Award Goes from Low to Med as PM
#91
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Chicago
Programs: UA 1K, HH Diamond
Posts: 2,055
I posted a number of sample near-term awards, both first and coach, and for a variety of routes, that were 1.5+ CPM (many 2+). They are now expired, so I'll quickly find another for you...
Let's say you want to go from ATL to IAD for a last minute business meeting before Thanksgiving, departing tomorrow (Tue 24th) and returning the next day (Wed 25th). You could purchase a coach ticket with a connection for as low as ~$450 or nonstop for as low as ~$750. Alternatively, you could redeem 25K DL miles for your choice from a number of nonstop flights each direction. The nonstops, even if you don't have status and need to pay a fee, will yield well over 2 CPM.
Let's say you want to go from ATL to IAD for a last minute business meeting before Thanksgiving, departing tomorrow (Tue 24th) and returning the next day (Wed 25th). You could purchase a coach ticket with a connection for as low as ~$450 or nonstop for as low as ~$750. Alternatively, you could redeem 25K DL miles for your choice from a number of nonstop flights each direction. The nonstops, even if you don't have status and need to pay a fee, will yield well over 2 CPM.
#92
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: BNA
Programs: DL PM/MM, Hilton Diamond, *wood plat, UA 1kc
Posts: 921
If you can't accept problems with the website (and only specific areas, at that) of a company in the middle of a huge merger, then you should simply stop flying with them. I'm being patient, as I think they'll work out the award calendar issues by mid next year. Also, while I can't speak to international availability, I can say that I've been able to redeem literally dozens of both first and coach class awards at the low/saver level for a whole slew of domestic city pairs over the past year with little trouble. I usually need a day or two plus some time of day flexibility, but I'm usually able to work it out.
#93
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: EAU
Programs: UA 1K, CO Plat, NW Plat, Marriott Premiere Plat, SPG Plat, Priority Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,712
I posted a number of sample near-term awards, both first and coach, and for a variety of routes, that were 1.5+ CPM (many 2+). They are now expired, so I'll quickly find another for you...
Let's say you want to go from ATL to IAD for a last minute business meeting before Thanksgiving, departing tomorrow (Tue 24th) and returning the next day (Wed 25th). You could purchase a coach ticket with a connection for as low as ~$450 or nonstop for as low as ~$750. Alternatively, you could redeem 25K DL miles for your choice from a number of nonstop flights each direction. The nonstops, even if you don't have status and need to pay a fee, will yield well over 2 CPM.
Let's say you want to go from ATL to IAD for a last minute business meeting before Thanksgiving, departing tomorrow (Tue 24th) and returning the next day (Wed 25th). You could purchase a coach ticket with a connection for as low as ~$450 or nonstop for as low as ~$750. Alternatively, you could redeem 25K DL miles for your choice from a number of nonstop flights each direction. The nonstops, even if you don't have status and need to pay a fee, will yield well over 2 CPM.
But if the only way to get to 2 CPM is last-minute travel on the busiest travel day of the year and only if you refuse to connect, well, that's not exactly a ringing endorsement for the value of miles.
#94
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,544
After being transferred to the RTW desk last month (when they were closed), I haven't tried to ticket it, or get any info. All the info on the current DL award is from posts here on FT.
#95
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,544
Hopefully you understand that it isn't the real-world CPM that dictates how much value is in a reward redemption - it is the actual price that you'd be willing to pay (*NOT* the ask price set by the airline) divided by the number of miles redeemed that indicates true value.
Again, if DL works for you, great. Of the 100's of FT'ers I've met personally over the last 6 years, less than a handful used their miles more for domestic trips than international.
#96
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
25,000 or 32,500 miles for a roundtrip domestic trip where the alternative is costing me less than $221? That is a lousy value, but that is exactly the kind of value DL miles provide for ATL-WAS trips departing today and returning on Wednesday including hotels.
Reference to that dynamic has been mentioned on this forum many times over and until now in application to the apologist behavior for DL management's hostile ways against the very SkyMiles customers who continue to defend DL management's ways despite the battering those customers have repeatedly received by way of the devastating blows landed against the value of miles accumulated in their accounts.
My posts in this thread do not defend DL management's customer-abusing ways, and so your gratuitous assertions really are without merit. Nor do I have any material interest in defending DL's customer-abusing ways.
I have no interest in any investment position with regard to DL airlines which is perhaps why I am not a willing subject to the syndrome espoused above in your post. It is also why I do not hesitate to warn off customers from DL's customer-abusing ways. Fortunately Jaimito Cartero's posts also did just this:
".... provide fair warning about what DL management was doing with SkyMiles, and -- in contrast to some other posts -- .... were not built upon a desire to be fleeced or see others fleeced in the pursuit of material selfish-interest."
My posts in this thread do not defend DL management's customer-abusing ways, and so your gratuitous assertions really are without merit. Nor do I have any material interest in defending DL's customer-abusing ways.
