carm100

[B]Once again, Delta is making award seats more diffucult. Instead of allowing a "hold" on award ticket reservation for 2 weeks to allow the return flight to open, as of today, you can not hold award seat reservations for more than 2 days. Obviously this puts quite a problem for those that plan in advance since your return flight must be available to redeem an award seat. Forget calling 331 days in advance for the outbound since it must be redeemed within 2 days.

It's time for Flyer Talk participants to voice their dissatisfaction with yet another rule change. I am a Gold medaillion so no preference here either!

HeathrowGuy

The rule is probably a net positive for FFers - it prevents others from tying up scarce award seats (esp. in premium cabins) for weeks on end.

Spiff

For those who book 331 days out on choice travel dates/routes and plan on staying more than 2 days, it is a serious bummer.

mikey1003

Positive????

If you book 331 days out.....You cannot hold until return opens... How can you plan a trip this way if this it true?????????

Idiots!!!!!!!!!

Where is Robbie Boy Borden when we need him?

motormadness

This rule is probably very good. It will keep more award seats open for us.

patrickATX

I just talked to the Platinum desk about an award issue and also asked about this. The woman I talked to said that people could call in after 2 days (but before the award res cancels) and they would extend it 2 days at a time in this particular type situation. So, it might be a little more work at 331 days out, but still doable.

mtparadis

I thought this thread was about some new awards that "rule." Guess that would never happen.

indufan

But no one else can either putting you at no disadvantage.

Richard1148

I thought that I read previously that the 2 day rule applied when you used a partner airline for any of the segments. So now, even if all segments are on DL metal, the hold is only 2 days?

PMMMDL

Sorry folks, but I like the rule. I don't book 331 days in advance (hell, I usually don't know where I'll be next week, much less next year) so there may be a little more likelyhood of my dates being available when I call this way.

indufan

Is there a reason to be sorry?

longing4piedmont

This is correct. You can still hold flights on ALL DL metal for 14 days.

The reason for the two days was some of the DL partners were not holding the seats as requested. Imagine calling back to book your flight and being told it was gone. As a result, DL took the lowest common denominator and set the hold day to that time frame. Thus the two days.

PMMMDL

Just trying to be polite while disagreeing with many who posted alternative opinions.

Threy

You must be kidding...or not trying very hard very often

Seriously though, as pointed out in earlier posts, airlines invest more money and more time trying to figure out how much harm awards are bringing to the revenue side.It started some time ago, but at least in Europe, many airlines charge their fuel surcharges on awards, so the loss of revenue could be stopped to a certain extent.

However the once valid believe that one does not lose any revenue, because one only dumps seats into the award buckets, if there is no way to sell them anyway is not regarded as viable anymore.

The FF gets more sophisticated and knows where to use his miles...

Studies about smaller companies booking their employees preferably on LCC`s and the court ruling in Germany, that the employer actually owns the miles, is probably accelerating the whole thing.

Expect Airlines to significantly reduce the flexibility for awards...

tkey75

Completely intolerable!

If this is true and the hold is only for two days, but you can call every two days and get it extended, then really there's no difference to those booking 331 days in advance. It's the same difference of under the 'old' rule of two weeks and having to call because my return wouldn't be for three. So, as previously pointed out, it's a little more leg work, but the same result. Also, some poeple may find a little more award availability closer to the flying date because some people may mot be willing to do the extra phone work or just plain forget. I just don't see much of a difference, if it is in fact true you can call every two days. That remains to be seen.

When is this new rule taking effect?

Where did you find this information?