BigFlyer

I've been booking KLM flights as a DL Elite (and NW elite before that) for at least 20 years so I know what I'm doing. I have never had a problem getting my Elite status recognized by KLM.

As late as October of this year (last time I tried before now), KLM would see my DL elite status. It would recognize my elite status whether I booked the flight on klm.com or under the DL flight number on delta.com. This would mean, e.g., when travelling on a Light fare, KLM would allow me to select a seat in advance and I would get 1 free checked bag.

I tried to make a booking earlier this week, and no way/no how would KLM recognize my status. If I booked on the KLM website my status would not show and I got no elite benefits. If I booked on the Delta website the Delta site would show that I had a free bag, but klm.com wanted to charge me $80 for a bag.

I tried to escalate with KLM. Both the Twitter help and the KLM reservations number told me I had to speak with Flying Blue. That seemed strange, but I called Flying Blue.

The Flying Blue rep was very nice - she logged into the Delta system and could see my elite status, but had no idea why it wasn't reflected on the KLM side. She had no solution to the problem, and suggested that I pay for a seat and baggage and then seek a refund.

So, two questions. First, anyone else having this problem lately? I'd like to figure out if it's systemic or just me. Second question - any suggestions on how to get this resolved?

xliioper

Are you booking while logged into a Flying Blue account or anonymously? If you book while logged into an FB account, it could be looking at that status instead of your DL status.

BigFlyer

If I book on delta.com I am logged into my Skymiles account.

If I book on klm.com I am not logged into any account, and I enter my Skymiles number into the reservation during or after booking.

When I enter the Skymiles number manually on klm.com, it takes in the reservation but does not show status.

Another thing that is now different and could be a clue to the underlying problem - when I book on delta.com, the Skymiles number does not carry over at all to the KLM reservation, I have to enter it manually on klm.com. Before the current problem, the Skymiles number would automatically be carried over to the KLM side. Which suggests to me that the systems are not talking to each other.

EDIT: I mis-spoke above, if I book on delta.com the Skymiles number does carry over to KLM, but the elite status is still not reflected on the KLM side.

flyerCO

Is your name on reservation matching name on DL FF account?

Also, are yiu trying to select seats during booking or after? You have to wait till after booked.

Same for bag fees. Must wait till after booked to reflect elite status.

BigFlyer

Yes, my name is the same. Yes, trying to get seats after booking. As I mentioned in my post, the free luggage allowance which shows on the Delta side if I book on delta.com does not show on the KLM side, so it's not just seat selection.

As I mentioned, I've been doing this for well over 20 years, and I'm very familiar with how Skymiles interacts with KLM. I have changed nothing in what I am doing, but both delta.com and klm.com are failing to get the elite status into the KLM record.

ecaarch

When I've booked on klm.com, it doesn't "recognize" my status during booking. It offers to sell me seat assignments, prepaid baggage, etc. I ignore all of that and I don't add any extras. I complete the booking, get the confirmation email in a couple of minutes, and then go back to klm.com using the PNR and my name to select my seat assignments, etc.

BigFlyer

That's how it worked for me for years through at least mid-October, perhaps longer - but not any more

BigFlyer

Original poster, reporting back.I know everyone here was deeply sharing my concern that my DL elite status was not reflected in the KLM system. You can all put your minds to rest, problem solved.

After having no luck with KLM reservations and Flying Blue (KLM told me to talk them), I decided to try to contact Skymiles on the phone. Without going into all of the details of trying to get through, a DL rep mentioned almost in passing that my account was restricted and under investigation as potentially being compromised. I asked when the restriction was put in place - I was told 11/22/22. I had reservations in October where the status was reflected, and in December when it wasn't. The only restriction that was supposed to be on the account was the inability to use miles to book - but I thought that perhaps an additional "feature" was it somehow caused my �lite status to not be reflected on KLM/AF.

DL removed the restriction for me, I tried a dummy booking - elite status still did not show. Decided to give it another day for systems to update.

Tried again today - elite status showed on KLM site. Problem solved.

Oh, and thanks Delta, for letting months go by without telling me my account had been restricted.

VFR

Thank you for this information.

You can tell from a dummy booking before you pay that KL recognizes your status? I'm a new FO and KL still does not reflect my STE status.

BigFlyer

I suppose I misused the phrase dummy booking. I made a real reservation, paid for it, and refunded it 5 minutes later under the 24-hour refund policy. More specifically, I booked a KLM operated codeshare flight on delta.com.

VFR

Yeah, I'm not willing to spend real money when I already have a KLM reservation that doesn't recognize my FO status

BigFlyer

Were you an FO at the time you bought the ticket?

VFR

Yes. I made FO at the end of November and I purchased the ticket January 1. I hear AFKL might take up to six weeks to update your Delta status, and we're not quite there yet. If it doesn't go through I'm not too upset, given I've had pretty good luck getting free seats on AFKL at OLCI, but it would be nice.

BigFlyer

Or, perhaps my diagnosis of the cause of my problem was wrong, it was just a coincidence that it started working for me today, and it was a system-wide problem that affected you as well as me.

VFR

You've been an elite for a long time, so the theory that KLM's database is slow to update doesn't make sense for you, since it would have your prior status. I do like the account restriction theory a lot for why it wasn't working for you.

I used to be a PM on this FF# and remember getting free EC seats with KLM, so it has worked for me in the past. I'm just chalking it up to one of those cases where the JV is not as smooth as it is supposed to be.