Scribbler:

Actually, I brought the ticket through a consolidator in the UK. A lot of consolidator fares in the UK are booked in Q compared to the US where they're in L or S. If I'd booked a K fare through DL, I would have paid a LOT more than the $500 I paid (approx.)

I think the "late" check-in option is best - perhaps one hour before departure.

Leroy,

I agree about the checking in early. On the issue of the coupon, I typically wait until they ask for it before I surrender anything. In this case....a $500 ticket, upgraded on a Q fare (sort of an L fare if I read your comment about the consolidator fare correctly) plus you were expecting to use it anyway for the domestic segs, I may just give it to the guy right away. That way he doesn't start reading comments in the record.

My main concern would be that the boarding card won't print. On my ZRH - MSY, the ATL- MSY was delayed until the next morning. The boarding pass wouldn't print because the computer asked for a system-wide(which I had given in ZRH)....but since it was a different day, the computer demanded it. They couldn't do anything about it. The gate agent just let me on the plane without a boarding pass after I explained the situation.

I would just stick it out. The good outways the bad if you can get away with it. A big gamble with a good payoff.

U guys should not tell him to leave it alone. When u get out to the airport they are going to see that u have been upgraded on a fare that is non-upgradable for Intl tkting.

U are either going to have to go up to the next highest upgradable fare ( which on Intl I can say will cost u a pretty penny) or they will put in coach again and u may not get the same seating or anything decent at all.

Take my word as a very experienced Intl tkting agent DO NOT JUST LET THIS ERROR GO. It will cause big problems for u when u check in and delay the process. And u have to be checked in 45mins. prior to departure time or u lose your seat all together.

Do not listen to them (sorry guys) but I know what a problem this will be, and will potentially be causing him more money and alot of unnecessary hassle.

Sorry but we are not stupid and it will be caught I can guarantee that and if it is u wont be happy b/c u may not get a good seat thanks for pointing that out jeffreyt..

[This message has been edited by Dlgrl71 (edited 05-31-2000).]

By any chance is the "No Favors, No Waivers" policy being extended to employees' free time on the internet? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

BostonBoy what does that have to do with anything???

Dont be mad b/c I discourage him from doing something that could and would cause major problems for him. I believe the post was not for u. And I am sure that u try real hard u can come up with another lame little cliche to present here to us.

And do u know where I am at??? Unless u are a stalker or sitting in front of me I dont believe u know where I am replying at.

Yeah I didnt think so....

[This message has been edited by Dlgrl71 (edited 05-31-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Dlgrl71 (edited 05-31-2000).]

Whoa, whoa, whoa! I didn't mean to hit a fuse!

Sorry. God, I must say....I'm speechless. I have no response.

Anyway, I assumed you were home because I didn't think those CRC receptionist computers had internet access.

Anyway, if you want to know where I am, it's the dumpy Admiral's Club at EZE. Stalk me if you want. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

No no but that did not sound like a comment that was meant to be anything but negative. And we do have other jobs besides reception. And I did not catch the wink there sorry for that.

Sorry to hear u are unhappy with your surroundings.

[This message has been edited by Dlgrl71 (edited 05-31-2000).]

I called them and managed to get an extremely kind agent - she said that since it was DL's error and that the agent "should have known better", she would plead with Customer Care for an exception. She tried, but they wouldn't budge - I've been rebooked in Coach.

I agree with DLGRL71 the more I think about it. From experience, LGW and MAN DL agents are VERY strict when it comes to eligible fares and upgrades. It may have worked if I had an electronic ticket, but since it's paper, I don't think it would have flown. PLUS - do they still have that rule that systemwide certificates have to be redeemed at least the day before the flight? If so, they could have gotten me on that any way.

Anyway, I can't say I'm unhappy: I'm flying MAN - LAX for not that much more than the lowest upgradable fare from JFK - LAX PLUS I get that nice 12,000 miles bonus in their trans-continental promotion. It would have been nice to have had the upgrade, but I wasn't entitled to it so I can't complain. After all, I wouldn't want Mister Nice's Revenue Protection Unit to come after me. Gosh, Mister Nice, it wasn't me who made this mistake - I'm not like the lady in the other thread who blatantly ripped DL off!!

[This message has been edited by leroy11 (edited 05-31-2000).]

No leroy u can redeem the certificates day of departure if u want.

I say that out of experience and I know it is a hassle to have to go through the whole this is a non-upgradable fare etc etc. Especially when checking in for an Intl flt in itself which is kind of tedious with the lines and all.

Trust me I did not want u to have to go through all that drama when it could have been avoided. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

The rest is by throughATL2much:

Or the DL agent is going to say, "Oh my gosh. Somebody screwed up. We better do something to make amends for this huge mistake. This customer was told he was upgraded internationally. I think we should honor what we told him originally in order to err on the side of the customer."

I would also be willing to bet that a lot of agents don't know what fares are upgradeable internationally on the systemwide. If the computer doesn't catch the mistake, they probably would never notice it.

