Originally Posted by
ArlingtonTraveler
Okay folks, I managed to get an agent who knew what they were doing. They built up an itinerary for me MNL-TPE-LAX-DCA and was unable to price it even using the manual system. He called Global Ticketing Support and was on hold for like 30 minutes. He told me the issue was not a lack of availability, but rather that connecting flights on CI through TPE were no longer allowed. Of course he offered me itineraries on DL metal that cost 120K, but this sucks. If they are also restricting connecting flights through ICN on KE, that means a de facto stealth devaluation of SkyRubles.
...also KE to KE connections via NRT are blocked and very hard to work around.
DL is clearly trying to move to a segment-by-segment award pricing system, a la BA Avios, and just like VS already has (remember that VS is using the DL res system hosted in Atlanta, and I suspect that, sooner or later, DL will change its award fare rules to match those of VS already on its reservation system, where it's strictly segment by segment pricing; as it is already in place and would be a very easy move for DL).