It's been a long journey, but finally have 2 Business Skysavers (90,000 each) for this Fall: SLC-JFK-CDG-IST, FCO-CDG-LAX-SLC, DL is only on the domestic portions, the rest is on Air France.
I've only redeemed TATL once before and that was in coach, so thanks to you all I've learned alot reading the boards. But here are some mistakes I learned along the way.
I started 331 days out, and was initially on a SLC-JFK (DL coach), JFK-MXP-IST (AZ). Waitlisted for BE on the SLC-JFK and nonstop JFK-IST.
STUPID MISTAKE #1: I ticketed it out of each of our own individual SM accounts, forgetting that I was close to being GM while my partner is FO.
331 days from the return found no availability FCO-SLC, but did have CDG-LAX-SLC, so I took that and planned to watch availability on both my original preferred routing and if FCO-CDG opened up (intra Europe wasn't available at the 331 day mark). Used expert flyer daily to watch for AF/AZ availability. Very nervous about a 45 min connect @CDG, so also watched for an eve flight the night prior to CDG.
STUPID MISTAKE #2: Ignoring availability when something comes up, thinking something better will happen.
So yes I didn't take the 2 Business seats that were available on the FCO-CDG and they disappeared, and finally settled on coach the night prior (which I still have on the completed itinerary). Its a short flight, and business is likely not much better, and will get spend a night at a CDG hotel.
So then I start reading all of the AZ mess stuff in mid Dec (which still isn't resolved - gotta love those Italians); keep searching for alternatives.
--4 months pass --
First of May, I clear the waitlist for the JFK-IST - YIPPEE - until I realize just I clear, as I'm GM, he's FO.
STUPID MISTAKE #3: Believing the SMS agent
Call into SMS. Sorry, no seats for your fellow traveller; you need to decide in 24 hrs whether you want the waitlist or not (apparently I learned that the "Contact Delta" can sit there forever, but I didn't know and called). Oh wait, there is availability . . .^ . . .here's the reissue desk. Sorry
they are mistaken. But don't worry, I'll just confirm you, but not reissue and then if he clears you can get them both reissued. OK . . . but alittle leary as I'm now booked on 2 different flights at the same time . .maybe the rules were bent alittle? Spoke w/a friend who works for another airline - said they shouldn't have done that, but unless you call about the reservation, nothing would likely happen.
End of May, both of our SLC-JFK waitlists now say "Contact Delta"; Cool . . . should I call? Call re: my partner's reservation and get him confirmed. DL calls me re: my schedule mentioning a schedule change and wanting me to call them. So I call expecting to go back to the AZ flights, but agent doesn't say anything about it, just lets me know there is a AZ flight time change, and then sees that the waitlist cleared and confirms that.
A few days later, check my itinerary, and the double booking is gone; I'm flying nonstop to IST, my partner's on AZ. Apparently those confirms then go automatically to the reissue desk. Now I want to say that my partner is understanding, but 10th Anniversary, cruise of a lifetime, starting off by travelling separately - on possibly a defunct airline?
Options? Rebook the JFK-IST on his ticket as Skychoice and I eat the cost. NO . . .it would first come from his account, and the rebooking is not easy - SMS says it would have to release the seats and "regrab" them to make it a skychoice and they couldn't guarantee the seats would still be there (all those &%$ waitlisters
) Relooked at other options, but that would entail reticketing both w/new itineraries. So I decided to watch for availability/wait for his waitlist to clear.
High fuel prices/routes slashed . . .and I felt it was unlikely his waitlist would clear until immediately prior to our trip (if it would at all), and I just don't have the patience for that.
I then started getting smarter looking for availability; I had originally just looked at SLC-IST and nothing ever popped up. Then I thought, I really just want JFK-IST availability which I actually found yesterday on Air France for both of us - using DL's award search amazingly enough - and confirmed by using expertflyer to see # of seats. Remembering
Mistake #2, I thought it well worth the $100 change fee to let us travel together.
I'll probably keep looking for more direct routing on the return to avoid staying a night in Paris, but right now its all doable. It's probably worth the cost of paying another change fee with the price of hotels at CDG.
Regardless, I'm spending per ticket: a $100 change fee, and $104 in taxes for a $5500 flight (though let's not add in an hourly rate for my time!)
A very good learning experience that I wanted to share; I'll continue to soak up all the comments and keep playing the game. Love to hear feedback about what I could've done better, but this probably isn't the appropriate thread - though I think that most who look at this are in the market for tickets and I hope my experience helps them.