Another thing...an agent in LGW took a systemwide, that was in my name, and upgraded my girlfriend of the time. She had never flown DL before so no status. The lady did it just because I had been waiting for a while and I asked nicely.

I find gate agents and checkin desk agents much more likely to do things that are within the smallest amount of reasonableness. Telephone agents generally don't make any exceptions. Of course this is all personal experience


For myself, personally I have been upgraded twice out of LGW on $500 fares, thrown in First Class because (I think) the lounge people liked me. And I don't mean operational upgrades. Biz was empty. And no, no one knew me personally.


As for Int'l fares. Here is what I have found regarding my International travels. Fares from several European cities are much lower and less restrictive than fares from the US. The difference of a K fare compared to an M fare compared to a Biz fare can be mind-boggling.

For example:


AMS - HNL US$ 881 M fare

US$ 2500 Biz class


ZRH-LAX-ZRH

K fare r/t approx. US$ 945.

M fare r/t approx. US$ 950.

I would hate it if they charged me that much difference at the gate in order to keep my upgrade. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif Notice the wink.

Here are some more:

AMS-GRU via JFK and ATL US$ 800 Q fare (Leroy can probably get this upgraded)

Go figure

Regarding minimum check in time. If I get to the checkin desk (and I don't mean the line for the desk...I mean the actual person working the desk), I don't care what happens, they are going to get me on the flight or I am going to get compensated, let on the flight with an exception or something in my favor. My experience is that if it is close to departure, they will put you on no matter what, as long as they see a DL employee did something wrong. They better not make the customer suffer.

Now I sound like a sourpuss but oh well. I can't be stalked. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Glad I found this place.

FWIW, Leroy, I think you did the right thing... hopefully you got the choice of seats now.

I've been through something similiar which is why I made my earlier comments... I made PM this past year for the 4th straight year. Well, for some reason, I was, in error by DL's computer, reverted to GM status on Jan 1. I had booked a flight at Christmas with the return after Jan 1. On Jan 2, I checked in for my flights which had been upgraded using PM Segment upgrades. The only problem is that the computer showed I was a GM even though I had enough miles in the prior year.

As I checked in, the gate agent said, "How do you want to upgrade?" I said I already had upgraded, and that was using PM Segment upgrades" The gate agent said, "Well, the computer says you are a GM now and have no upgrade points." They let me on the first segment in first, but when I got to SLC, they refused to let me board in first and instead gave me a coach boarding pass. The problem was later resolved and my PM status was back, but it still showed me what can happen. The computer obviously errored, and the agent and the redcoat decided to do what the computer wanted and not what was actually fact. This was a poor move on DL's part, but it didn't prevent me from sitting in coach one time this year.

[This message has been edited by jeffreyt (edited 06-01-2000).]

Well I'm new to this board and read the section mentioned before about the DElta revenue forces this morning. I think Leroy11 should have a notation put in the sacred Sky Miles documentation file discussed elsewhere commending him for his honesty and intent to protect Delta's revenue. After all I think we all need all the protection we can get against this new police force. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Can't believe I forgot to suggest this... Instead of using the Systemwide you should definitely use your segments--if you have tons of them and your systemwides aren't about to expire. As a GM you will definitely get upgraded.

Also, when are you doing JFK-LAX-JFK? I fly that route often.

To through atl 2 much...
yes u can be denied boarding on a flt if u are not within the amount of check in time.

We have that right, the rules are clearly defined in your envelope u receive your tkt in. This is a security thing not a attempt for us to screw u. I myself, sad to say, have had to do this before and u all know the check-in rules and u know Intl trvl is more involved and more strict than Domestic trvl. U are not aware as a customer of what all goes in to the security aspect for Intl flts. The 45 min rule in Atl is because it takes YOUR BAGS AT LEAST 45 MINS. to get from the Intl landside counter to E con. And as a sercurity Faa regulation your bags cannot trvl on an Intl flt without u. Meaning.. if they do not reach the plane and are boarded by the 45 mins time then they will sit in Atl and u will not get them at your final detsination. It is not domestic where we can throw them on another flt.
If u have worked here and have seen what I have at Intl u would not complain about a 45 min rule, u would be thanking us. For your safety only!!!!

And sure occasionally an inexperienced agent makes a mistake but I guarantee u it will be caught downline especially if it is Intl and only with an upper authority's permisson and the flt permits, can u be kept in Business class even if it was a mistake and that does not always happen. Again, this is not domestic tkting and everyone in Atl at the Intl counter knows what is upgradable and what is not.

[This message has been edited by Dlgrl71 (edited 06-01-2000).]

Well, it all worked out fine in the end. I was upgraded on all four segments incl. the two transatlantic segs. JFK - LAX using systemwide (handed in - "V" class not avail at 72 hr mark) / LAX - JFK segment points. On both transatlantic flights, I was upgraded at the gate because economy was oversold. They scribbled "IVU" I think on the boarding card. (Presumably involuntary upgrade.) Lucky!