Originally Posted by
B747-437B
I called Delta last week trying to get info on award redemption levels for intra-Africa awards on Kenya Airways. The agent refused to give me the information on the phone citing "security reasons" but confirmed that there was availability and that I had sufficient miles in my account to issue the award. The actual number of miles and taxes payable however would not be revealed until after I agreed to ticket the award. I declined to do so.
Does Delta really refuse to reveal the cost of awards until after purchase is complete? Is it only me who sees this as completely absurd?
It's not only you who find DL's customer-unfriendly approach to award ticket pricing to be completely absurd -- I find it the same way too.
DL's "security" excuse is another new low. What you experienced has nothing to do with security unless by "security" DL mean securing the means to treat customers as the enemy or sheep to be fleeced.
DL management intentionally decided to eliminate the published SkyMiles award charts that covered award ticket pricing for travel originating and terminating in countries besides the "US" even on partner airlines. As part of that DL tactic, most of the reservation agents have been left in the dark by DL management when it comes to award ticket pricing and they don't know the pricing until just before the ticketing purchase process is completed -- and even then it is not guaranteed to be a case of what you see is what you get.
It is absurd. What is more absurd is that DL has been getting away with its con-artist game for well over a year with no sign of it coming to an end anytime soon.