Award Ticket Success - Post It Here
Feb 27, 2015, 2:56 pm
#4366
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Seattle
Programs: Delta DM; *A FO. UG since(1/1/15): 11/14
Posts: 683
I would not call it a success, but booked myself a roundtrip in first SEA-ATl-CMH for just over 3 weeks out for 90K. At the price of the day it amounted to $0.0167 per mile, which is acceptable these days for Delta. And one section is on a 75S so some flatbeds on at least one leg.
For actual low level availability for weekend flights I needed to to go Dec/Jan....
For actual low level availability for weekend flights I needed to to go Dec/Jan....
Feb 28, 2015, 11:19 am
#4367
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: 45° North
Programs: DL DM MM, HH Diamond
Posts: 10,196
Booked ICN-SEA, 2 pax, in J for 70,000 each in late June. There were a few dates to choose from.
Bought a 1-way to ICN via DTW for $1300. GUCs cleared at booking too!
Bought a 1-way to ICN via DTW for $1300. GUCs cleared at booking too!
Feb 28, 2015, 9:51 pm
#4369
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 383
How difficult is it to book award tickets on Delta using other Skyteam airlines frequent flyer miles? Is it more difficult to book domestic or international? Is there a one for one correlation? In other words would 90,000 FFM on Delta be the same 90,000 using Korean FFM or Air France FFM?
Mar 1, 2015, 2:06 am
#4370
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: San Diego
Programs: IHG Spire Amb, HH Diamond, DL Diamond and 1MM
Posts: 3,611
How difficult is it to book award tickets on Delta using other Skyteam airlines frequent flyer miles? Is it more difficult to book domestic or international? Is there a one for one correlation? In other words would 90,000 FFM on Delta be the same 90,000 using Korean FFM or Air France FFM?
Personally, I never ever book Delta awards in anything but low, so for me availability of award on Delta flights is identical to that of other Skyteam flyers trying the book on Delta.
That said, Delta's award availability in "low" is miserly beyond belief. I can think of only ONE long-haul Skymiles award flight for me that was on Delta metal; the rest were Delta Skyteam partners or Virgin Australia.
2. Domestic or international? Either way, you have to depend on Delta making its inventory available, and for either awards are hard to find. Does not matter if your home ff program is Delta Skymiles or a partner airline program like Flying Blue.
3. No, just because an award redemption between American and Asia is 140,000 Skymiles using Delta's ff program (for example), that does not mean another ff program charges the same amount of miles. Miles and add-on fees vary across different ff programs.
Mar 1, 2015, 2:38 pm
#4371
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 383
1. Delta makes it's flights available to other Skyteam ff programs, but the inventory that other ff programs use has to be in the "lowest" mileage rate.
Personally, I never ever book Delta awards in anything but low, so for me availability of award on Delta flights is identical to that of other Skyteam flyers trying the book on Delta.
That said, Delta's award availability in "low" is miserly beyond belief. I can think of only ONE long-haul Skymiles award flight for me that was on Delta metal; the rest were Delta Skyteam partners or Virgin Australia.
2. Domestic or international? Either way, you have to depend on Delta making its inventory available, and for either awards are hard to find. Does not matter if your home ff program is Delta Skymiles or a partner airline program like Flying Blue.
3. No, just because an award redemption between American and Asia is 140,000 Skymiles using Delta's ff program (for example), that does not mean another ff program charges the same amount of miles. Miles and add-on fees vary across different ff programs.
Personally, I never ever book Delta awards in anything but low, so for me availability of award on Delta flights is identical to that of other Skyteam flyers trying the book on Delta.
That said, Delta's award availability in "low" is miserly beyond belief. I can think of only ONE long-haul Skymiles award flight for me that was on Delta metal; the rest were Delta Skyteam partners or Virgin Australia.
2. Domestic or international? Either way, you have to depend on Delta making its inventory available, and for either awards are hard to find. Does not matter if your home ff program is Delta Skymiles or a partner airline program like Flying Blue.
3. No, just because an award redemption between American and Asia is 140,000 Skymiles using Delta's ff program (for example), that does not mean another ff program charges the same amount of miles. Miles and add-on fees vary across different ff programs.
Mar 4, 2015, 2:16 pm
#4372
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 148
So silly question...trying to book an award ticket on Virgin Australia, and wanted to use my Delta gift certificate to cover the taxes/fees (~126 AUD). However, the option to use it disappears when trying to book, but it's there if I was going to pay in cash. Are the gift certificates not eligible?
Mar 10, 2015, 3:09 pm
#4373
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: FL, but want to Expatriate to SE Asia ASAP
Programs: WN,DL,AA,UA,B6,more!
Posts: 810
Helped a friend book ATL-CNX round trip around Thanksgiving time this year for 140k skypesos plus around $70.
All KE outbound including the 380 in J.
A mix of KE, DL, and AS return all in J/F.
Routing:
ATL-ICN-CNX all in KE J
CNX-ICN KE J (purposeful 15 hour daytime stop in ICN) - SEA (DL J A330 TPAC) - ATL (AS 738 F).
