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-   -   Anyone ever heard of this. (https://www.fodors.com/community/air-travel/anyone-ever-heard-of-this-986095/)

davidjac Jul 23rd, 2013 08:29 AM

Anyone ever heard of this.
 
Made a reservation (economy) thru Delta for US to Italy and return from Rome using Alitalia. Paid for my ticket used miles for my wife. Got seat assigned and then when tried to confirm the seat with Alitalia was told I am in economy and my wife is in Business Class.

Alitalia told me to call Delta which I did. Delta said that apparently Alitalia would not honor Delta frequent flier miles for economy but would for business class tickets so they gave us those tickets at the same price in miles.

We want to fly together so I called back Alitalia and it would be an extra $2000 for me to fly business with her. Asked to have her seat downgraded to economy but was told that could not be done either. Incredible!

So now we are flying for 8 hours apart with her in a nice seat a full dinner, etc while I languish with no meal, crowded, etc. Still do not understand fully why this happened and why Alitalia could not be more flexible since it would open a business class seat for them to re-sell.

Anybody ever have this same experience?

Thanks Davidjac

J62 Jul 23rd, 2013 10:19 AM

Give your wife the nice upgrade and stop complaining about languishing in coach - you'll make her feel bad and will sound line a whiner.

You'll have the whole trip together.

bettyk Jul 23rd, 2013 11:32 AM

While I enjoy flying Biz Class, I would NOT enjoy it if I knew my husband was back in Coach. I would also miss the experience of sitting with him.

Not sure what you can do about it at this point. Maybe somebody else will have a suggestion.

lcuy Jul 23rd, 2013 03:25 PM

Let her sit up there for the first half. Switch places the second half. Why would you both want to be stuck in economy if you're not getting a discount on it?

J62 Jul 23rd, 2013 05:03 PM

so you're saying wake her up in the middle of the night and tell her to go back to coach & try to get back to sleep?

janisj Jul 23rd, 2013 06:12 PM

>>Let her sit up there for the first half. Switch places the second half. <<

Many - if not most - airlines won't allow that.

Let your wife sit up front and you stay in the back. You'll be together the whole trip - a few hours apart won't kill you.

Jeff_Costa_Rica Jul 23rd, 2013 08:35 PM

The trip is not the flight to and from. It's about the time you'll have together at your destination. Focus on that and don't sweat this. :)

Agree that airlines will generally not let you switch seats like that.

NeoPatrick Jul 24th, 2013 03:50 AM

What a nice gift that you're sending your wife in Business Class while you're riding in Coach. Let her enjoy it and keep your mouth shut about it. Would you seriously ask her to give up her nice travel just so she can sit with you in cattle class?

kybourbon Jul 24th, 2013 09:10 PM

>>>Delta said that apparently Alitalia would not honor Delta frequent flier miles for economy but would for business class tickets so they gave us those tickets at the same price in miles.<<<

You can get economy awards on Alitalia if available so none of that makes sense unless there weren't any. Delta shows Skyteam awards and you have to switch to business to even choose it. The default award search is economy and you would have to select business in the drop down box for it to price the miles (biz is a much higher mile cost). Even if you search by calendar you still have to specifically select biz. How many miles was the ticket?

http://www.delta.com/booking/searchF...Type=roundtrip

Improviser Jul 27th, 2013 03:10 PM

"Anybody ever have this same experience?"

David, yes I have had reward seats upgraded. Lots of people have. Is that all you want to know or did you want to ask another or a different question than you did ask?

Seamus Jul 27th, 2013 05:11 PM

It does not occur often but there are times when a coach award seat is not available but a business seat is, may be what happened to you.

I would be willing to bet that the person who has the seat next to you in coach would be more than willing to trade out for your wife's seat up front.

kybourbon Jul 27th, 2013 06:32 PM

You would not get upgraded on an international flight. A Delta Diamond or Plat would be upgraded first and Skyteam Elite would fall in there somewhere too. You didn't say whether you had any status.

I think you misunderstood what the Delta agent was telling you (or they screwed up your purchase) as it's possible to book economy on Alitalia with Delta Skymiles.

http://thepointsguy.com/2013/03/alit...-on-delta-com/

davidjac Jul 28th, 2013 09:20 AM

I have no status on Delta it is exactly as I said, they told me Alitalia was not allowing economy tickets fro frequent flyer miles and thus we were given the free upgrade. Perhaps they did screw up but I have no idea.

Davidjac

davidjac Jul 28th, 2013 09:22 AM

To improviser

I wanted to know whether anyone had an upgrade without asking for it or paying for an upgrade and whether anyone had ever been denied a voluntary downgrade?

mrwunrfl Jul 28th, 2013 02:09 PM

So, how many miles did you pay for her ticket? What is the fare class? The fare class will be one letter. Would be the first letter of something called a "fare basis code" (not the confirmation code).

Delta fare classes: http://cwsi.net/delta.htm

Improviser Jul 29th, 2013 06:16 AM

Well, yes to the first part. Free upgrades are not uncommon. I've never heard of anyone asking for a downgrade but I understand it given your circumstances. What I would say is that I would not expect a problem changing it at check-in UNLESS there was no seat available. ie. cattle class was full.

But if Alitalia would not assign a coach class seat at the time of booking, then the scenario is not quite the same. I would suggest that you try changing it at check-in or wait till you get on the plane and it has taken off. Then your wife can ask an attendant to go back to where you are seated and ask someone next to you if they would like to exchange seats with you. I doubt very much that will be a problem. Seamus has given you the solution.

Improviser Jul 29th, 2013 07:43 AM

Oops, should be 'exchange seats with your wife', not you. LOL

dutyfree Aug 4th, 2013 09:48 AM

No meals in economy-oh please? On Delta you will have two meals and a snack.Why do you have to sit together? What if she is in a flat bed seat in business class-how are you going to be "sitting with her"?

Hard facts-While I understand that you want to sit together, it is less than a 9 hour flight and you will either be watching a movie or sleeping so deal with it and don't be so jealous.Let her enjoy the moment.
And NO you cannot be swapping back and forth between sitting in the cabins and NO she cannot be running back cocktails and ice cream sundaes to you in economy.Just saying...

mrwunrfl Aug 4th, 2013 11:46 AM

She might not enjoy the moment, dutyfree. See the reply from bettyk.

janisj Aug 4th, 2013 01:01 PM

Guess it takes all kinds. In the scheme of things it is only 8 or 10 hours out of a whole vacation . . . does anyone really need that much togetherness? ?

Sure - i a perfect world it would be nice to both to be in the front cabin. But better for one to be there than neither IMO.


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