Kadence

Looking at a one way flight home from Cancun to Newark in late August, flight operated by Delta. (DL386, DL2415)

• On the Delta website the flight is $276.02 (197.00 for flight, $79.02 taxes & fees).
• On the Aeromexico site the flight is $249.32 (the only breakdown given is Other Taxes and Fees $75.62 &VAT $6.70

Would there be any reason not to book the flight with Aeromexico to save $25? If going thru the Delta site though, an Amex cc offer pops up to save $200 on this flight and earn 40k miles after spending 2k.

flyerCO

Other than DoD you'll be required to go through AM for any changes. DL CS is far superior, and I wouldn't give that up for $25.

Kadence

What is DoD?

flyerCO

Day of Departure

indufan

It is probably an E fare so there aren't likely to be any changes.

TheHorta

Kadence

A third party booking site was never mentioned so what's your point?

ajggiant

If I've correctly matched the fares with the date (second half of August), then the DL fare is T, the AM fare according to matrix is N/V. OP, is you're a SkyMiles member, by my math you'll earn about 1/3 less redeemable miles and MQD on the AM fare versus Delta fare (but you'll save some $$). If you're a SkyMiles medallion, I expect you won't be able to enjoy the same benefits (upgrades, preferred seats) on an AM-marketed, DL-operated ticket as you would on a DL marketed and operated ticket (this applies to other partners, but I don't have direct experience on AM).

I assume you specifically want to go into EWR and will take a stop to do that, but just in case, there's a direct CUN-JFK (DL789) that is $240 on the date I think you're traveling. Departs 3:30 pm instead of 5:15 pm.

KKinLA

I have booked a number of Delta trips on Expedia and never had a problem. Last year for a trip to MEX the price of the airfare on delta.com was more than the cost of the airfare(for the same flight) and hotel combined on Expedia. The itinerary showed up immediately after booking on delta.com and I received full mileage credit.

flyerCO

AM eould be a thrid party booking site if booking just DL flights. Any booking avenue except directly with the operating airline is thrid party. In fact legally AM would be viewed just as a travel agency in regards to booking of the DL flights.

Duke787

Do you have any status?

If so you'll want to stick with DL for upgrade purposes if you are GM or above since you won't be able to clear the upgrade lists (F and C+) until DOD on AM flight numbers.

dlflyer00

rucksack

Not really. Delta owns a large share of Aeromexico and they operate a JCA. Both airlines market flights where one is the operating carrier for one leg and the other is the operating carrier for the other leg. Who would be the "third party" in this case?

If you booked a Delta flight through American Airlines (yes, this is possible, thanks to their reinstated interline agreement), I suppose it would be fair to say that American Airlines is the travel agent. But I don't think that logic applies to codeshare partners.

rucksack

Just to be clear, this only applies to Delta-operated segments of your trip. Complimentary upgrades for Delta Medallion members on Aeromexico-operated flights are day of departure only, regardless of who marketed the flight.

So, imagine you're flying CVG-DTW-MEX where CVG-DTW is operated by Delta but DTW-MEX is operated by AM. If you bought a AM-marketed ticket, you'd have to wait until DoD to upgrade to C+ or F on CVG-DTW even if your Medallion benefits entitle you to upgrades upon booking or at the window. You'd be subject to DoD upgrades for DTW-MEX even if you had booked a DL marketed flight, since in this example, it's AM operated.

flyerCO

Anytime an airline books a flight marketed by another airline, they're doing so as a "travel agent." Last time I checked that exact wording was even in the contract of carriage. They may contractually be able to do more for close partners, but nonetheless it's still viewed as acting as a travel agent for the OAL.

For this purpose, codeshare flights are considered flights of the marketing airline. Thus a DL codeshare on AM metal is actually considered a DL flight. If DL booked an AM codeshare on DL metal, even though in the end passenger will fly DL, they're acting as a TA for AM in selling the AM marketed flight.