Award Ticket Success - Post It Here
Oct 7, 2013, 9:46 am
#3976
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Groveland, FL, USA
Programs: Starriot Platinum, DL PM, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 1,041
Booked 2 First/Business award tickets for two week vacation next August for spouse and self: outbound MCO-DTW-LHR, return DUB-ATL-MCO for the new 125K saver level for each (avoiding the UK luxury tax on exit). All DL metal. And yes, we actually wanted to go to Ireland as well.
Oct 8, 2013, 8:07 pm
#3977
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Treasure Coast of FL (MCO/MLB/PBI)
Programs: AS MVP, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 844
Just booked over the phone for next May/June (flights pulled up and priced fine on Delta.com but then couldn't ticket):
MCO-RDU in F (2 day stopover for friend's wedding)
RDU-ATL-SCL in F/J
SCL-ATL-MCO in J/Y
2 pax at 112,500 per person, since the departing flight is in May but the return is in June and thus subject to the new redemption rates. I'll watch for the last leg to open up in F, but still, with the stopover and long-haul flights in J, I still consider this a big success!
MCO-RDU in F (2 day stopover for friend's wedding)
RDU-ATL-SCL in F/J
SCL-ATL-MCO in J/Y
2 pax at 112,500 per person, since the departing flight is in May but the return is in June and thus subject to the new redemption rates. I'll watch for the last leg to open up in F, but still, with the stopover and long-haul flights in J, I still consider this a big success!
Oct 9, 2013, 11:15 pm
#3980
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: San Diego
Programs: IHG Spire Amb, HH Diamond, DL Diamond and 1MM
Posts: 3,611
Maui-Mainland on AS
Booked this in March for my mother-in-law:
OGG-SAN in first, stop in SAN
SAN-SLC-COS in coach (low is only in coach)
then open jaw
SAN-OGG in first
75,000 miles and $10 tax
There is a fair amount of availability in first on the AS flights between Maui and San Diego.
San Diego to anywhere else in the USA on Delta metal is next to impossible, especially without extra elite availability. No way I would have found SAN-COS without KVS.
It is bookable on Delta.com using multi-leg and "search by schedule". However, the website crashed on the payment page. When I called, the agent said she could not see OGG-SAN as available. I told her, "It's there. Keep trying." I wonder if the agents are so used to award fails, they don't even try.
OGG-SAN in first, stop in SAN
SAN-SLC-COS in coach (low is only in coach)
then open jaw
SAN-OGG in first
75,000 miles and $10 tax
There is a fair amount of availability in first on the AS flights between Maui and San Diego.
San Diego to anywhere else in the USA on Delta metal is next to impossible, especially without extra elite availability. No way I would have found SAN-COS without KVS.
It is bookable on Delta.com using multi-leg and "search by schedule". However, the website crashed on the payment page. When I called, the agent said she could not see OGG-SAN as available. I told her, "It's there. Keep trying." I wonder if the agents are so used to award fails, they don't even try.
Oct 10, 2013, 9:22 pm
#3981
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: MN
Programs: Lots of programs, dirt on all of them!
Posts: 11,938
Unbelievable what it took to book this award. Tried multiple times online over the course of several days. But when I got so far, I got the dreaded "One of your flights just sold out" message, which I know was not true.
Called DL and the first agent told me that you can only book Delta operated or Delta codeshare flights using miles, not Alitalia. Really? I knew I would get nowhere. Called a second time and didn't get much further but for other reasons. Finally on the third phone call (and about 1 hour later) I finally had it booked. I fed the agents all the dates/cities/flight numbers and still it took all this time over three calls.
Mar MSP-LHR
Mar LHR-FCO (<24 hours in LHR)
Mar FCO-VIE (stopover in FCO for several days)
Mar VIE-AMS (VIE is my destination, <24 hours in AMS)
Mar AMS-MSP
100K miles and $201 in taxes/fees.
It was quite sad that it took so much effort, but I must say that it didn't surprise me.
Called DL and the first agent told me that you can only book Delta operated or Delta codeshare flights using miles, not Alitalia. Really? I knew I would get nowhere. Called a second time and didn't get much further but for other reasons. Finally on the third phone call (and about 1 hour later) I finally had it booked. I fed the agents all the dates/cities/flight numbers and still it took all this time over three calls.
Mar MSP-LHR
Mar LHR-FCO (<24 hours in LHR)
Mar FCO-VIE (stopover in FCO for several days)
Mar VIE-AMS (VIE is my destination, <24 hours in AMS)
Mar AMS-MSP
100K miles and $201 in taxes/fees.
It was quite sad that it took so much effort, but I must say that it didn't surprise me.
Oct 15, 2013, 11:38 am
#3982
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SEA - DL DM/2MM, *A Gold, SPG Lifetime Plat, some other car and hotel stuff
Posts: 5,649
Central America to Northern South America is indeed a 30k Roundtrip in Business, but I wouldn't expect that this is a legal routing. 9,193 miles doesn't break the MPM for two cities that are 3,864 roundtrip on a GC route?
Essentially, you end up getting a Central America-US award in Business (60k) and a US-Northern South America award in actual B/E (90k).
So 150k of award travel for 30k. There's a nesting arbitrage in there for folks based in Central America, if they are actually letting you transit ATL for this and making that a stopover.
Oct 15, 2013, 12:39 pm
#3984
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: LAS
Posts: 184
120k + $187.30 for two people in May booked online.
LAX-BNE-MEL VA J
SYD-DPS VA J
DPS-SIN-ICN-LAX KL J & KE J
ICN-LAX only had one seat available in J per flight so we're on different flights on the last segment.
