SkyTeam Upgrades
 

What upgrades (if any) are available on SkyTeam partners using DL miles or PMUs? My understanding is that you can only get upgraded on AF flights. Does the flight have to be DL-coded for this to be possible? How about DL-coded flights on other SkyTeam partners? Or, for that matter, how about AF-coded flights on DL metal?

As you can see, I'm hopelessly confused! Unfortunately, SMS is no less so as I've received numerous different answers.

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Vasant

I've been told that PMUs are valid only on Delta-operated flights. I believe that mileage-based upgrades are available on all SkyTeam partners (using Delta miles), but they probably have different award codes.

Bruce

As far as I know, there are rare
FC/Business award seats on partners, but no upgrades. I think it is well established that there are no longer mileage upgrades on KE (I think AndyMo got the last one last Spring!) And if there are mileage upgrades available on AF, AZ and OK, then it is a very well kept secret.

Because there are no upgrade awards to be had, I have wondered whether showing a PM card to AZ, KE or OK would get one into the front cabin should seats be available. If anyone has any first hand experience with this, please let us know. We all know that AF could not care less about one's status on DL. In fact, starting in 2004, even DL doesn't care about your status on DL!

I've actually managed to get J award seats on AF as well as AZ, but have had no experience with upgrades on partners.

LOL! Sad, but so true! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thumbsdown.gif



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Vasant

On AF and AZ you can on a DELTA code only.

When you say you can, do you mean upgrade using miles? If so, what fare code must your ticket be booked in on a Delta-coded flight in order to upgrade using miles at the gate/counter. Has anyone been given an upgrade at the gate/counter by showing DL status. I am flying Alitalia JFK-Milan and just wondering what are the chances of being upgraded, or using miles to upgrade.

Thanks!

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Delta GM, United Premier, Hilton Gold, Starwood Gold

IIRC, same as if you were on a DL-operated flight - you must be ticketed on DL in Y/B/M.

I used KE miles to get the upgrade (back when they were much "cheaper" than today). I had to xfer miles in from Membership Rewards (or Diners Club).

You can still use DL miles for SQ upgrades.

You can use the PMUs or 800-mile segment upgrades on AeroMexico flights. I do this often from LAX-MEX. Rarely cleared/available in advance, but ALWAYS clear at the gate.

[This message has been edited by wschild (edited 02-25-2003).]

zrs70, are you sure you can use Delta miles to upgrade on SQ? If so, at what point can you request the upgrade, from what fares can you upgrade and for how many miles can you upgrade from USA to FRA/AMS?

My experience is that you can no longer upgrade on AF metal with DL miles even if you have a DL ticket with a DL flight number with a Y/B/M fare. I did it once but that was 2-3 years ago. So I no longer fly to Europe via CDG as there are 2 DL metal flights, and 2 AF from ATL. I use AMS or some other route with not too many PM/GM/FOs. CDG is a pretty bad airport anyhow.

I recall the old SWUs had some language on the back which said "not valid on certain Delta flights." (Perhaps they should have been called Nearly-System-Wide Upgrades?)This was just as SkyTeam was being announced and AF/DL codeshare was largely in place. I asked at the NYC Grand Central CTO which those certain flights were.

The agent pulled it up and it was only codeshare flights - but I don't remember if it was all the codeshare airlines. South African was on the list; I don't recall if AF was - but my gut feeling is AF wasn't on the exclusions list.

I'd bet some of those rules carry over to mileage and PMUs today.

That information is wrong. You can upgrade between the US and CDG on DL ticketed but AF operated flights. The Y/B/M fare requirement applies.

Just don't hold your breath waiting for the upgrade to clear! Then why can't you use PMUs to upgrade?



[This message has been edited by RobertS975 (edited 02-26-2003).]