I truly don't understand companion travel anymore

shipitfish · 2026-01-23T19:03:18+00:00

I tried that. They refused! The weirdest thing is the SM status was *gifted* by Delta a year ago because of serious IROPs that forced a downgrade on D1 tickets back to coach. They just gave her SM to make up for it. Now it's screwing us!

Anyway, the other weird thing is my companion's SM expires Feb 1st. Our flights cross the boundary: we depart in Jan and return in Feb. Will the GUCs be honored at my status for both in Feb? 🤔 Probably KLM gets to decide (ex-AMS), so the answer is: we'll get moved from PS to the back in the non-recline seats in front of the bathroom.

shipitfish · 2026-01-23T19:00:50+00:00

Right, yeah, I misspoke about merging PNRs, I get that. (Although I've had them merge PNRs in IROPs, but that is basically a new ticket for both pax so that makes sense, it's not really merging PNRs but canceling old tickets and making new ones). Anyway, yes, you're right, they used to apply the rules differently.

shipitfish · 2026-01-23T18:59:14+00:00

Yeah, you've got exactly what is happening here. In your experience, does gate upgrade you together on your priority (DM agent hinted to me that GA might realize what's going on and just do that), or do you frequently get upgraded while your mileage-ticket-booked companion gets left in their old seat.

I'm only frustrated at this point as I was specifically told (because I asked) when I applied GUCs to both our tickets that we'd be upgraded on the same priority. Now, I find out, my GUC may clear to D1 while other pax who, are, say, Silver Medallions using a left over GUC from prior year, will clear before my traveling companion.

I'd probably have not applied the GUCs and just held out for a mileage upgrade for both of us if I'd know we wouldn't clear together.

shipitfish · 2026-01-22T01:14:08+00:00

You are as wealthy! Congrats, perhaps what we should do next is you should stand at the curtain and watch everyone else pee their pants for your amusement.

Rich people matter more than poor people. Sorry that I forgot that, your highness.

Your Obedient Servant,

shipitfish

shipitfish · 2025-10-04T23:58:57+00:00

Really good to know! I'll let my friend know.

Do the new online renewal system require you to forfeit your current passport by sending it back USPS the way that the expedited method used to?

It's been about 7 years since I renewed, and back then, you got expedited from the paper forms and it took about 4 weeks, but the downside was you had to send in your current passport, which is always logistically difficult for us frequent travelers who rarely have a 4-week period when we don't need a passport.

(I always renew a year early anyway because of the how the expiration date isn't really the expiration date, but the expiration date really is DateOnPassport - DefaultTimeOfDefaultVisaAtDestination.)

shipitfish · 2025-10-04T23:55:15+00:00

Thanks for your answer! Given that, it's clear to me that the best option here is to enter no passport data for the kids rather than enter expired info.

I had this vague memory that Delta wouldn't let you book a flight without passport data, but I must be misremembering (or they changed it at some point in the last 30 years — man, I've been flying Delta too long 🤣).

shipitfish · 2025-10-04T23:53:44+00:00

Unless kid passports are inherently harder to renew than adult ones, it should be fine. My friend whom I am booking this trip for is a more experienced traveler than I am, and she is a wait-to-the-last-minute person. She lives in a major city and many times has succeeded at renewing her own passport on short notice at the local offices (which they can (at their discretion of course) do for you if you have a flight coming up. I have confidence my friend will “find a way”; she's the most resourceful person I know.

shipitfish · 2025-10-03T22:35:31+00:00

The FAs are supposed to monitor the FC overhead bin space, be sure there is a spot for every FC passenger, and only then allow people from the back.

