New Three-Tier System/Award Calendar In Effect
Oct 21, 2008, 8:32 am
#256
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SLC
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Oct 21, 2008, 10:03 am
#257
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This whole spin directs the subject of the conversation to the technical tool and its problems rather than focus on what is the fundamental issue: this 3-tier system and the fees associated with award redemptions as of the past couple of months represent a vehicle for a massive SkyMiles devaluation.
DL now has the highest possible mileage and money requirements to redeem an award ticket of any US airline frequent flyer program. That wasn't the case a few months ago and there is no getting around that is where DL has lead SkyMiles these past several months using any and every excuse under the sun -- excuses that DL apologists will buy and sell but that informed consumers ought not to fall for.
DL now has the highest possible mileage and money requirements to redeem an award ticket of any US airline frequent flyer program. That wasn't the case a few months ago and there is no getting around that is where DL has lead SkyMiles these past several months using any and every excuse under the sun -- excuses that DL apologists will buy and sell but that informed consumers ought not to fall for.
Oct 21, 2008, 2:02 pm
#258
Join Date: Jul 2008
Programs: Southwest A-list, Hiltonhonors Diamond, Delta, AA Platinum, IHG Platinum,
Posts: 115
it seems like all the airlines are raising the requirements for free flights.
Oct 21, 2008, 2:42 pm
#259
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Oct 21, 2008, 5:42 pm
#261
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This "partner award booking fee" is money that even DL Platinums do not get back if cancelling or changing an award ticket.
Oct 21, 2008, 7:38 pm
#262
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Nashville
Programs: DL DM 3 MM AA PLAT HH Lifetime Diamond Marriott Plat AMB lifetime titanium Hertz PC
Posts: 6,187
This whole spin directs the subject of the conversation to the technical tool and its problems rather than focus on what is the fundamental issue: this 3-tier system and the fees associated with award redemptions as of the past couple of months represent a vehicle for a massive SkyMiles devaluation.
DL now has the highest possible mileage and money requirements to redeem an award ticket of any US airline frequent flyer program. That wasn't the case a few months ago and there is no getting around that is where DL has lead SkyMiles these past several months using any and every excuse under the sun -- excuses that DL apologists will buy and sell but that informed consumers ought not to fall for.
DL now has the highest possible mileage and money requirements to redeem an award ticket of any US airline frequent flyer program. That wasn't the case a few months ago and there is no getting around that is where DL has lead SkyMiles these past several months using any and every excuse under the sun -- excuses that DL apologists will buy and sell but that informed consumers ought not to fall for.
Oct 21, 2008, 8:16 pm
#263
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: PDX
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Posts: 2,561
Oct 21, 2008, 8:39 pm
#264
Join Date: Oct 2004
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Oct 21, 2008, 8:50 pm
#265
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Oct 22, 2008, 9:06 am
#266
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: BHM, MAN (blue not red)(city not united)
Programs: Delta PM, HH, CRC
Posts: 1,014
I cant even get the thing to direct me to the calendar on multi-city.. makes me select dates and sticks with it.. 
really annoyed..
really annoyed..
Oct 23, 2008, 4:46 pm
#267
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Atlanta,Georgia
Programs: Delta, Starwood, Delta DM
Posts: 336
I just booked 2 BIZ Elite to Spain next year for 100,000 each, multi city.
Arriving BCN departing MAD. I did it all in just about 8 minutes, no problems
that I saw.
Arriving BCN departing MAD. I did it all in just about 8 minutes, no problems
that I saw.
Dec 3, 2008, 2:22 am
#268
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: LAX
Programs: UA 1K, LA, WN, SPG Plat, MR Gold
Posts: 730
I'm not sure if there's a definitive Award Calendar ranting thread, but man could it suck any more?
1. The fact that multicity (for me at least) doesn't show the lowest available but reverts to searching by schedule stinks. How do I select business/coach for each flight in multicity?
2. The fact that when I search the calendar, I select two greens (one business outbound, one coach inbound) and it returns both business (one at a higher rate) is driving me crazy. If there is a green for the cabin I choose, then show it!!
3. Overall, I'm just disgusted by the lack of transparency. I see the lowest number of Skymiles, not whether or not a flight is LOW/MED/HIGH. So, when I see something that isn't 50k or 100k, I'm left to guess and figure out how the system came up with the price. That and the whole non-mainland departures "Awards not originating or terminating in the Continental US, Alaska, or Canada often require more mileage." What BS. Especially considering you used to publish a chart.
Ranting over. Sorry.
1. The fact that multicity (for me at least) doesn't show the lowest available but reverts to searching by schedule stinks. How do I select business/coach for each flight in multicity?
2. The fact that when I search the calendar, I select two greens (one business outbound, one coach inbound) and it returns both business (one at a higher rate) is driving me crazy. If there is a green for the cabin I choose, then show it!!
3. Overall, I'm just disgusted by the lack of transparency. I see the lowest number of Skymiles, not whether or not a flight is LOW/MED/HIGH. So, when I see something that isn't 50k or 100k, I'm left to guess and figure out how the system came up with the price. That and the whole non-mainland departures "Awards not originating or terminating in the Continental US, Alaska, or Canada often require more mileage." What BS. Especially considering you used to publish a chart.
Ranting over. Sorry.
Jan 2, 2009, 4:17 pm
#269
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Join Date: Dec 2002
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Posts: 24,249
As a NW elite trying to digest the lay of the land when NW institutes the three-tier calendar come January 15 and later finds itself entirely under the DL umbrella, I am absolutely befuddled by what I am seeing when I run a sample search on delta.com.
As an exercise, I chose ATL-GIG, looking for one seat, round-trip, in business class. The award chart for "Southern South America" indicates that the "low" price is 50,000 miles each way for what should be a total of 100,000 round-trip. But when I pick a sample outbound of January 15 and a return of January 19 -- a combination with both flights supposedly available at the "low" level according to the calendar -- DL quotes me a price of 150,000 miles. An outbound of May 28 with a return of June 9 yields an even higher cost of 200,000 miles even with both flights supposedly offered at the "low" level. So, what's the use of a three-tiered structure if the actual mileage requirements bear little or no resemblance to what is supposedly offered at each tier?
As an exercise, I chose ATL-GIG, looking for one seat, round-trip, in business class. The award chart for "Southern South America" indicates that the "low" price is 50,000 miles each way for what should be a total of 100,000 round-trip. But when I pick a sample outbound of January 15 and a return of January 19 -- a combination with both flights supposedly available at the "low" level according to the calendar -- DL quotes me a price of 150,000 miles. An outbound of May 28 with a return of June 9 yields an even higher cost of 200,000 miles even with both flights supposedly offered at the "low" level. So, what's the use of a three-tiered structure if the actual mileage requirements bear little or no resemblance to what is supposedly offered at each tier?
* The actual award inventory purportedly available at the "low" level -- whatever mileage cost that actually may be -- is no less disturbing, but that's less of a shock to me. Between February and November 2009, the DL award calendar shows only 16 outbound dates and three inbound dates in business class at the amorphous "low" level. No single month has both outbound and inbound award inventory at the low level. February has one outbound date and zero returns; March and April are zeros both ways; May has three outbound dates, but no returns; June and July have no outbound seats and one return date; August has a fairly robust seven outbound dates, but no returns; September has four outbound dates and no returns; October has two outbound dates, but no returns; and November has no outbound dates with one return.
Jan 2, 2009, 8:47 pm
#270
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: ATL
Programs: DL GM
Posts: 998
welcome to our world of 3-tier frustration, SAT lawyer