Originally Posted by Robert Leach

I think Delta probably, in the end, allocates more seats to award inventory than we perceive. Statistics provided by the carrier would suggest this. However, when the award seats are allocated, and how many are allocated, is highly variable.

The problem is that we often can't find the seats for the dates when we want to travel OR at the time when we're looking for them (two different variables there), so it seems to make things more random and more frustrating.

What I would like to see is a way to log into Delta.com and input a request for award seats on a given route during a given date range. For example, "I want two (Quantity) BE (Cabin) seats ATL-LGW (city-pair) between November 1 and November 3 (date range)". This would, in effect, put you on a waitlist for those flights.

The waitlists would be prioritized using standard methods (PMs first, then GMs, etc.).

When award seats were allocated to a flight that fit the parameters you requested, they would be temporarily held in your name and an e-mail notice would go out. You would then have a finite time (either 24 or 48 hours) to log in and "claim" the seats, deduct the miles, and get the ticket issued. If you didn't log in and claim them, the seats would be released and could go to the next person on the list for that city-pair and date.

If I want to go to South Africa the first half of December, for example, I could input this date range and sit back and see what opens up. As it is now, my only option is to check the site several times a day and see if there are any seats, or to find a date where there are seats (if that exists at all during the next 331 days), book it, and waitlist for the date I really want. All I'm proposing, really, is to allow people to waitlist from the beginning.

To make this system work ideally, you would need to allow one-way awards to be redeemed.