Originally Posted by Scudsone

I am planning a trip to Cartagena next winter and was looking into flights with a possible stopover in Bogota. Noticed something interesting or possibly a weird glitch - DL flights to BOG do not have an F cabin, just PS as the highest class. The planes are 75D versions of the 757 with the 20 domestic first seats, no D1.

The thing is when booking the PS is branded like F, but any connecting flight is sold as C+ not domestic F.

Is this a deliberate push to remove international “domestic” F service? I see regular F tickets on other routes. Playing around it seems to only be BOG and UIO that only have PS. LIM has D1 service. Caribbean destinations like BON and AUA, and even CTG have F class, it’s just those two “northern” South American cities that seem to be PS only.

Seems like an odd rebranding if limited to two cities. Has anyone come across this elsewhere?

Originally Posted by Scudsone

I am planning a trip to Cartagena next winter and was looking into flights with a possible stopover in Bogota. Noticed something interesting or possibly a weird glitch - DL flights to BOG do not have an F cabin, just PS as the highest class. The planes are 75D versions of the 757 with the 20 domestic first seats, no D1.

The thing is when booking the PS is branded like F, but any connecting flight is sold as C+ not domestic F.

Is this a deliberate push to remove international “domestic” F service? I see regular F tickets on other routes. Playing around it seems to only be BOG and UIO that only have PS. LIM has D1 service. Caribbean destinations like BON and AUA, and even CTG have F class, it’s just those two “northern” South American cities that seem to be PS only.

Seems like an odd rebranding if limited to two cities. Has anyone come across this elsewhere?

Originally Posted by Unitedloyalflyer

DL really need sto restore domestic F connections on PS tickets. Just go back to using the PS fare buckets like they originally did.

If PS is considered a higher cabin than F, then connections should be in domestic F

Originally Posted by xliioper

It's not that odd as they've been doing this for several years on KEF routes when they are served by domestic FC 757s. Currently DTW/MSP-KEF have them (while JFK-KEF is flown on 763s). BOG and UIO are served by a mix of domestic FC and D1 equipment and it simplifies marketing and fares (you only need PS and D1 fares, instead of FC, PS, and D1 fares). The other destinations you mentioned are served exclusively by domestic FC equipment and do not have same issue. You are reading too much into it.

Originally Posted by Scudsone

I am planning a trip to Cartagena next winter and was looking into flights with a possible stopover in Bogota. Noticed something interesting or possibly a weird glitch - DL flights to BOG do not have an F cabin, just PS as the highest class. The planes are 75D versions of the 757 with the 20 domestic first seats, no D1 and routes to places in the Mexico/Caribbean/Central America/South America) being sold as “F” (not PS) receive a US-domestic First product and experience, not “International F.”

The thing is when booking the PS is branded like F, but any connecting flight is sold as C+ not domestic F.

Is this a deliberate push to remove international “domestic” F service? I see regular F tickets on other routes. Playing around it seems to only be BOG and UIO that only have PS. LIM has D1 service. Caribbean destinations like BON and AUA, and even CTG have F class, it’s just those two “northern” South American cities that seem to be PS only.

Seems like an odd rebranding if limited to two cities. Has anyone come across this elsewhere?

Originally Posted by rylan

Agreed. Its pretty crappy to be on an expensive PS ticket and be in C+ for the domestic connection(s)... especially if some sucker pays for a P fare.
I'm sure it would cause even more confusion with DL's fare buckets and ticketing system etc... but perhaps P fare should also give domestic first if F/D/C is available (basically last seat). A would map to I, and G would map to Z... if bucket isn't available then it books the connection into W for C+.

Originally Posted by xliioper

Domestic FC classes are J/C/D/I/Z (the same as D1). Given that neither AA nor UA book into FC on domestic segs of international PE fares, I'd say chances are pretty much zero that DL will bring it back.

Originally Posted by rylan

Agreed. Its pretty crappy to be on an expensive PS ticket and be in C+ for the domestic connection(s)... especially if some sucker pays for a P fare.
I'm sure it would cause even more confusion with DL's fare buckets and ticketing system etc... but perhaps P fare should also give domestic first if F/D/C is available (basically last seat). A would map to I, and G would map to Z... if bucket isn't available then it books the connection into W for C+.

Originally Posted by ATOBTTR

Beyond the confusion for the ticketing system, it's going to drive even more confusion and frustration for the average passenger who is only booking a cabin and doesn't know about, care about, or understand fare buckets. Instead DL would be dealing with complaints of "Last time I booked PS my domestic segment was in First Class. Why is it in coach on this trip and on my next trip in First Class again?" and some poor agent (who also may not even fully understand fare buckets themselves depending on their own knowledge and experience level) will be trying to explain fare buckets to said passengers.

Also, as previously noted, DL has little reason to put their PE passengers in F on the domestic segments when their direct competition doesn't. If domestic F is that important to someone, they can book as a Multi-City or Separate tickets or look for a buy-up offer (that may or may not be reasonable). I did the multi-city to get F on the continental segment of a PE ticket on AA to Hawaii for an upcoming trip.

Originally Posted by xliioper

Domestic FC classes are J/C/D/I/Z (the same as D1). Given that neither AA nor UA book into FC on domestic segs of international PE fares, I'd say chances are pretty much zero that DL will bring it back.

Originally Posted by MCO Flyer

Yes but AA and UA don’t brand their Domestic F product as Premium Economy on short haul International flights (like KEF and BOG) either. Those flights should definitely include Domestic F on the connecting legs but they don’t despite literally being Domestic F seats, just branded differently.

Originally Posted by ATOBTTR

Your thread title is confusing because “International F” is its own product that is above and beyond international Business Class” (such as AA Flagship First or AF’s “La Premiere”). What DL has on a route like this is equivalent to US domestic F, not international F.

As for booking into C+ on the domestic segments where there is no PS-marketed cabin, that’s the same for every other US carrier and as far as I know, the same for non-US carriers too and their PE tickets as well (you may not even move into a Y+ seat with some carriers - just get standard Y).