GUWonder

Other than "direct flights" that may even mean a change of equipment for flights that are being marketed under one flight number, does DL-NW have any flights where the flight numbers are the same but the flight number covers travel in opposite directions?

Doesn't UA have some flight where one flight number which covers ORD-GEG and GEG-ORD (i.e., same flight number, opposite directions)?

Booker

There was a day in the not so distant past when for whatever reason the airline or a TA via the GDS could book a single numbered flight with stopovers segment by segment. Alas, the programming zombies have made that impossible now and "computer says no" when it's attempted. (Thank you Carol Beer!) The more segment logic they apply the fewer choices afforded the customer.

LOL to that and thanks for the warning. I've being converted on the consumer side as well. On the agency side I've been dealing with their generally antagonistic attitude for a rather long time. Sigh.


That seems to be more common with commuter partners that bounce a single aircraft back and forth between a close in city and the primary carrier's hub. As a general practice you don't see it that often but every now and then you discover one.

In my local market we currently have:

UA 7208 Dp ORD 10:50AM - AR GRR 12:37PM
UA 7208 Dp GRR 1:05PM - AR ORD 1:09PM

Operated by Mesa.

I'm not privy to the logic in it. Maybe they've run short in their allotted flight numbers since commuter partners are usually assigned those in a limited series. That's a guess. It could just be bologna.

GUWonder

Your explanation is the best one I've come across. It's the prevailing theory to explain the current situation unless and/or until a better answer comes along. Thanks.

SkyBuck

There are no upgrades on any flights into BGM or FWA, though it would be a valid consideration on other routes.

cfwolfs

I think it happens more often with the regional partners. I know that I was booked on a CVG-BNA flight operated by Chautauqua that was the same number going down as it was coming up. Same with ATL-FNT. Flight XXXX was delayed because they were waiting on the arrival of flight XXXX. (This was an ASA flight.)

Bogey90

Watch out for flights NW 341, DTW-BKK and NW 340, BKK-DTW. Change planes from a 747 to a A330 or 757 at NRT, but since the flight number does not change, you recieve 700 fewer miles.

LAXRuss

I learned the hard way in January to always avoid these through-flight numbers. I flew back to Eastern Europe from Seattle. Coincidentally the flight from SEA to JFK had the same flight number as the flight from JFK to Eastern Europe. Every day of the week there was a plane change on that route at Kennedy because DL uses entirely different plane configurations on the domestic and international portions of the route. However, the flight showed up as one flight coupon on the e-ticket and one flight segment. For weeks leading up to the travel day, my itinerary always showed "seat requested" in economy because the the seat maps were different for the single flight segment and the computer system would not allow me to choose a seat. The itinerary always showed "upgrade ineligible" as an international flight segment. Even at the gate in SEA, they said we're sorry Mr. Platinum but even though we have empty seats in first class on this morning's flight to JFK, the system will not allow us to upgrade you because you are flying on a B class international through-itinerary. We cannot reroute you to JFK via SLC on a flight departing in a few minutes where we also have first class seats because that would require us to reissue your ticket and charge you a $150 change-fee since you are not allowed to standby on an international fare. (Why, you may ask, did I not use miles to upgrade the B fare-- well, that was still the time that to use Skymiles, DL's system would have required me to credit the flight to my Skymiles account and I would have lost the Platinum EQM and bonus miles with NW. I think NW's system allowed DL Skymilers to use Worldperks miles for upgrades and credit the actual flight to Skymiles, but it did not work the other way around.)

bennos

I'm flying PHX-MSP-LGA next Saturday, booked via delta.com. DL showed this as a one-stop flight (DL2655 operated by NW), and assigned me seat 8E (A319), but as upgrade requested. Hopped over to nwa.com, which shows both flight segments (and allowed me to move into better seats -- though different for each segment). Strangely, only PHX-MSP has a DL flight number.

Can't wait to see what happens. Maybe I'll SDC instead

SkyTeam777

Have a similar situation...booked SMF-MSP-LGA on Delta.com with DL flight number/NW aircraft. It's a through flight with both a change of aircraft and equipment type. As I suspected, the upgrade didnt come through for SMF-MSP (despite being available with V inventory) since the MSP-LGA sector doesnt have V inventory. Is there any way for them to split this so I can clear the upgrade now before the Golds get to it and grab presumably the rest of the seats?

In addition, delta.com is kicking out all of my seat request changes too. What a mess!

SkyTeam777

This makes no sense! I just called DL, and they refuse to separate out the segments (I guess there's no way to do that). But even with V inventory available for the first sector, they wont clear me for that portion. This means that Golds will clear into that seat, and when I get to the airport as they claim I should wait to do, there wont be any seats to clear into. It makes no sense?! Why cant one be manually cleared into the V class when inventory exists?

ffI

RETURN
Air Activity Delta Flight from San Francisco, CA to Washington (Reagan National), DC T/V 2442 0 2442

OUTBOUND
Air Activity Delta Flight from Washington (Reagan National), DC to Minneapolis/St Paul, MN L/V 931
Air Activity Delta Flight from Minneapolis/St Paul, MN to San Francisco, CA L/V 1589

2520 miles to go (with 3150 miles bonus)
2442 miles return with 3053 bonus

So I lost 78 MQM and 78+97 = 175 RDMs on this flight. Got the upgrade all ways

otoh, I did not have to get up, deplane and wait in MSP for the return flight while half asleep.

Stgermainparis

I'm booked on DL2222 OGG-LAX-ATL with 1.5 hour stop in LAX. There are 5 of us scattered all over the plane, including my 3 kids (one is fine alone, the other two are not). The two segments are married (I guess that's the word) and so seat map shows only seats available for the entire journey/both segments. If I look at each segment separately (not in my rez), there is an entire row together on both segments.

DL agent useless. He can only see married segment seats and says even if he could see the seats on the individual segments, my rez wouldn't allow him to change it. We can ask at gate and/or beg some folks to trade, but I'd rather have this resolved now. Do I have any options?

Originally booked via KE Skypass, but schedule changes have been handled by DL.

mnbp

HUCA

ajwright

You may have to ask them to split the segments (i.e. split it into two flights). What you're describing doesn't sound like married segments, but a direct flight. So essentially you have 1 flight right now, that happens to stop in LAX. You have the extra bad luck of the two parts of the flight being operated on the same equipment - and for some reason, the system isn't letting you choose seats for the two parts independently.

I have had success with the medallion line before in getting them to split it up (in my case so I could get a C+ upgrade on the domestic portion). I might ask for help with the seats, and when they have trouble ask them "can it be done if you split the direct flight into two segments manually?" But you may have to HUCA. Just be nice, otherwise they may document the PNR and once that happens you'll have no luck.

Stgermainparis

Yeah, I did, but both times got the "we'll call you back in 2+ hours". Still waiting on second call. I reached out via DM on twitter. We shall see.