Award Ticket Routing Rules
#16
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SUX
Programs: BA Silver; HHonors Gold; SPG Gold; Points but dirt with everyone else
Posts: 8,050
MPM is just that --- Maximum Permitted Mileage. I don't believe there is any leeway ---there is no 15% over or 0.0001% over. If the MPM is 5623 miles, you must find an itinerary of that mileage or less to be valid. 5624 miles would not be valid and would have a fare break
Considering you get four segments each way, there's no way to connect in all four of those cities. TPDs are generally not cumulative. Seems like you usually get the largest one, from what I've been able to tell.
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: MSP
Programs: Delta PM
Posts: 45
Thanks for all the help mtkeller. Does it necessarily have to be 4 each way or can it be a total of 8 roundtrip split into 3 outbound 5 inbound? Also for the TPD, does Delta.dumb let you combine the TPD and 5% overage? For example MPM is 5000 TPD is 500. Could the new MPM be 5775 or 5750? (Depending on the order. MPM+TPD then multiplied by 1.05 or MPM*1.05 then add the 500 TPD. Once again I really appreciate it.
#18
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SUX
Programs: BA Silver; HHonors Gold; SPG Gold; Points but dirt with everyone else
Posts: 8,050
Thanks for all the help mtkeller. Does it necessarily have to be 4 each way or can it be a total of 8 roundtrip split into 3 outbound 5 inbound? Also for the TPD, does Delta.dumb let you combine the TPD and 5% overage? For example MPM is 5000 TPD is 500. Could the new MPM be 5775 or 5750? (Depending on the order. MPM+TPD then multiplied by 1.05 or MPM*1.05 then add the 500 TPD. Once again I really appreciate it.
#20
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: SEA
Programs: Le Club Accorhotels Platinum, Club Carlson Gold
Posts: 918
I'm just making the point that I don't think this is an airtight counterexample to my theories, although I am perplexed that routing via SVO didn't work, given SU's published fares. Maybe DL's system isn't so good at verifying against those fares, since you seem to indicate that you tried to redeem a held itinerary on DL.dumb and it wouldn't even price properly there.
Correct on everything except the MPM. Routings exceeding the MPM can be allowed if the partner operating the flights publishes a fare routed that way. Any number of people have flown KE, MU, or CZ from the US to Australia or New Zealand on DL awards, and that's way over the MPM.
I am pretty sure it's possible to book it, but would not go through the hassle of calling DL to get this proven as it would take quite some time. I have another SEA-MLE booked though OK Plus awards and neither OK, nor EY have any revenue fares from SEA to MLE via JFK and AUH using DL and EY.
#21
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SUX
Programs: BA Silver; HHonors Gold; SPG Gold; Points but dirt with everyone else
Posts: 8,050
I am pretty sure it's possible to book it, but would not go through the hassle of calling DL to get this proven as it would take quite some time. I have another SEA-MLE booked though OK Plus awards and neither OK, nor EY have any revenue fares from SEA to MLE via JFK and AUH using DL and EY.
#22
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: SEA
Programs: Le Club Accorhotels Platinum, Club Carlson Gold
Posts: 918
The award routing rules of OK Plus are completely irrelevant here. Even the four major US-based carriers have wildly divergent award routing rules. UA will let just about anything go, save a few exclusions forbidding connections in third regions. AA allows almost no connections in third regions (including in Northern South America when trying to go from North America to Southern South America, despite it making perfect sense to connect in Northern SA in many cases) and explicitly requires a revenue fare matching the routing (up to 25% over the MPM, if MPM-based) published by the overwater carrier, so if you want to fly CX somewhere, you'd better hope they've got a fare published even if you're over AA's MPM by less than 25%. In most instances (but there's some dispute over the exact details), that fare cannot be a constructed/add-on fare either. US used to be anything goes but now seems to be enforcing a restriction of MPM+25% on most awards (although just about anything beyond that still goes, other than doing US-Europe via Asia).
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist & Ambassador: China
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: DL DM/MM, UA 1K, AA Exp, HH Dia, WOH Glob, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold, NA EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 17,410
OP, see this thread for lots of good info on award tickets (MPM, MP segments etc):
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...er-thread.html
In general the rule is yes there has to be a legal routing, but many FT-ers (including those posting here already) can cite plenty of examples.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...er-thread.html
In general the rule is yes there has to be a legal routing, but many FT-ers (including those posting here already) can cite plenty of examples.
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: MSP
Programs: Delta PM
Posts: 45
Just when you think you have everything you need... WRONG. Yet another to delta.dumb
I found availability on all the flights and under the MPM and < 4 segments. What I'm attempting to do is a multi-city award. The routing would be MSP-LAX (Dest) then LAX-JFK-LHR. I've found low availability for all segments but when I try to put it all together on delta.dumb, it prices out as 85,000 ("one way" low domestic-25,000 and "one way" low USA-Europe and I know the "one ways" are just a roundtrip pricing) instead of the 42,500 which I think it should be. Am I correct in that it should be 42,500? Any advice or do I need to take my chances with calling Delta?
