DL Checkin and Baggage Question
 

Taking a family trip in a few weeks mco to slc. Wife and I are on FC tickets and 5 others in coach. I am Gold Medalion and also have Delta reserve amex. We are on seperate iteneraries because I have never figured out how to buy tickets in different cabins in one purchase. We are all on the same flight.

Can we all checkin as one party in Sky Priority lane?

Can my family take advantage of free checked bags given my status and /or the Amex card?

if they should not check in sky priority do I need to go with them so they can check bags free? If so do I just tell the desk agent they are with me? Not sure what that would do since desk agent response would be who are you....

I know there is a way to link inteneraries but I don’t know if that does anything in this regard. If linked are you on the same intenerary which is what the baggage fee waiver language seems to require.

Trying to avoid confusion as 5 of the 7 seldom fly and save them bag fees. It is a 15 day trip to somewhere cold (Yellowstone) so carry ons only would be tough.

I asked this same question, although I wasn't in different itineraries they made it very clear for the other people to take advantage of my (also gold) status they had to be in the SAME reservation as I was. Saying they are "with you" means nothing unless you are on the same reservation.

You might get by security and even boarding with a bunch of paper boarding passes, but it won't work for free bags. Although you could check some of theirs as your bags to avoid cost since you get 3 per person in first. Between the 7 if you if you keep it to six bags you won't have to pay.

Pretty sure that is NOT the case if they aren't on the same reservation.

Here is an email I got from Delta.

"Gold, Platinum, and Reserve American Express Credit Card members are also eligible for priority boarding. This benefit only applies to the primary card member.

Also, eligible customers who are traveling with family or companions and who are booked in the same reservation will receive priority check-in, priority boarding, expedited baggage service, and access to expedited security (at select airports) and help centers."

I don't know the answer to that, no harm in calling the medallion line and asking. I called them a few hours ago wait time wasn't too bad for GM.

No, not possible. Howev er while the terms say in one reservation, you should have no issue. Agent can enter the waiver into system. AS long as no more then total passenger that would be entitled to benefit you'll be fine.

Something to consider in future reservations, book yourself in coach and one of the family members in FC with your wife. Then swap sweats with the family member (board with each others BP).
Then your status applies to all the family members booked with you in coach, and the other family member with your seat in FC gets FC boarding/baggage.
And who knows, you might get 1-2 upgrades for other family memebers.

I have asked Delta representatives about this many times. They have told me most of the time the agent at the airport will waive the bag fees for your traveling companions despite being on different reservations. It has always worked for me.

Bring everyone to sky priority check in, agents can give complimentary medallion baggage waivers to them as well. As for tsa sky priority line that's up to the airport can't guarantee they can all go with you through sky.
Even when reservations says they link reservations the airport agents can never see it. You can take people off a reservation but never add on/combine

I think you should re-check about companions traveling in a separate PNR. As long as they have the same itinerary, up to 8 will receive the medallion's fee waiver. This "might" have just changed or been updated in the last few days.

It has always said "same reservation", not "same itinerary". There have been reports that there is internal policy to waive the fee for a single companion on same itin, and perhaps others have gotten lucky with more than one companion. But this has never been a published policy.

https://web.archive.org/web/20101202...t_bag_free.jsp

"Fee waiver also available for passengers traveling in the same reservation as the Basic Cardmember. Maximum nine waivers per reservation"

No, technically you can't get the free bags for others outside of the PNR you are booked in. Others with a different PNR (reservation) can be linked to yours (in case say there is issues with flight) but it doesn't get you the free bags. However, a nice check in agent maybe able to get that done. Also you should check as many under your name as suggested above.

For future complex bookings, I usually call the agents and have them do it. I suspect they have a way to get you all under one PNR

All passengers on the same PNR must be booked on exactly same flights, and in exactly the same cabins. Since OP and wife are in F and rest in coach, it's not possible to be on one PNR. This is part of the reason DL has allowed benefits to be extended even though technically should be on one PNR.

Thanks all. i will give it a shot on the 18th. The return flight has 12 of us on June 2nd though we may not all arrive at the airport same time so most will be on their own. Wife and I will probably be in the sky club after two weeks sharing a house with family...