A partner-issued trip with a DL connection: why segments can earn on different bases

On an ordinary, qualifying non-Basic partner-issued itinerary, partner-marketed segments use distance and fare class at travel for miles and Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs). Delta-marketed segments use total base fare plus carrier surcharges prorated by their share of total distance.

Important unknowns

  • The source does not establish the outcome of an individual request. Confirm current instructions with the airline; the effective date of these provisions is not established.

What to do next

  1. Identify the account

    Keep the 006 ticket-stock exception separate: a partner flight code alone does not establish distance-based earning. Delta defines the distance, not the route actually flown. Specialty and package fares need their own rules. Credit belongs to the member who flew; partner rules at the travel date still apply.

  2. Use the official recovery route

    Build one row per flown segment from the actual ticket. Record the full flight number, operator, issuer, fare class and travel date in separate fields. Keep the original receipt alongside the activity record so a different label can be checked against its source.

  3. Keep your request focused

    Compare the rows before asking about the total. Identify which segment's method or posted amount you do not understand. A useful enquiry gives the relevant row and asks which earning basis and applicable conditions Delta used, rather than multiplying the whole receipt by a remembered rate.

  4. Check the result

    If a necessary classification is unclear, ask for it before calculating. Record the explanation beside that segment and keep any still-unresolved field visible. Reconcile the individual activity entries with the journey once the explanation arrives.

  5. Scope and limitations

    This guide establishes no partner-specific rate, personal earning amount or posting deadline. It does not classify a 006 ticket universally or resolve another fare's eligibility.

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