Air France Preferred Economy

A couple of months ago I posted about a 1 hour connection in CDG. Well, since that time it has now become a 3:20 connection so I've gone ahead and booked it through the cruise line. I was interested in upgrading to preferred economy but there's nothing in my online reservation allowing me the option to do so. I called the customer service number and inquired. I think their calls must be answered by Delta as the agent had to make a phone call to check. Her response was that there was none on this aircraft. It's a A340 which shows that section on Seat Guru and the Air France site. Any ideas on how to proceed? Thanks

I was interested in upgrading to preferred economy ... I called the customer service number and inquired... Her response was that there was none on this aircraft. It's a A340 which shows that section on Seat Guru and the Air France site. Any ideas on how to proceed? Thanks

Perhaps the cruise line has booked a fare class that does not allow upgrades.

I'm not sure who you called. Did you try calling AF directly? Has your ticket actually been issued?

Just what do you mean by "Preferred Economy"?

AF has a "Premium Economy" product, they also have "Seat Plus" and some other special seating arrangements.

As mentioned, many tickets sold by cruiselines are non-upgradeable. It completely depends on the fare basis of the ticket, which is often different than the fare basis on tickets purchased directly from the airline.

For some reason, there is this belief that one can buy a ticket and then "upgrade" for a total less than what the upgraded class of service would have cost in the first place.

I'm not sure why I typed preferred, I meant premium. The cruise line told me when I booked that I could pay to do upgrades and in fact I've done that on the outbound Delta flight. The flight has been ticketed and I've been able to select economy seats by paying the associated fee. I can't see anything that states a fare class other than economy.

My flights this past summer were on Air France and KLM however the booking was through Delta. I couldn't get a straight answer from Delta and wound up calling Air France and KLM. Go to the Air France website and call whatever number they have, you should be able to get a response, even if it's one that says you can't upgrade.

Last summer I was able to upgrade but the cost just wasn't worth it (IMHO). My flights were booked through Choice Air to take advantage of a promo they had.

I'm not sure why I typed preferred, I meant premium. The cruise line told me when I booked that I could pay to do upgrades and in fact I've done that on the outbound Delta flight. The flight has been ticketed and I've been able to select economy seats by paying the associated fee. I can't see anything that states a fare class other than economy.

Know that there is both the separate class of "Comfort +" and there are "premium seats", which is NOT the same thing. DL will charge you for the "better" coach seats toward the front of the standard main cabin or on the aisle.

So, are you in Comfort+ or just in a "better seat"? Big difference, both in the details and the cost.

I am going to suspect that you have a bulk cruiseline ticket, and were able to buy the "better seat" but that you are not in "Comfort +". And that you cannot get a "Premium Economy" seat on AF because you are in standard coach.

Details matter - terminology matters.

I'm in comfort+ on Delta. Row 12 on an A330. I paid for that upgrade. It shows "v" on the website. The Air France website has very little information. I did call the number on the Air France website but the VRU indicated it was for KLM, Air France, and Delta. I'm certain I wasn't speaking to an Air France rep.

gotta tell you...we flew Minn. to CDG this past summer on AF in Prem. Economy and ithe seats were like sitting on a park bench. We tried gathering blankets, pillows...anything the make the seats softer...nothing helped...conser bringing a cheap cushion with you...the plus was that the seats dont really recline..they're in a shell so if the guy in front of you reclines, rather than him intruding into your space, his lower half goes forward..Another plus was that the staff was much, much nicer than BA...

I'm in comfort+ on Delta. Row 12 on an A330. I paid for that upgrade. It shows "v" on the website. The Air France website has very little information. I did call the number on the Air France website but the VRU indicated it was for KLM, Air France, and Delta. I'm certain I wasn't speaking to an Air France rep.

Comfort+ on Delta is part of the economy cabin, not a separate class of service. It offers very little extra over and above regular economy; just a few extra inches of additional legroom and slightly earlier boarding. Air France has a true premium economy cabin that is a completely different class of service, so it may well be that your ticket rules simply don't allow upgrading to a different class of service on the AF segment, but did allow you to "upgrade" the DL segment because not a different class of service.

Well, I'm gonna give up on this. The aircraft is once mentioned as an A340, then as an A330. We have seating on DL but inquiries about AF. No idea who is operating what segment. And I still don't know what routing we have other than there is some connection at CDG in the middle.

Finally, "V" is one of the lowest discount coach buckets, and Comfort+ on DL is "W". So that too is out of whack.

Too tired to try to decipher everything.

Suggestion to the readers: If you have a question, it REALLY helps if you include:

Dates

Times

Airlines (marketing and operating)

Cities (including connections)

Fare basis codes

I promise you - I have too much of a life to head to your city and stake out the gate area looking for you.

Well, I'm gonna give up on this. The aircraft is once mentioned as an A340, then as an A330. We have seating on DL but inquiries about AF. No idea who is operating what segment. And I still don't know what routing we have other than there is some connection at CDG in the middle.

 

Finally, "V" is one of the lowest discount coach buckets, and Comfort+ on DL is "W". So that too is out of whack.

 

Too tired to try to decipher everything.

 

Suggestion to the readers: If you have a question, it REALLY helps if you include:

 

Dates

Times

Airlines (marketing and operating)

Cities (including connections)

Fare basis codes

 

I promise you - I have too much of a life to head to your city and stake out the gate area looking for you.

I love it when you get mad :D