I found availability on all the flights and under the MPM and < 4 segments. What I'm attempting to do is a multi-city award. The routing would be MSP-LAX (Dest) then LAX-JFK-LHR. I've found low availability for all segments but when I try to put it all together on delta.dumb, it prices out as 85,000 ("one way" low domestic-25,000 and "one way" low USA-Europe and I know the "one ways" are just a roundtrip pricing) instead of the 42,500 which I think it should be. Am I correct in that it should be 42,500? Any advice or do I need to take my chances with calling Delta?
#25
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SUX
Programs: BA Silver; HHonors Gold; SPG Gold; Points but dirt with everyone else
Posts: 8,050
Just when you think you have everything you need... WRONG. Yet another to delta.dumb
I found availability on all the flights and under the MPM and < 4 segments. What I'm attempting to do is a multi-city award. The routing would be MSP-LAX (Dest) then LAX-JFK-LHR. I've found low availability for all segments but when I try to put it all together on delta.dumb, it prices out as 85,000 ("one way" low domestic-25,000 and "one way" low USA-Europe and I know the "one ways" are just a roundtrip pricing) instead of the 42,500 which I think it should be. Am I correct in that it should be 42,500? Any advice or do I need to take my chances with calling Delta?
I found availability on all the flights and under the MPM and < 4 segments. What I'm attempting to do is a multi-city award. The routing would be MSP-LAX (Dest) then LAX-JFK-LHR. I've found low availability for all segments but when I try to put it all together on delta.dumb, it prices out as 85,000 ("one way" low domestic-25,000 and "one way" low USA-Europe and I know the "one ways" are just a roundtrip pricing) instead of the 42,500 which I think it should be. Am I correct in that it should be 42,500? Any advice or do I need to take my chances with calling Delta?
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist & Ambassador: China
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: DL DM/MM, UA 1K, AA Exp, HH Dia, WOH Glob, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold, NA EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 17,410
Just when you think you have everything you need... WRONG. Yet another to delta.dumb
I found availability on all the flights and under the MPM and < 4 segments. What I'm attempting to do is a multi-city award. The routing would be MSP-LAX (Dest) then LAX-JFK-LHR. I've found low availability for all segments but when I try to put it all together on delta.dumb, it prices out as 85,000 ("one way" low domestic-25,000 and "one way" low USA-Europe and I know the "one ways" are just a roundtrip pricing) instead of the 42,500 which I think it should be. Am I correct in that it should be 42,500? Any advice or do I need to take my chances with calling Delta?
I found availability on all the flights and under the MPM and < 4 segments. What I'm attempting to do is a multi-city award. The routing would be MSP-LAX (Dest) then LAX-JFK-LHR. I've found low availability for all segments but when I try to put it all together on delta.dumb, it prices out as 85,000 ("one way" low domestic-25,000 and "one way" low USA-Europe and I know the "one ways" are just a roundtrip pricing) instead of the 42,500 which I think it should be. Am I correct in that it should be 42,500? Any advice or do I need to take my chances with calling Delta?
#27
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: MSP
Programs: Delta PM
Posts: 45
Oh I forgot about that stipulation. I just read something about free one ways on Delta. So following that logic, I can only get somewhere less than the distance of MSP-LAX?
#28
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SUX
Programs: BA Silver; HHonors Gold; SPG Gold; Points but dirt with everyone else
Posts: 8,050
Oh I forgot about that stipulation. I just read something about free one ways on Delta. So following that logic, I can only get somewhere less than the distance of MSP-LAX?
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: MSP
Programs: Delta PM
Posts: 45
I have my award booked but this is just curiosity. Say you want to go from MIA-OME (Nome, AK) then back to MIA. Then to take advantage of your stopover and open jaw, you stopover in MIA for X days then continue MIA-MAD. According to GCMap, MIA-OME is longer than MIA-MAD so that would be a valid open jaw, correct? As for pricing, assuming you can get it all for low, would it be 42,500?
MIA-OME Low 12,500
OME-MIA (stopover)-MAD 30,000
Am I correct on the pricing? Not actually any interest but just curious. Delta.dumb is incapable of pricing it.
MIA-OME Low 12,500
OME-MIA (stopover)-MAD 30,000
Am I correct on the pricing? Not actually any interest but just curious. Delta.dumb is incapable of pricing it.
#30
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SUX
Programs: BA Silver; HHonors Gold; SPG Gold; Points but dirt with everyone else
Posts: 8,050
I have my award booked but this is just curiosity. Say you want to go from MIA-OME (Nome, AK) then back to MIA. Then to take advantage of your stopover and open jaw, you stopover in MIA for X days then continue MIA-MAD. According to GCMap, MIA-OME is longer than MIA-MAD so that would be a valid open jaw, correct? As for pricing, assuming you can get it all for low, would it be 42,500?
MIA-OME Low 12,500
OME-MIA (stopover)-MAD 30,000
Am I correct on the pricing? Not actually any interest but just curious. Delta.dumb is incapable of pricing it.
MIA-OME Low 12,500
OME-MIA (stopover)-MAD 30,000
Am I correct on the pricing? Not actually any interest but just curious. Delta.dumb is incapable of pricing it.