Anyone Seeing AS Availability on DL Award Engine?
Nov 23, 2009, 11:35 am
#1
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Anyone Seeing AS Availability on DL Award Engine?
Trying to book some transcon award travel for next March / April I'm frustrated by the fact that DL online display shows no low-tier options for my dates at all, but nwa.com displays AS availability @ 12.5k miles each way. DL , conversely, shows many more F options than NW. I'd like to pick and mix options from the two displays without having to hit the telephone.
Clicking or not clicking "Show DL/NW Flights Only" on the DL site doesn't seem to make any difference. Has anyone seen AS award inventory on DL engine?
Clicking or not clicking "Show DL/NW Flights Only" on the DL site doesn't seem to make any difference. Has anyone seen AS award inventory on DL engine?
Nov 23, 2009, 11:56 am
#3
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: NYC
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Posts: 6,166
I got a Horizon Air flight in Sep for YVR-SEA as part of YVR-SEA-EWR (SEA-EWR was on CO). I also saw some AS EWR-SEA availability if I recall correctly. But I have not recently seen AS availability on DL or NW websites.
Nov 24, 2009, 10:08 am
#5
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Katy, TX
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A few days ago I was looking for an ATL-YVR F award and one of the options offered was ATL-LAX-YVR, with the LAX-YVR segment on AS. And at the low mileage level, believe it or not!
Nov 24, 2009, 12:08 pm
#6
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Washington, D.C.
Programs: BA-Silver, DL Plat, ANA Bronze,SPG Plat
Posts: 49
Try NWA.com.....seems to be better than DL for availability..
I have been wrestling with the dl.com site for award availability...and with various DL agents. A work-around another wiser board member suggested helps a bit, i.e. opening multiple windows at the same time and trying to hunt segment by segment to crack the lack of seats. NWA.com may be working Hmmh. Give it a try and report.
Last edited by Johann8; Nov 24, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Nov 24, 2009, 12:18 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: 1/2 way between FNT,DTW
Programs: DL Plat, US Gold
Posts: 711
Definately use nwa.com while you still can. Just a week or two ago I was able to book on nwa.com for 75,000 miles DTW-SEA (NW) SEA-HNL (AS) first class, and HNL-ATL (DL coded NW operated) ATL-DTW (DL). Delta.com was only giving 105,000 miles as the lowest for first class for the whole trip and did not even show the booked option, whereas Northwest was giving me 75,000 for this itinerary along with other AS flights from MSP to Seattle and then to HNL as well. Glad I could book that way because 2 of the people I am traveling out their with are coming from Seattle and are on the AS non stop both ways, so arriving at the same time on the same flight will be very convienent.
Also, when on nwa.com, use the multi city, since you did not say where you want to go, in my example to price it out properly, I did it by individual segment: Flight 1 DTW-SEA, Flight 2 SEA-HNL, Flight 3 HNL-ATL, Flight 4 ATL-DTW. This allowed me to see availability for each segment as well.
Also, when on nwa.com, use the multi city, since you did not say where you want to go, in my example to price it out properly, I did it by individual segment: Flight 1 DTW-SEA, Flight 2 SEA-HNL, Flight 3 HNL-ATL, Flight 4 ATL-DTW. This allowed me to see availability for each segment as well.
Nov 24, 2009, 3:06 pm
#9
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Trying to book some transcon award travel for next March / April I'm frustrated by the fact that DL online display shows no low-tier options for my dates at all, but nwa.com displays AS availability @ 12.5k miles each way. DL , conversely, shows many more F options than NW. I'd like to pick and mix options from the two displays without having to hit the telephone.
Clicking or not clicking "Show DL/NW Flights Only" on the DL site doesn't seem to make any difference. Has anyone seen AS award inventory on DL engine?
Clicking or not clicking "Show DL/NW Flights Only" on the DL site doesn't seem to make any difference. Has anyone seen AS award inventory on DL engine?
Nov 24, 2009, 3:09 pm
#10
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: LAX/BOS/HKG/AMS/SFO...hmm, I need a life.
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BTW, the NWA engine will only be around for another week or so ...use it while you can!
Nov 24, 2009, 10:10 pm
#11
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: SEA
Programs: DL GM, UA nobody, Marriott Gold
Posts: 845
It seems to be hit and miss on delta.com for me. AS flights consistently come up on routes where DL has no nonstop service (e.g., SEA-SAN) but are less frequent on transcons for whatever reason (e.g., BOS, DCA)
Nov 25, 2009, 8:43 am
#12
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Well, it's clear to me that the DL engine is pushing transcon award options on DL/NW @ 40k RT or more... while obscuring AS transcon award seats available @ 25k RT as shown on nwa.com. Drives me crazy that they are shutting down the Northwest engine, which not only presents more diverse inventory but is far more technically reliable and usable.
Nov 25, 2009, 9:35 pm
#13
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Washington, D.C.
Programs: BA-Silver, DL Plat, ANA Bronze,SPG Plat
Posts: 49
Based on some samples this week, I see NWA.com offering at least 25% discount on points necessary for redemption, compared to what dl.com shows.....if you can get the same availability on DL.com. DL seems far tighter with availability and the pricing is higher in points....at least from this very small sample size. Burn DL miles on the nwa.com site while you can.
Nov 25, 2009, 10:04 pm
#14
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I wanted to book an award ticket a month or two ago for next summer availing myself of a stopover in Alaska on a domestic ticket.
I called DL, found exactly which flights had award availability, then did a multi-city search on delta.com and booked the award ticket. It priced out correctly. The only AS flights were within Alaska but it did work. However, I would not have been able to book it online unless I had called first to find which flights had low level availability.
I didn't want to book by phone because Delta wanted to charge me a phone fee for 2 non-elite companions in the same PNR (now THAT is fleecing!).
I called DL, found exactly which flights had award availability, then did a multi-city search on delta.com and booked the award ticket. It priced out correctly. The only AS flights were within Alaska but it did work. However, I would not have been able to book it online unless I had called first to find which flights had low level availability.
I didn't want to book by phone because Delta wanted to charge me a phone fee for 2 non-elite companions in the same PNR (now THAT is fleecing!).