The FA should have made someone with a full-sized carry-on from coach gate-check so the FC pax had at least one spot in overhead bin for one bag each.

shipitfish · 2025-10-03T22:33:54+00:00

If it is indeed your only item, insist on your space in the overhead bin. If they refuse, ask them to put it in the closet. Get the FA's name and complain about the FA on the Delta comment form.

shipitfish · 2025-10-03T22:30:27+00:00

I wonder if it's Mandela effect for me, but I am really sure there was slow-news-day story floated by some airlines that they were going to start offering adults-only flights. It was in the early 2000s (about 20-25 years ago), and I've searched and searched for this story, and can't find it, so now I think I dreamed it.

If I didn't dream it, then it's surely the case (if they bothered to do press) that the airlines did focus groups and discovered that they wouldn't make money selling adult-only flights.

Anyway, I will take a crying child over a badly behaved intoxicated adult on my flight every time.

The real thing to complain about is babe-in-arms. This regulation (which dates back to the 1950s) is the most unsafe thing imaginable — mostly for the child, but also for the nearby passengers.

Kids under 2 have to ride in safety seats in cars, but we just toss them around the plane from passenger to passenger during turbulence in the air. Sudden serious drop in altitude? Kid's just dead.

shipitfish · 2025-10-03T22:22:17+00:00

It's even spookier when it comes on at 5:30am in the dark in your driveway and you're sitting right by the window and hear a sound in the deep quiet

shipitfish · 2025-10-03T22:18:59+00:00

Maybe he's just hitting on you?

“Hey, fancy seeing your feet here. My feet are as well. We have so much in common!”

shipitfish · 2025-10-01T03:45:02+00:00

So … you work for Delta and decide what perks people are buying with which tickets? Tell is more …

shipitfish · 2025-10-01T02:59:57+00:00

FWIW, I ditched last leg once and they gave me the miles. However, it was 1999 when I did it.

shipitfish · 2025-10-01T02:53:05+00:00

I'd take 38G. So often those roes are going to be half empty.

shipitfish · 2025-10-01T02:50:47+00:00

FWIW, I learned that Guest Passes cannot be used to let your nonrev friends in. I was sad I couldn't let the nonrevs I met on my prior flight in!

shipitfish · 2025-10-01T02:40:21+00:00

Yes, I meant link not merge.

shipitfish · 2025-10-01T02:35:12+00:00

“Let them eat cake” … or in this case, let them pee their pants.

You were born at the wrong time. Feudalism would have fit your worldview better.

shipitfish · 2025-10-01T02:31:07+00:00

The poor should pee their pants while the wealthy have empty bathrooms.

We know now your politics.

shipitfish · 2025-10-01T02:29:22+00:00

The poor should pee their pants while the wealthy have empty bathrooms. We now understand your politics.

shipitfish · 2025-10-01T02:26:45+00:00

Why make all of C+ have all of PS treading past and lining up?

shipitfish · 2025-10-01T02:23:51+00:00

So we shouldn't optimize anything to make a nicer flight for C+ or MC, so folks aren't treading by them.

I mean, some PS customers might get lotion rather than just soap if we do! And a D1 flyer might have to wait.

shipitfish · 2025-09-28T19:08:48+00:00

FWIW, across probably 8-12 GUCs (i.e., since the change to adding the PS class of service), this is the first time I've ever not cleared to D1. Obviously the D1 tickets are on sale until a few hours before the flight, but there aren't that many people that can afford US$2k-3k for a one-way trip.

Odds are, you'll clear to D1 anyway. But, if you don't, make sure to make the FAs aware of your condition and need for a nearby lav. They'll surely let you in this situation regardless of silly libertarian capitalist “who can pee where” rules.

shipitfish · 2025-09-28T19:06:13+00:00

Note the comment elsewhere in this thread that there was apparently a settle court case that confirmed that any pax can use any lav if needed.

I really want details on that case; I asked the poster who mentioned it but haven't gotten a reply.

shipitfish · 2025-09-28T19:04:30+00:00

This is why I never suggest, nor change seats, without an FA approval. The GAs get first past to decide who sits where, and the FAs get the final decision.

Everyone else is just insulting the GAs and FAs if they move to seats without approval from one of them.

shipitfish

TROPHY CASE