I tried to add low level LAS-LAX & LAX-LAS, the online engine would spit a higher amount for miles. I called 3x to price it out. The agents would quote more than 120k miles so I gave up and booked on DL.com instead.
When GA joins SkyTeam, I plan to change the SYD-DPS segment to GA instead of VA as the GA 330 seats are lie flat as opposed to VA's recliner seats on their 737. I'll attempt to add the LAS segments then as well.
LAX-BNE-MEL VA J
SYD-DPS VA J
DPS-SIN-ICN-LAX KL J & KE J
ICN-LAX only had one seat available in J per flight so we're on different flights on the last segment.
I tried to add low level LAS-LAX & LAX-LAS, the online engine would spit a higher amount for miles. I called 3x to price it out. The agents would quote more than 120k miles so I gave up and booked on DL.com instead.
When GA joins SkyTeam, I plan to change the SYD-DPS segment to GA instead of VA as the GA 330 seats are lie flat as opposed to VA's recliner seats on their 737. I'll attempt to add the LAS segments then as well.
Oct 15, 2013, 1:04 pm
#3985
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Programs: Household of Delta GM & PM, SWA RR CP, Bonvoy Platinum, Hertz #1 Gold, Budget RZ
Posts: 304
Two tickets for Oct. 31-Nov 3 SLC-YVR.; Y seats at 25K each. Not bad considering the tickets are close to $600 each.
Oct 15, 2013, 1:50 pm
#3986
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Auckland, NZ/New York, NY/ATL
Programs: DL DM MM, BIS 2.4MM, EK Gold, SQ Gold, Marriott Gold, HH Gold,
Posts: 5,225
120k + $187.30 for two people in May booked online.
LAX-BNE-MEL VA J
SYD-DPS VA J
DPS-SIN-ICN-LAX KL J & KE J
ICN-LAX only had one seat available in J per flight so we're on different flights on the last segment.
I tried to add low level LAS-LAX & LAX-LAS, the online engine would spit a higher amount for miles. I called 3x to price it out. The agents would quote more than 120k miles so I gave up and booked on DL.com instead.
When GA joins SkyTeam, I plan to change the SYD-DPS segment to GA instead of VA as the GA 330 seats are lie flat as opposed to VA's recliner seats on their 737. I'll attempt to add the LAS segments then as well.
LAX-BNE-MEL VA J
SYD-DPS VA J
DPS-SIN-ICN-LAX KL J & KE J
ICN-LAX only had one seat available in J per flight so we're on different flights on the last segment.
I tried to add low level LAS-LAX & LAX-LAS, the online engine would spit a higher amount for miles. I called 3x to price it out. The agents would quote more than 120k miles so I gave up and booked on DL.com instead.
When GA joins SkyTeam, I plan to change the SYD-DPS segment to GA instead of VA as the GA 330 seats are lie flat as opposed to VA's recliner seats on their 737. I'll attempt to add the LAS segments then as well.
Oct 15, 2013, 2:58 pm
#3987
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: MN
Programs: Lots of programs, dirt on all of them!
Posts: 11,938
120k + $187.30 for two people in May booked online.
LAX-BNE-MEL VA J
SYD-DPS VA J
DPS-SIN-ICN-LAX KL J & KE J
ICN-LAX only had one seat available in J per flight so we're on different flights on the last segment.
I tried to add low level LAS-LAX & LAX-LAS, the online engine would spit a higher amount for miles. I called 3x to price it out. The agents would quote more than 120k miles so I gave up and booked on DL.com instead.
When GA joins SkyTeam, I plan to change the SYD-DPS segment to GA instead of VA as the GA 330 seats are lie flat as opposed to VA's recliner seats on their 737. I'll attempt to add the LAS segments then as well.
LAX-BNE-MEL VA J
SYD-DPS VA J
DPS-SIN-ICN-LAX KL J & KE J
ICN-LAX only had one seat available in J per flight so we're on different flights on the last segment.
I tried to add low level LAS-LAX & LAX-LAS, the online engine would spit a higher amount for miles. I called 3x to price it out. The agents would quote more than 120k miles so I gave up and booked on DL.com instead.
When GA joins SkyTeam, I plan to change the SYD-DPS segment to GA instead of VA as the GA 330 seats are lie flat as opposed to VA's recliner seats on their 737. I'll attempt to add the LAS segments then as well.
Your return flights from SYD to LAX already have 4 segments. So I doubt you will ever be able to add LAS-LAX on the return. And you can't add it on the front end only, since that would then give you a double open jaw.
Oct 15, 2013, 3:25 pm
#3988
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: AA CK, DL DM, SPG Gold, Emerald Club Exec Elite, Hertz Gold
Posts: 15
2 Tickets on a multi-city itinerary (even got the A380 flight!), all in Business:
JFK->CDG->FLR
2/7/13
FLR->CDG
2/14
CDG->JFK
2/18
100k + $188 / Ticket
JFK->CDG->FLR
2/7/13
FLR->CDG
2/14
CDG->JFK
2/18
100k + $188 / Ticket
Oct 15, 2013, 5:24 pm
#3989
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SEA - DL DM/2MM, *A Gold, SPG Lifetime Plat, some other car and hotel stuff
Posts: 5,649
Oct 15, 2013, 7:01 pm
#3990
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: LAS
Posts: 184
Thanks! DPS is my destination so the inbound and outbound would be three legs each. I've booked plenty of awards on other programs but this is my first SkyMiles booking. Y'all are the experts.