Thanks to Carol Faulkner of the DL Pioneers Arizona Sun Catchers Chapter for this update.
Attention Retirees: Know your standby priority code on Delta's Connection Carriers and double check it! Some retirees have received a bill from DL/ATL in the amount of $150 and the reason given is misuse and/or abuse of pass privileges. This is happening as a result of using the wrong too-high-of-a-priority code when traveling on the Connection Carriers. Please remember that your code is S4 (yes, the same as Friends/Family travelers) when traveling Delta's Connection Carriers such as SkyWest. Verify and double check your standby code on your standby card as it is your responsibility to know your priority. Kiosks are not always accurate and agents may not always know. Please see response below from ESC in ATL that helps explain further. Good news ... they are hoping to automate Friends/Family passes in the next 12 months.
----- ESC Response -----
From: Delta, ESC <mailto:ESC.Delta@delta.com>
Sent: Friday, April 02, 2004 6:48 AM
Subject: RE: Standby priority questions
Thank you for your email to the ESC.
In response to your inquiry, retirees receive the same boarding priority (S3B) on wholly-owned subsidiary Delta Connection carriers (ASA and Comair) as they do on Delta. Only on non-subsidiary Delta Connection carriers is the priority S4. Additionally, pass card travel is not allowed on Delta Connection flights operated by American Eagle. I have forwarded your comments on clarity to the appropriate gatekeepers for review.
Yield fare tickets for non-dependent children or travel companions may be ticketed over-the-phone with reservations as long as a credit card is used to pay for them. Family and Friends tickets must be purchased at a ticket counter or city ticket office staffed by Delta, ASA or Comair employees. There is presently no way to ticket a Family and Friends ticket at a station completely handled by SkyWest or any other non-subsidiary partner; you would have to ticket them at another location. We are working on automation to make Family and Friends travel paperless and hope to have it completed within the next 12 months.
Retirees should direct their questions through the Contact Us feature on <http://dlretiree.info/> or by calling 1-800 MY DELTA during business hours. When contacting us by email, a full name and employee number should be included.
If we may be of further assistance please do not hesitate to contact us.
John
Delta ESC Representative
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Thursday, April 01, 2004 7:18 PM
To: Delta, ESC
Subject: Standby priority questions
Regard Connection carriers....regard retirees pass travel and their non-dependents yield fare travel....it is clear that SkyWest priority is S4 for those categories. Assumption, is it S3B for Comair? The page on Comair seems vague. If the priority is less like S3B, what is the source for the information? It seems like the GRS pages are out of date, and sometimes the non-rev DeltaNet pages seem vague. Also, for example it says that SkyWest cannot ticket F/F or yield fares. If those passenger types want to fly out of a city that is handled exclusively by SkyWest for example, and there are no CTOs available, may I assume that Res can set up an electronic ticket with credit card over the phone for yield fares? And what about F/F fares? Do you foresee F/F certificates becoming electronic so that Res can issue them over the phone? What is the absolute most current info source for retirees to direct their questions? Many of us are confused by conflicting answers and out of date info.