Keep on burnin' those skypesos as the devaluations continue to roll in!
All KE outbound including the 380 in J.
A mix of KE, DL, and AS return all in J/F.
Routing:
ATL-ICN-CNX all in KE J
CNX-ICN KE J (purposeful 15 hour daytime stop in ICN) - SEA (DL J A330 TPAC) - ATL (AS 738 F).
Keep on burnin' those skypesos as the devaluations continue to roll in!
Mar 11, 2015, 12:57 pm
#4374
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NYC, MSY
Programs: DL DM, 1.5MM, NEXUS, Sky Club Lifetime, Admirals Club Lifetime, LowValueCustomer everywhere
Posts: 6,447
Just booked 2 Low Award JFK-AMS-PRG-AMS-JFK in J, mid Aug - early Sep. 125K + $76 each. JFK-AMS and AMS-JFK on DL metal, AMS-PRG, PRG-AMS on KLM.
Mar 11, 2015, 1:28 pm
#4375
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: MSP
Programs: DL DM MM, IHG Spire, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 112
Booked 2x open jaw DTW-PVG on 6/29 and PEK-DTW on 7/13 in J for 140k each. Both tickets were for general SkyMiles members on the nonstop flights. There was quite a bit of low availability between PEK and DTW both ways +/- 2weeks around July 4th, but very little to/from PVG.
Strangely, Y award prices were comparable to or higher than the J awards.
Strangely, Y award prices were comparable to or higher than the J awards.
Mar 11, 2015, 1:54 pm
#4376
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Big Muddy Mile Marker 332
Programs: Delta-PM, HHonors-Diamond, Hyatt-Explorist, Hertz - Presidents
Posts: 335
Booked STL>MSP>JAC>MSP>STL in Mid Aug 30k + $11.20 ea x 4 for our summer vaca. Was hoping to find 20 or 25k ea, but am happy with 30k ea.
Mar 15, 2015, 3:09 pm
#4378
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: San Diego
Programs: IHG Spire Amb, HH Diamond, DL Diamond and 1MM
Posts: 3,611
Booked Return Half of New Zealand-USA
Posted my outbound on the previous page in #4357.
With the 330-day calendar rolling around to my desired return date, I booked
ZQN-SYD overnight and less than a 24-hour stop
SYD-LAX-SAN
All on VA except for LAX-SAN. Two tix in biz-class at 80k miles each.
On other dates, I noticed return options with KE and CZ.
Nice that Delta finally has award booking functionality on its website.
With the 330-day calendar rolling around to my desired return date, I booked
ZQN-SYD overnight and less than a 24-hour stop
SYD-LAX-SAN
All on VA except for LAX-SAN. Two tix in biz-class at 80k miles each.
On other dates, I noticed return options with KE and CZ.
Nice that Delta finally has award booking functionality on its website.
Mar 15, 2015, 3:22 pm
#4379
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
Posted my outbound on the previous page in #4357.
With the 330-day calendar rolling around to my desired return date, I booked
ZQN-SYD overnight and less than a 24-hour stop
SYD-LAX-SAN
All on VA except for LAX-SAN. Two tix in biz-class at 80k miles each.
On other dates, I noticed return options with KE and CZ.
Nice that Delta finally has award booking functionality on its website.
With the 330-day calendar rolling around to my desired return date, I booked
ZQN-SYD overnight and less than a 24-hour stop
SYD-LAX-SAN
All on VA except for LAX-SAN. Two tix in biz-class at 80k miles each.
On other dates, I noticed return options with KE and CZ.
Nice that Delta finally has award booking functionality on its website.
Did you want the long layover in SYD or not have a choice? For instance, if you flew out of AKL, maybe you wouldn't have had the long layover?
Also, is an award to Oceania a better bang for the buck than TATL awards using DL SkyMiles?
Mar 16, 2015, 12:27 am
#4380
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: San Diego
Programs: IHG Spire Amb, HH Diamond, DL Diamond and 1MM
Posts: 3,611
NZ Award Questions
Did you search for awards to/from any other NZ airport?
Did you want the long layover in SYD or not have a choice? For instance, if you flew out of AKL, maybe you wouldn't have had the long layover?
Also, is an award to Oceania a better bang for the buck than TATL awards using DL SkyMiles?
Did you want the long layover in SYD or not have a choice? For instance, if you flew out of AKL, maybe you wouldn't have had the long layover?
Also, is an award to Oceania a better bang for the buck than TATL awards using DL SkyMiles?
The overnight layover in SYD is a function of VA's not having early morning departures out of ZQN. On a previous trip, I had a very early morning departure out of CHC connecting to SYD-LAX later that morning. Did not enjoy having to stay at a rat hole motel near CHC so I could make my flight. I would rather overnight in SYD.
I suspect 160k for an Oceania award is a better dollars per mile value than a transatlantic award despite its higher mileage cost. Of course, there are many variables, including what country one desires to visit.