The New SkyMiles is Asinine! Successfully, after a moon mission, booked an ATL - JFK - SVO - JFK - ATL trip in Economy in Economy for 60k SkyMiles + $280 taxes/fees. (JFK-SVO-JFK on Aeroflot)
- Tried to book on delta.com but at the last screen would always get a "fare no longer available message", even though the seats were still there and delta.com would show the flights again
- On Friday Called and after 90 minute wait got an incompetent agent and had to HUACA
- 2nd Agent after 2 hour wait was more helpful. Even though delta.com shows 30k each way availability, they can't book it due to some IT glitches with Aeroflot. After going through much wrangling,
talked them into putting the itinerary on a 3 day hold until IT issues with aeroflot got resolved. He gave me the record locator number. He put a bunch of notes in the PNR, including that they should honor the 60,000 price.
- Called the next day and after a 2 hour hold and the agent claimed the Aeroflot availability we had on hold was no longer available and I was never supposed to get a hold in the first place. I checked on expertflyer.com and delta.com and both were showing the Aeroflot availability still there. Agent adamant it was not. I should have did a HUACA but stuck with it. I asked to escalate to a Supervisor, best she would do was get Online Support on who claimed nothing could be done. They also missed with my record on hold and the Atlanta - JFK segments went from "N" Main Cabin class to "ND" (Higher Main Cabin). I asked agent to ask Revenue Management to make Delta operated JFK - SVO for same dates available for Low/"N" availability. She tried and was denied. I asked to speak to a sueprvisor. While on hold for supervisor I went on Delta.com and successfully booked a JFK - SVO - JFK using the same Aeroflot flights she and online support claimed were not available. Gave her the record locator on the phone and when she saw I successfully booked it she literally gasped. She was shocked! I told her take whatever I had on hold and new record locator and marry them together however you need to make ATL - JFk - SVO - JFK - ATL happen. She tried and couldn't. After 30 minutes the supervisor who she got on the line digested everything understood the situation. She was able to wrangle my two records, collect another $5.60 in fees to add on the ATL - JFK legs (shouldn't it have been $11.20? oh well...) and I finally had a successful ticket
About 4-6 hours of wait times, 2-3 hours of actual talk times, multiple clueless agents and IT glitches later I had the simple round-trip.
For those stuck with hordes of Delta miles I feel sorry for you.
PS - Example flights available on Delta.com using DL and SU that the calendar shows as available, and expertflyer shows as available. However go to ticket it and watch it error out. And call it in and watch the agents tell you it is not available.
