ticket, not an award ticket.
After a few minutes, the kind representative was able to reticket to DL ticket stock, and I was then able to get C+ seats and get waitlisted for an upgrade in F on the domestic segment.
Could you possibly give them a call back to get the ticket reticketed to DL ticket stock? IDK whether this would be possible, since you used KE miles to book the itinerary.
After a few minutes, the kind representative was able to reticket to DL ticket stock, and I was then able to get C+ seats and get waitlisted for an upgrade in F on the domestic segment.
Could you possibly give them a call back to get the ticket reticketed to DL ticket stock? IDK whether this would be possible, since you used KE miles to book the itinerary.
#3
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: DL PM/MM, Hilton Silver, SPG+, Hertz PC
Posts: 7,898
Yes. If ticket is on another airline stock, you are not eligible for medallion upgrades (nor any other, such as mileage upgrades, etc.) until the day of departure, when control goes over to DL.
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: 45 North
Programs: DL DM MM, HH Diamond
Posts: 10,196
IIRC, I had a Delta segment on UA stock and was upgraded in advance. It was DL coded, DL operated.
#6
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: DL DM, SPG Plat 100/LT Gold, Marriott Plat, National Executive Elite
Posts: 2,988
This is likely because OP booked SkyPass Award Tickets.
Only SkyMiles Award tickets are eligible for comp upgrades, and even then, in limited circumstances.
Delta also cannot split a Korean reservation. AF and KL examples are different because of the already codified JV.
Only SkyMiles Award tickets are eligible for comp upgrades, and even then, in limited circumstances.
Delta also cannot split a Korean reservation. AF and KL examples are different because of the already codified JV.