Originally Posted by
PaperTiger
Marketing nonsense intended to deceive the unwary.
Actually this is done to influence how the flights are shown on CRS/GDS screen displays.
1. 'Direct' flights (i.e. single flight numbers) are shown first.
2. 'On-line' connections (including connections to flights operated by other carriers but bearing the code of the first airline - code share flights) are shown next.
3. Interline connections are next.
Within the three categories 'competing' flights are ranked based on various criteria such as elapsed time, requested departure time, etc.
So DL's practice here bumps their on-line connecting flight from Category 2 to 1 given them a (deceptively) higher placing on the screen.