I have no interest in any investment position with regard to DL airlines which is perhaps why I am not a willing subject to the syndrome espoused above in your post. It is also why I do not hesitate to warn off customers from DL's customer-abusing ways. Fortunately Jaimito Cartero's posts also did just this:
".... provide fair warning about what DL management was doing with SkyMiles, and -- in contrast to some other posts -- .... were not built upon a desire to be fleeced or see others fleeced in the pursuit of material selfish-interest."
Last edited by GUWonder; Nov 23, 2009 at 1:02 pm
#97
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Tucson, AZ, USA. UA 1K, reluctant but * best in class * DL FO/MM. Former BA jumpseat rider and scourge of Dilbertian management and apologists. As LX might - and do - say: "....an experienced frequent flyer of international airlines"
Posts: 3,386
Gosh! That's even MORE THAN TWO J awards from NRT-SIN at 225k a pop!!
And you could even redeem for the Holy Grail of Deltified travel...
SDF-LIS in J at 550k SM!!
Probably you should do it now before the new five-tier award "calendar" appears.
And you could even redeem for the Holy Grail of Deltified travel...
SDF-LIS in J at 550k SM!!
Probably you should do it now before the new five-tier award "calendar" appears.
#98
FlyerTalk Evangelist & Ambassador: China
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: DL DM/MM, UA 1K, AA Exp, HH Dia, WOH Glob, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold, NA EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 17,423
I've only burned miles domestically (with exception to Mexico once and Canada a few times). It's more a function of not going international though. But redeeming awards to Hawaii and especially Alaska and Canada have been great at 25K. Not to mention I've had great luck getting UG's on award tix. 25K to sit in F RT isn't bad. Though I'm sad the NW EUA system for PE's on W tickets is going away, as we used to hit the top of the BF UG list.
#99
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: BZN
Programs: AA:LT Platinum DL:LT Gold UA:1P MAR:LT Titanium
Posts: 8,291
Yes, it's easy to find award redemptions that beat 2 CPM, if you restrict yourself to award redemptions that beat 2 CPM.
But if the only way to get to 2 CPM is last-minute travel on the busiest travel day of the year and only if you refuse to connect, well, that's not exactly a ringing endorsement for the value of miles.
But if the only way to get to 2 CPM is last-minute travel on the busiest travel day of the year and only if you refuse to connect, well, that's not exactly a ringing endorsement for the value of miles.
Assuming this is true, you still may have other investment interests - direct or indirect - that may stand to gain from Delta bashing. If so, it would at least explain your incredible dedication to the cause.
#100
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,047
Correct - just as easy as restricting yourself to poor CPM redemptions, as was being done in the various posts I was responding to. Your assertion regarding travel this week is absurd, every week of the year provides a plethora of examples where 2+ (and sometimes 3+) CPM values may be had for many routes. If you think I'm full of it, call me out on it: If you'd like me to provide you with a handful a week from now, either PM or reply to this to remind me and I'll gladly look a few up.
#101
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,544
I certainly recall a lot more messages over the last few years from him, than from you regarding the DL program. In fact, when you started posting so much, I was surprised that someone who had been a member so long, had such a low post count.
I got accused of being a NW cheerleader for a number of years. NW was a great program, and they treated their elites great. I was very loyal, and banked millions of miles instead of using them, since the RTW award was great and that's what I was saving up for.
I was not happy about the merger, but I was more than willing to give them a chance. I started burning award miles as a preventative measure, and waited until January/February to see what the new year would bring.
DL showed their hand by sneaking a huge change into a promotion email. That came on top of many other small downhill moves. I was willing to give up a number of things, but when you act in such a devious manner, it shows that you want to pull one over on me.
#102
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Or do you consider having miles in all the major airlines' programs to be an "investment"?
#103
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: BZN
Programs: AA:LT Platinum DL:LT Gold UA:1P MAR:LT Titanium
Posts: 8,291
Not sure how this is relevant to the merits of Delta's program, but FWIW, I was a lurker for several years, finally joined in 2004, and didn't post regularly until my flying picked up markedly in 2007.
#104
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: SAN
Programs: DL MM, Marriott LT Titanium, AA EXP, Avis Chairmans
Posts: 1,399
I use award tickets for 4 domestic trips a year. Every ~2 years I use one J class ticket for a vacation.
#105
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Originally Posted by mooper
Absent this motivation, then his obsession with bashing Delta while remaining a customer exhibits some pretty extreme similarities to Battered Wife Syndrome.
There's no obsession with bashing DL, but there is a positive purpose to be had in directing due criticism to where it is deserved .... no less so where the due criticism is considered unacceptable in the face of materially-conflicted interests.
25,000 - 32,500 DL miles for a domestic roundtrip coach award ticket that is valued at less than $221 is a pretty lousy return for the overwhelming majority of customers who accumulate miles primarily (or even almost exclusively) from flight activity -- that's ATL-IAD-ATL this week for you.