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Having DL AmEx card gives favored award availability

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Having DL AmEx card gives favored award availability

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Old Sep 26, 2012, 10:02 am
  #1  
fti
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Having DL AmEx card gives favored award availability

I was working on a booking for friends and realized that owning the DL AmEX card gives favored availability for domestic awards vs. not owning it. None of the three accounts I tried, including mine, are for anyone with any DL status.

I checked MSP-SEA for 09 July. Not logged in (or logged into an account of someone who does not have the card) only gives 40K mile awards. But once logged into the account of a DL AmEx cardholder, the "I am traveling" button appears and if checked, gives a 25K mile award on one flight that day.

You learn something new every day! One more reason to own the DL AmEx card vs. being FO
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Old Sep 26, 2012, 10:43 am
  #2  
 
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I noticed that months ago (before becoming a FO) but figured it might just be a bug so I never told anyone about it. Another bug used to be if I didn't assign myself a seat at booking it would automatically assign me a premium seat as well, but that bug went away when they introduced EC.
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Old Sep 26, 2012, 10:53 am
  #3  
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Wow, I'd hate to see what it is like if you are not Diamond and have the CC??
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Old Sep 26, 2012, 11:04 am
  #4  
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An interesting question is whether having a DL credit card gives you enhanced domestic coach award availability above and beyond the enhanced domestic coach award availability for elites such as DMs. Also, I wonder whether "higher" Dl credit cards such as Reserve are better for obtaining award tickets than the less expensive DL AmEx credit cards.
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Old Sep 26, 2012, 11:17 am
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I'm up for searching using my Reserve status...if anyone wants to experiment.
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Old Sep 26, 2012, 11:19 am
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Originally Posted by jtrue28
I'm up for searching using my Reserve status...if anyone wants to experiment.
Diamond with no Amex. I'd be willing to search the same stuff from my end and compare.
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Old Sep 26, 2012, 11:34 am
  #7  
fti
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Had a GM friend check and his availability was the same as the availability of the non-status friend with DL AmEx for 9 Jul MSP-SEA.
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Old Sep 26, 2012, 12:57 pm
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It surprises me that DL does not advertise this AMEX benefit.
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Old Sep 26, 2012, 1:07 pm
  #9  
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Originally Posted by fti
Had a GM friend check and his availability was the same as the availability of the non-status friend with DL AmEx for 9 Jul MSP-SEA.
Just some data points with some input from a few accounts:

PM no DL AMEX 25k MPS-SEA DL41 7:30PM one way search - "I am flying"
FO with DL AMEX 25k MPS-SEA DL41 7:30PM one way search - "I am flying"
no log-in 40k MPS-SEA DL41 7:30PM one way search


More data points would be great on this!

Last edited by Renes Points; Sep 26, 2012 at 1:16 pm
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Old Sep 26, 2012, 1:15 pm
  #10  
 
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Same result for me

GM with AMEX Reserve 25K MSP-SEA DL41 7:30PM one way search (economy, "I am flying")
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Old Sep 26, 2012, 1:16 pm
  #11  
 
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My sister who has just a SM number, no status no AMEX

Same flights 40,000 miles
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Old Sep 26, 2012, 1:19 pm
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I am a DM with a Reserve, it's 25k for me
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Old Sep 26, 2012, 1:51 pm
  #13  
 
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I remember reading in the Medallion literature that Medallions have access to more award seats than non-status members. Maybe that's it, and the Medallion just happens to also have a DL Amex.
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Old Sep 26, 2012, 2:01 pm
  #14  
fti
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Originally Posted by PDXNRTLHR
I remember reading in the Medallion literature that Medallions have access to more award seats than non-status members. Maybe that's it, and the Medallion just happens to also have a DL Amex.
Certainly in the cases I tested this is not correct. The two accounts we checked of those with the DL AmEx have absolutely no status. The DL AmEx definitely gives favored availability vs. someone not logged in or vs. someone logged in but without having the DL AmEx.
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Old Sep 26, 2012, 2:04 pm
  #15  
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Someone at DL must be wondering now why so many customers from all over are interested in award travel on July 9 from MSP to SEA. All of those tickets will go to high if we're not careful.
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