SullyCT

I am searching for a flight to Milan from JFK and have come upon a KLM flight that is operated by Delta. Departure and arrival times are exactly the same so clearly the same plane. The KLM flight is about 25% cheaper. What is the difference? Can I still select seats upon booking? Where do I check in at the airport?

In other words, is there any benefit to paying the extra money to get a Delta ticket?

Thanks in advance everyone. SullyCT

Cali

We fly Delta a lot and have frequently been on a Delta flight that is operated by KLM or AirFrance. If you buy from Delta it will be the same flight unless it is a different time and aircraft. Usually it says Delta operated by KLM or AirFrance or the reverse if flying one of the others and Delta is operating the flight. I frequently find the price is cheaper on one or the other and yet is the same flight. Yes, you can select your seats on booking.

xyz123

This is a very common practice in the industry called code sharing; you can research it by doing a google search. The originating airline and its crew will operate the flight and most of the time at the time when announcements are made will say something like. "Welcome to Delta flight 35 with service to Milan. We welcome our code share passengers on KLM and Virgin Atlantic..." This allow airlines to expand their service maps. It doesn't make any difference in terms of services or baggage or whatever which airline you book with so take the cheapest ticket. It can sometimes cause confusion at big airports like JFK, for example where the airlines may not be in the same terminal but usually they are as you are really supposed to check in with the airline operating the flight.

Southam

Your confirmation number should be enough for advance seat selection. If not, a lot of KLM's North American customer service by phone runs through the Delta offices anyhow.
You can see JFK's terminals here: http://www.airport-jfk.com/airlines.php
Delta and KLM are both listed for Terminal 4 although there can always be last-minute changes.

Surfergirl

I always use the KLM website because it's cheaper and easier. Yes, it's the same plane Delta is code sharing with KLM. You can book your seats on KLM at the time you book your flight.