DLBIZTRAVELER

Probable old news for those more experienced than I am, but any advice gratefully accepted.
Sent the following request for my daughter to Delta:
Message: As a Silver Medallion and SkyTeam Elite, how can I purchase Economy Comfort seats on these DL marketed KLM operated flights?
Initial Response:
Dear Ms. xxxx,
RE: Case Number yyyyyy
Thank you for your email to Delta Air Lines seeking assistance to
upgrade your seats on our partner. We are sorry for the delay in
responding to your concern.
My research indicates that your flight aaaa is operated by Royal Dutch
Airlines. Currently, we are unable to view, assign or change seats for
them at www.delta.com. Please contact 1-800-447-4747 Airlines directly
to request pre-reserved seats on this portion of your journey. I regret
any inconvenience.
We appreciate your selection of Delta and will always welcome the
opportunity to be of service.
And what I just sent them:
This is a foolish and disappointing email response from Delta. Of course one can view, assign, and change seats for these flights (BOTH OF THEM) on delta.com - I have done it - picked, albeit not ideal, seats!
As a Skyteam Elite, I should be able to procure/buy Preferred and Economy Comfort seats
My issue is PREFERRED or Economy Comfort seats - as a Delta Silver Medallion and Skyteam Elite, I expect seamless performance and I am not getting it, especially from this non-responsive email.
The ticket is on Delta ticket stock: Ticket Number: 006vvvvvvvvvvvvv, bought via Delta Confirmation Number: bbbbbb.

The KLM Booking Code is cccccc

Are you saying that I should have bought the ticket from KLM and NOT Delta, in order to avail myself of the SkyTeam Elite privileges that I am due?? Does that make sense???

Both preferred AND economy comfort seats ARE available for purchase on BOTH flights on the KLM website, if I had chosen to buy from them.

Seamless Skyteam experience - I think NOT. What is the point of the Skyteam Alliance if not to be seamless???

Please escalate to a supervisor to get me clear, concise, and correct information.

Will advise of response.

Adam1222

They can't explain via email and want you to call a 1-800 number. how horrible. Your expectations do not match reality.

KLM and Delta have different Economy Comfort style products.

If you use the search function on this website, this issue has been discussed dozens of times. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta-air-lines-skymiles/1458798-klm-new-no-economy-comfort-dl-coded-before-check.html
Being rude and demanding as a Silver elite isn't going to get you anywhere.

FirstInFlight

You are on a well worn path that leads to being ignored.

Call KLM in Amsterdam - not the US number. They may tell you that you must wait until check-in.

For next time - buying directly from KLM does make it easier. You may also be able to find your reservation on the KLM website using a Flying Blue number if you have one.

Save your indignation for another day. It will not help you and flyers with far more impressive status than yours have experienced similar issues. None of the alliances are truly seamless - and for a variety if reasons that is not likely to change anytime soon.

acvitale

I just love it when silvers throw a fit and make demands on something that diamonds get screwed over on all the time. how they make themselves irrelevant and get ignored

DLBIZTRAVELER

Thanks for the helpful comments ^and I will ignore the snarky ones.
My point is simply that I am trying to PURCHASE up to Economy comfort, the KLM website shows seats available, but I cannot figure out how to do it due to DL marketed/KLM metal reservation
I am in the process of tweeting with KLM to see if it can be done.
As I stated in opening of thread:
"Probable old news for those more experienced than I am, but any advice gratefully accepted."
I do have a bit of experience with DL, having burned over 4 million miles, and this ticket is for daughter who had to purchase via employer travel agent.

Adam1222

As stated in previous posts, which provided a link to the answer, the collective experience of Flyer talk users is that you can't do what you want. But in the future, if you have a question about whether something is possible, I suggest phrasing it in the form of a question, and creating a post with the question in the title - assuming such a thread doesn't already exist - rather than posting a screed about your demands. The indignant, nasty tone of your initial post is made more outrageous by your condemnation of others posts as "snarky". Note that every reply to your post found the tone inappropriate.

The use of a search engine would appear more valuable than the number of sky miles you have used in the past.

tris06

I always have a similar issue when trying to select seating on CZ(China Southern) or other small issues like getting miles credited on domestic flights. Its never seamless but its better than not getting any benefits even if it takes a little more effort.

RacingJunkie

I went through this circus for 6 months of being passed back and forth between KLM and DL. Both parties blaming each other. It is a tremendous joke that somebody is willing to pay money and not be an entitled DM tool and KLM will not process payment for a seat even at a non discounted rate.

My only resolution was to finally get a delta agent who rebooked the ticket as a KLM ticket and we could finally purchase Econ comfort seats. Then it was another fight getting miles credited.

maatschappij

Did you try KLM website? When I didn't have status I could buy EC seats on DL stock via KLM.com You can make changes to your booking w/o checking in.

Otherwise call DL and ask to be transferred to INTL desk. Don't wait too long as especially if you wanted an EC seat in an exit row.

Good luck.

f0zzyNUE

code shares are a real pita when it comes to advance seat reservation. I had it once with an air europa operated flight with delta flight number. no chance until checkin opens ... then again with an alitalia operated flight with kl flight number. also no chance until checkin opens. and a couple of weeks ago with an klm operated flight under kq flight number. I contacted the platinum hotline and after denying that it can't be done they found a way to reserve my seat.

my learning: avoid codeshare flights whenever possible.

williamluk

Try to get the KLM PNR (you still need to call them) and that may work. It works on UA flight codeshared with ANA

DLBIZTRAVELER

Thanks - I do have the KL booking code, but still no success even on the KL website. I am surprised that there is no way for KL to get money that I am willing to spend! I am NOT seeking anything for free, nor even a Skyteam elite discount - but cannot even pay the FULL price for the Economy Comfort seat. Have learned, and will book directly KL and not via DL for future trips!

opushomes

I got my silver the hard way via 1 million miles. Rarely do I fly Delta now. Some of it is because of the type of issues that the OP mentioned. Yes, Diamonds get the same treatment but treating those with silver status as 4th class individuals in a public forum is not the way to do it. I know that I am irrelevant, do not remind me.

FlyingDL4Fun

I'm sorry, I know we live in a world where people are too afraid, lazy, inept to speak to live people but...

You have now written several emails, tweets, post on FT, and only in an attempt to learn how you can spend more time trying to do something you've been told you can't do. JUST CALL and DO IT in one motion.

RacingJunkie

And speaking to a live person does not always help the issue. Calling Delta yielded several no results and calling KLM multiple times was a worthless endeavor.