Delta Just Launched New Corporate Benefits on Air France-KLM
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Delta's existing Corporate Travel benefit is getting a global upgrade. While the existing program allowed flyers to receive corporate benefits when traveling on a ticket that includes their employer’s eligible Corporate Ticket Designator, Delta just launched an aligned corporate benefits program with partners Air France and KLM.
Air France-KLM is already a joint venture partner with Delta, so the addition of Global Corporate Priority makes sense.
Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2018, Delta, Air France and KLM’s joint corporate travelers will enjoy the following benefits, regardless of which airline they’re flying and which airline they booked their ticket through. That last nugget is vitally important, as it's often more beneficial from a Delta MQD earning perspective to book lower-cost business fares through Air France or KLM rather than Delta – a wrinkle we've elaborated on here.
- Better Seat Choice: Corporate travelers will be able to select better Main Cabin seats, without paying an additional fee.
- Priority Boarding: Corporate travelers will receive priority boarding on Air France and KLM. Access to this benefit is also being expanded on Delta to include all corporate travelers.
- Priority Service Recovery: In the event of irregular operations, Delta and Air France-KLM corporate travelers will receive priority assistance. Additionally, corporate travelers will receive Denied Boarding Prioritization and Downgrade Prioritization in the unlikely event that we are unable to accommodate all passengers as originally planned.
Per Delta, the suite of benefits was "created based on feedback Delta and Air France-KLM have collected from hundreds of joint corporate customers." Better still, it sounds as if this particular arrangement could be mirrored across other partners like Aeromexico and Korean Air. The carrier's release has stated that while the aforementioned perks are "specific to customers of Delta and Air France-KLM, Delta is evaluating other opportunities to expand the program in the future."
More than 5,000 corporate customers a day connect between Delta and its joint venture partners, including more than 3,700 between the airline and Air France-KLM.
It's worth noting that Delta's existing Corporate Travel program provides the following benefits on Delta aircraft:
- Priority Boarding with SkyMiles Membership
- Complimentary access to Preferred Seating
- Higher prioritization for Medallion Complimentary Upgrades
- Priority Standby, for tie-breaker prioritization on the Airport Standby List
- Priority service recovery in the unlikely event of delays or cancellations
- Enhanced protection from involuntary denied boarding and downgrade situations
- Personalized recognition
- Eligibility for special discounts and promotions
That's important to understand for a couple of reasons. First, those perks are quite nice to have, so it's probably worth giving a nudge to your travel department to see if they're onboard. Second, it's useful to understand that – all else being equal – you may lose out on a complimentary Medallion upgrade if someone else is traveling on a corporate ticket and you aren't.
If you're looking for an added one-up when it comes to tie-breakers on upgrades, you should consider adding the Delta Reserve® Credit Card from American Express, which will rank you higher than someone with the same status who booked the same fare class. It'll also grant you an additional 10,000 MQMs after reaching a certain level of spend.
For avid Delta flyers, be sure to pore over our guide to choosing the best credit card for Delta loyalists.
