Skymiles or Flying Blue?
Mar 25, 2017, 7:52 pm
#16
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Atlanta Metro
Programs: DL , AC, BA, Hhonors Gold, IH Platinum, Bonvoy Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,360
hotturnip, well if you're choosing based on redemptions, then you just need to check award prices, taxes and availability on the routes you're interested in and decide for yourself.
If mainly your miles will be coming from Chase and Amex I believe you would better stick with Delta. Though:
1. FlyingBlue awards cheaper from the US to Europe, Caribbean.
2. FlyingBlue adds 'fuel' scam charges, so if you are to take Air France from Atlanta to Paris and back you would pay 60,000 miles in Y + approx $50 redeeming SkyMiles or 50,000 miles + approx $200 redeeming FlyingBlue.
3. FlyingBlue doesn't add fuel charges for Delta direct flights from the US to Europe (so if you'll be flying Delta from Atlanta to Paris you'll be paying 25,000 miles + $20 redeeming FlyingBlue or 30,0000 + $5.60 redeeming SkyMiles).
4. Availability on AF and KL is much better with FlyingBlue.
5. Domestic redemptions are much better with SkyMiles (expect to pay 5,000/5,500/7,500/9,000/11,000/12,500 miles per one-way with SkyMiles while with FlyingBlue that will be always 12,500 miles or no seats)
6. FlyingBlue allows 1 stopover and a way more relaxed routing rules.
Think what works better for you in terms of awards you're going to be redeeming for.
If mainly your miles will be coming from Chase and Amex I believe you would better stick with Delta. Though:
1. FlyingBlue awards cheaper from the US to Europe, Caribbean.
2. FlyingBlue adds 'fuel' scam charges, so if you are to take Air France from Atlanta to Paris and back you would pay 60,000 miles in Y + approx $50 redeeming SkyMiles or 50,000 miles + approx $200 redeeming FlyingBlue.
3. FlyingBlue doesn't add fuel charges for Delta direct flights from the US to Europe (so if you'll be flying Delta from Atlanta to Paris you'll be paying 25,000 miles + $20 redeeming FlyingBlue or 30,0000 + $5.60 redeeming SkyMiles).
4. Availability on AF and KL is much better with FlyingBlue.
5. Domestic redemptions are much better with SkyMiles (expect to pay 5,000/5,500/7,500/9,000/11,000/12,500 miles per one-way with SkyMiles while with FlyingBlue that will be always 12,500 miles or no seats)
6. FlyingBlue allows 1 stopover and a way more relaxed routing rules.
Think what works better for you in terms of awards you're going to be redeeming for.
Apr 11, 2017, 8:53 am
#17
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Cape Town, WC
Programs: AF LTP, LH Sen, M Amb
Posts: 400
A bit delayed response, hope it could still help.
I wouldn't take this into account too seriously. If you're not going to abuse the program nothing should/will happen. I saw those reports on the mentioned blogs, though I believe there is a lot more to be told from those affected. I can't imagine FB closing accounts just because someone signed up, transferred miles from a partner bank and book an award for him/herself or family member. There must be something. Even in case that happened (which, again, I doubt) you can always reach FB to settle that.
If you can credit a single shortest flight on any partner to FB then it's even better.
Of course they do. Though as I can assume hotturnip resides in the US that wouldn't bother him much. In general carrier-imposed scam charges on TATL are following:
SkyMiles - DL flights, tickets originating US - no charges
SkyMiles - DL flights, tickets originating Europe - heavy charges
SkyMiles - AFKL flights, tickets originating US - no charges
SkyMiles - AFKL flights, tickets originating Europe - heavy charges
FlyingBlue - AFKL flights, tickets originating US - mild (Y) to heavy (W, J, F) charges
FlyingBlue - AFKL flights, tickets originating Europe - mild (Y) to heavy (W, J, F) charges
FlyingBlue - DL flights, tickets originating US - almost no charges (in $20-50 range)
FlyingBlue - DL flights, tickets originating Europe - heavy charges
Then you don't really have dilemma I guess 
. If you main course of miles if Chase and you can only dock your miles at FB. Btw, in general, maybe you should also have a look on other Chase transfer partners. I don't know your needs (and not an expert in Chase program) of course but check Korean Air SKYPASS out. They used to have incredible value rewards for travel between the US and Europe, Hawaii, South America and Asia. Awards in premium cabins should be much cheaper than those at FlyingBlue or SkyMiles. You can also go long but very rewarding way around: transfer your Chase points to BA, then transfer you BA miles to Iberia miles (1:1) and finally book an award. Iberia offers unheard value redemptions on its own metal. You often can book a business class ticket from the East Coast to Madrid for 25,000 miles and low taxes (like 50-100 eur), sometimes even less. Yep, I'm not kidding.
Just have a look, there are so many of them. It's tough to say how DL decides what to charge. You would assume it should depend on a cash price of a ticket, though doesn't seem like that. Last year I redeemed 5500 miles for a ticket that otherwise cost $400.
If you can credit a single shortest flight on any partner to FB then it's even better.
Actually Delta also does this scam for tickets originating in Europe.
SkyMiles - DL flights, tickets originating US - no charges
SkyMiles - DL flights, tickets originating Europe - heavy charges
SkyMiles - AFKL flights, tickets originating US - no charges
SkyMiles - AFKL flights, tickets originating Europe - heavy charges
FlyingBlue - AFKL flights, tickets originating US - mild (Y) to heavy (W, J, F) charges
FlyingBlue - AFKL flights, tickets originating Europe - mild (Y) to heavy (W, J, F) charges
FlyingBlue - DL flights, tickets originating US - almost no charges (in $20-50 range)
FlyingBlue - DL flights, tickets originating Europe - heavy charges
You can't redeem Chase points to Skymiles, only to FB. Thus my dilemma
. If you main course of miles if Chase and you can only dock your miles at FB. Btw, in general, maybe you should also have a look on other Chase transfer partners. I don't know your needs (and not an expert in Chase program) of course but check Korean Air SKYPASS out. They used to have incredible value rewards for travel between the US and Europe, Hawaii, South America and Asia. Awards in premium cabins should be much cheaper than those at FlyingBlue or SkyMiles. You can also go long but very rewarding way around: transfer your Chase points to BA, then transfer you BA miles to Iberia miles (1:1) and finally book an award. Iberia offers unheard value redemptions on its own metal. You often can book a business class ticket from the East Coast to Madrid for 25,000 miles and low taxes (like 50-100 eur), sometimes even less. Yep, I'm not kidding.
I have never seen one-way domestic trips on DL for under 12,500 miles. Ever.
Apr 11, 2017, 1:20 pm
#19
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Cape Town, WC
Programs: AF LTP, LH Sen, M Amb
Posts: 400
Normally it should match SkyMiles lowest level availability for DL flights. Except maybe for glitches it's in fact like that. So you shouldn't notice any difference, just price decrease. However of course you won't be able to book an award on DL flights BOS-AMS-BOS using FB miles with any kind of discount (always 62500 miles each way). I mean those SkyMiles premium cabin sales for DL operated TATL flights that happen once in a while. You'll be able to book discounted tickets on AFKL own flights within Promo Awards though.