Originally Posted by
RealDLInsider
...In addition to greater mileage utility, its even more important that we provide greater transparency into when and where award seats are available. Over the last several years, many airlines have added multiple partners which provide additional access to award seats, but calls to our reservations staff and technology (search tools) to find these award seats are inadequate and result in very lengthy talk times. One of our goals is to provide greater transparency and awareness of where award seats are and provide to each customer not just transparency, but the ability to pick and choose when they want to fly and at various mileage rates. This is yet one more thing Delta will commit to during 2008.
In Summary: In 2008, you will see greater mileage utility at Delta for all customers, more choices and more transparency in finding hard-earned award seats...
Thank you Jeff for another informative post.
As someone who has had the good fortune over the last year to book two award trips in F on Singapore Airlines I've had first-hand experience with the long talk times. I've chatted with several of the reservation agents about this while I've waited, and not only do they find it frustrating to do a flight-by-flight search, some of their customers are not very patient. The longer phone calls also obviously cost DL money.
On the other hand, I would argue that SQ is the premier SkyMiles partner, particularly for Asia flights and for the premium cabins. The ability to use SkyMiles for an F or J award on SQ is a huge benefit of the program, and, in my mind, a long time on the phone is a small price to pay for the great final product.
Some agents mentioned to me that DL is in negotiations with SQ regarding the partnership, and the suboptimal computer interface/flight searching is a major issue. While we're all in favor of quicker searches of SQ's award inventory, I do feel that they offer a product not otherwise found within SkyTeam, and they should remain a DL partner even if the transparency goal can't be quickly met.
Thanks!