MSPeconomist

You can check availability (especially important if partner operated segments are included) by trying a dummy booking for the total number of people. This should show the maximum number of miles that you will pay per ticket. When you actually purchase them, the first might be available at a much lower number of miles, the second for slightly more miles than the first, etc.

You can then call DL and ask that the PNRs be linked, but this doesn't do much.

BTW, you can purchase a ticket for someone else from your FF account without transferring miles to their account if your account has enough miles. Transfers can be expensive relative to the value of the miles, but can make sense if you only need a few more miles for an available award ticket you want---or it might make sense to just buy the miles from DL rather than transferring them into your account.

ChurnieEls

Had a 4hr20m delay on an DL outbound flight from the US to Europe this past Wednesday along with a 2hr wait for baggage at the destination. Just want to confirm my understanding that neither EU-261 or the 2.5k Skymiles on time baggage guarantee applies? (Which sucks!)

Goodoldflyer

The "baggage on time" is just a domestic thing, so not applicable.

ATOBTTR

Question for ATL. If I have an international flight, do I have to check-in or bag drop at the F terminal? Or can I check-in and/or bag drop at the domestic terminal?

Scenario: I have a TPAC Int'l flight with a very early flight out of DAY currently (all DL segments and all one ticket/reservation). Since it's the same fare, I am considering rebooking to depart DAY the night before and overnight in ATL by the airport before catching the TPAC segment on the day I'm currently scheduled for the TPAC segment. I would be short-checking my checked bag in this scenario to have with me for the overnight layover at the hotel.

So I guess my question is in two parts (the second question being my bigger concern).
1) Will I already be checked-in for the TPAC segment when I check-in at DAY? I presume I will be but not 100% sure as I've never done an overnight layover on the same ticket before. I.e. will I just have to go to the counter to get the bag re-tagged?
2) My bigger question: does it matter which terminal I go to in ATL since I'm on DL? I don't know which hotel I would stay at yet but if I stay at one of the Gateway Hotels, that light rail brings you to the domestic terminal and if I have to go to the international terminal, I would obviously have to catch that shuttle around the airport to F.
-- Sub question for perhaps anyone who may know even if it's not DL specifically. Does anyone know if the Renaissance hotel does drop offs at the Int'l terminal?

(The other question I'll have to research before changing is to make sure this won't have any impacts on when I do my pre-departure COVID test which it shouldn't - I still plan to do my PCR test 2 days before the TPAC leg and the place I've gone to before is pretty good about turning tests within a few hours).

MSPeconomist

The 2500 miles for a late bag only applies to domestic flights/itineraries. (I'm not sure what the rule would say if you had walked the bag through customs after an international arrival and then taken a domestic connecting flight.

EC261 doesn't apply for DL operated flights TO Europe, just from Europe. If you connected onto KLM/AF (etc.) and then arrived at some further destination late, you might be able to claim EC261 delay compensation from the European airline (which would probably then bill DL).

If you complain to DL, you'll probably get a lot of miles as an apology, especially if the late departure was DL's fault.

ChurnieEls

On that one, can definitely confirm that it worked today for me on an international -> domestic connection for the domestic portion of the flight. Original connection was canceled yesterday though, so perhaps that worked in my favor.

I threw in a complaint for what it'll be worth, DL44 on 7/20, so I don't know if any EF pros can see what the reason was for it. I think my bigger issue is that a $15 voucher doesn't even buy you a sandwich and a water in JFK. They definitely need to apply a CPI increase to that!

beachmouse

Bags on Time claim works just fine when you end with a domestic leg after an international one. It’s all about the final flight segment- I’d guess their code was only set up to easily check that last leg rather than anything else on the PNR- verify domestic leg, subtract arrival time from bag on belt log time and credit if needed.

WGM

We did something similar in May flying BNA-ATL-SJO. BNA departure was 5:00 so I called and rebooked for day -1 evening departure, overnighted in ATL and fly next morning. Agent changed it to an open-jaw for same price. Collected bags in ATL. Checked in OLCI. Next morning domestic terminal. Dropped bags and gone.

Pocatello

International Comfort + question:

I am Diamond. I am flying home BUD-AMS-SLC-IDA on a KLM ticket but Delta metal. Main cabin.

Should I be able to get a free DM upgrade to C+ to SLC or to IDA?

xliioper

DL Medallions are not eligible for C+ or FC upgrades until day-of-departure on partner-coded DL metal flights.

• For all Complimentary Upgrades on Delta-operated flights that are marketed by Air France/KLM or Virgin Atlantic, Medallion Members will clear on the day of departure, subject to upgrade availability.

C+, like FC, uses separate fare classes on DL and is not simply a extra room seat choice like it is on other carriers. There are separate DL inventory buckets/classes for C+ (SU) and FC upgrades (OU) and they can only be processed when you are on a DL coded, DL metal flight. This is one of the downsides of booking partner-coded coach seats on DL flights.

satellite779

As a Gold, can I select a first class seats 3 days before the flight myself or it has to be done by Delta's automated system? If not, what about C+? Both are showing as FREE on the seat map but I'm still being charged for upgrade.

Edit: this must be a bug on the desktop website. Delta app allowed me to switch to first class without any charge, just a simple seat selection.

MSPeconomist

What route and is it already within 72 hours (not just three days) of scheduled departure? It's rare for GMs to be upgraded to FC at the "three day" GM window, so I'm wondering whether you're seeing a bug.

satellite779

SEA-SAN, Saturday noon flight, not a very full flight (I think most people go on Friday). I can see my seat in FC and still 6 seats left.

MSPeconomist

Congratulations on your good luck, but isn't it about fifteen minutes before your upgrade window should open, assuming that the flight is scheduled to depart at exactly noon?

satellite779

It's 11:26am.