Originally Posted by
bbbacres
Thanks for the message. I did try searching roundtrips to both destinations and it worked. Sadly the results came out about where I was anyway, so no great savings, but at least I know it is NOT because I am a day or two off in my travel dates. Forgive my not quite understanding, but I was curious about your mention of D1 for 80k per way. When I do my normal searches, it is coming out with first class costing 350,000 and even 450,000 miles. If First cost me 160,000 that would be more, but not tons more, than the 120,000 I'm finding for lowest level coach. Can you explain more about this 80k per way option and where to find it? Sorry about my need for further help.
You first mention D1, and then First class. Are you using these synonymously? As I mentioned above, the 80K one-way D1 awards have a 90-day advance purchase requirement. Are you searching at least 90 days out (you won't see anything at that rate for closer-in trips)? 90 days out from now puts you into late April to find availability. And just to be clear, that rate only applies to TATL routes to Europe. Is that what you are looking at? Other international destinations have different rates. There are also 100K each-way D1 awards on a number of European routes which have a 60-day advance purchase requirement (however, they don't seem to be offered on all European routes). But these have a roundtrip purchase with Saturday night stay requirement, so you will not see them with one-way searches or be able to purchase them as a one-way trip. You can, however, build an open-jaw multi-city award with them. It would be helpful to know which routes you are looking at. Some of the more obscure destinations are less likely to see availability than the routes where DL has non-stop service.