Recent trip, gf and I were on different outbounds, but got on the same flight for the return.

We bought our tix separatly so were on diferent PNRs.

For the return, I wanted to use my Skyteam status to pick preferred seats, which they would give me, but wouldn't give to my g/f because we were on different PNRs.

I asked to have them combined and was told they couldn't do it without re-issuing her ticket (and all the cancellation fees etc...)

Needless to say, I dropped that, but it doesn't make sense...

Seems to me either they can combine them or not.. why would a re-issue make a difference.

I got the distinct impression I was being blown off... I just wish I had some facts to throw back at the guy next time.

Anyone know the real deal/rules/restrictions about PNRs or even whether it's possible at all?

I assume this will be moved over to the DL or SkyTeam forum but in my experience on several different airlines explaining the situation and asking them to link the records has worked like a charm for seating purposes. This may be one of those situations where you just need to call back and get a different agent on the line.

Maybe I should have given more details.

It was on AF, not DL. I guess I'm assuming that PNRs are PNRs and managed via the GDSs and that it would be irrelevant what airline.

Come to think of it, if it's simply an airline issue and it was AF, that wouldn't help at all.

I do not think PNRs can be combined; they can only be divided.

I've run into problems nearly every time I've tried to upgrade a traveling companion on US Airways who is not an elite him/herself and on a separate PNR. An agent can put a comment in the PNR that I'm traveling with that person, but as far as I know they cannot actually add that person to the PNR after it is booked and paid for.

That is my understanding also. You can have more than one person in a PNR if they are travelling on exactly the same itinerary, you can't if they are on different itineraries. As you said you can divide a PNR if someone needs to change their itinerary, but you can't combine two PNRs with different itineraries. You can LINK them - but that's simply a case of putting a note in each PNR to indicate that the passengers are travelling together.

(All the above is based on what I learnt when I was working for an airline in the late 1990s, as far as I know things haven't changed but obviously I'm willing to stand corrected!)

Ok.

Thanks for the replies.

I can accept that you can't do it if you really can't, but why then would the guy give me the spiel about reticketing...

Just another case of say anything to get the pax to shut up, I guess...

I thought cross-referencing/linking PNRs -- different from combining them -- was possible. Is that correct?

In most cases you cannot "combine" PNRs, but you can add segments and/or additional pax to an existing PNR. In the case of an e-ticketed itinerary this will usually involve a reissue of the ticket.

..........

What he probably meant was something like:

"If it's of vital importance to you to be in the same PNR then we can cancel your existing bookings and make a completely new booking that has both of you on the exact same itinerary and on the same PNR"

Ok, I get the point.

Thanks for all the replies.