Selecting Comfort+ after Travel Agent booking
Apr 19, 2019, 9:40 am
#1
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: IAH
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Selecting Comfort+ after Travel Agent booking
I'm looking at flights and DL is pricing out a bit cheaper than UA is. This itinerary isn't bookable online (involves a second carrier that's not in the usual bunch), so I'll be getting a TA to book it. If they book as a straight economy purchase, is there anything stopping me from going online to my booking in order to select seats into Comfort+ (not premium select)? What's giving me hesitancy is on the DL website, it's showing as a separate cabin (even though it isn't).
Apr 19, 2019, 10:34 am
#2
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL PM, Bonvoy Gold
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I'm looking at flights and DL is pricing out a bit cheaper than UA is. This itinerary isn't bookable online (involves a second carrier that's not in the usual bunch), so I'll be getting a TA to book it. If they book as a straight economy purchase, is there anything stopping me from going online to my booking in order to select seats into Comfort+ (not premium select)? What's giving me hesitancy is on the DL website, it's showing as a separate cabin (even though it isn't).
Apr 19, 2019, 11:45 am
#3
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Is the OP planning to pay for C+ or hoping to get it as a free elite "upgrade"?
I suspect that part of the answer might depend on whether the TA sells a special (bulk/consolidator) fare versus a published fare.
I suspect that part of the answer might depend on whether the TA sells a special (bulk/consolidator) fare versus a published fare.
Apr 19, 2019, 11:54 am
#4
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I can't speak to bulk/consolidator fares though.
Apr 19, 2019, 1:47 pm
#6
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All my corporate travel routes through a TA, specifically AMEX GBT (via Concur), and I've never had an issue with C+ (either with the option to buy when Silver or GM or upgrading from the list) or with upgrade as soon as the flight tickets (as PM)
Apr 19, 2019, 2:29 pm
#7
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In my experience in using CWT as my corporate travel agent, after I make the booking it takes approximately 25-45 minutes to ticket, then a few minutes on the delta side for the upgrade engine to process to upgrade to C+ (assuming seats are available). All told, about an hour after I book through the travel agent, it will show a comfort plus seat on the Delta app.
Apr 19, 2019, 3:15 pm
#8
Join Date: Nov 2009
Programs: DL PM 1MM
Posts: 3,439
I'm looking at flights and DL is pricing out a bit cheaper than UA is. This itinerary isn't bookable online (involves a second carrier that's not in the usual bunch), so I'll be getting a TA to book it. If they book as a straight economy purchase, is there anything stopping me from going online to my booking in order to select seats into Comfort+ (not premium select)? What's giving me hesitancy is on the DL website, it's showing as a separate cabin (even though it isn't).
Apr 20, 2019, 12:43 pm
#10
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL PM, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 8,414
You should be able to go online and pay to upgrade to C+. If that does not work you could try calling. Delta might try to charge you a $50 fee in addition to whatever you pay to upgrade because they will be taking over a TA ticket.
Apr 20, 2019, 1:03 pm
#11
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Apr 20, 2019, 6:47 pm
#12
Join Date: Aug 2012
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I've got a current ticket through Viking Cruises (likely bulk/consolidator rate that booked into V class) where it was pretty easy to buy C+ in either cash or miles on the transatlantic Delta-operated segments once the ticket went from reserved to conformed.
Apr 21, 2019, 9:08 am
#13
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Apr 21, 2019, 9:23 am
#14
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Until fairly recently, it was not posssible on a TA-issued ticket to pay to upgrade booking classes without calling DL, and having them take over the ticket for $50. Maybe you don’t consider that “an issue”, but I do.
Now you can just select the seat from the seat map in any upgraded cabin, and DL.com will price the difference for you and you can confirm it, using $ or miles.
Apr 21, 2019, 10:25 am
#15
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You’ve “never” had an issue?
Until fairly recently, it was not posssible on a TA-issued ticket to pay to upgrade booking classes without calling DL, and having them take over the ticket for $50. Maybe you don’t consider that “an issue”, but I do.
Now you can just select the seat from the seat map in any upgraded cabin, and DL.com will price the difference for you and you can confirm it, using $ or miles.
Until fairly recently, it was not posssible on a TA-issued ticket to pay to upgrade booking classes without calling DL, and having them take over the ticket for $50. Maybe you don’t consider that “an issue”, but I do.
Now you can just select the seat from the seat map in any upgraded cabin, and DL.com will price the difference for you and you can confirm it, using $ or miles.
The times I've upfared, DL has never charged me the $50 to take over the ticket, just the cost difference between the corporate Y rate and the new fare.
The only time they've charged me is when I go through them to change flights during non-IRROPs situations instead of going through AMEX GBT (and I only do that in rare circumstances where I need to change something on the spot and don't have time to deal with AMEX getting in the middle).