wco81

Isn't multi-city search the same as segment-by-segment search?

Or are you saying one-way search is segment-by-segment search?

Anyways, I just tried multicity for SFO-CDG-FCO for next May.

There were some flights which routed through AMS before getting to CDG so those might have been the SFO-AMS KLM flights. But a long layover in AMS before getting to CDG. Otherwise, most of the routings have one or more stops to CDG.

So I try the search again and it says no flights for SFO-CDG on 5/14/11. What a great search system!

I try again, this time SFO-AMS-FCO and of course, all 1-stops or more to AMS.

DL might as well not even be in an alliance with KLM/AF. Or AZ either.

GrizShel

By segment search I mean searching only one segment at one time, multi city is everything at once.

Yes wco81 most partner flights that show up in multi-city search do NOT show up at all when you search for individual nonstop segments like LAX-CDG or IAD-CDG, but, if award seats are there, they will show up in multi-city searches. The kicker is you must get everything right first in terms of figuring out what routings and then what exact flights have availability on a particular date - or you won't see anything in multi-city searches either.

It's a nightmare to book awards on Delta, I hope this info will help some end their nightmares.

Also, there currently are numerous serious programming errors which make the Delta award search very hard to use. If you are gettng no flight results, try deliberately introducing an error into your search, when you get an error message saying you didn't do such and such right, then correct your search and try the lotto again - this sometimes gets the search to reset correctly and voila, all of a sudden you'll see flights again. Believe me, it takes a while to figure out all of the tricks needed. It's almost like learning a new language.

sbedelman

Does anyone have a suggestion how to make this work? I've tried finding space IAH-AMS on about 20 different date combinations, including those with availability with the lowest number of miles (which I figured would have the best shot) without luck.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, the middle of January, Aug 2011 etc without a single seat. Has anyone been able to book Privatair recently? Posts from people having success all seem pretty old.

HBFlyer

I would not rely on the website at all. I was prepared to fork out 230K for a Business seat to Cairo because that is all that was available on the website. Thanks to some advice from FTers I picked up the phone and called the international desk for Delta. I do not know if I got lucky but the woman on the end of the line searched somehow and got me two business tickets from LAX to CDG and then on to Cairo for only 120K per tickets. Also I was able to incorporate a two day stop over in Paris. This is leaving July 3oth and returning August 16, 2011. I was on the phone for over 45 minutes to finally complete everything. So be patient, respectful and thankful.

She was also able to secure me the seats I wanted. Maybe i should go buy a lottery ticket today.

Good luck.

TravellingMan

Watch out for the heat in Cairo during that time. Make your rounds very early in the day and rest during mid-day. It is a scorcher.

When the website used to show award seats on AF and KL, I got the 120k business class seats on AF compared to the 240K on Delta from DEN-CAI.

RobertH

I have no problem finding availability on Privatair. For example IAH -> AMS on Dec 14 with return on Dec 18. I used Air France's US site to find availability (yes you have to be a Flying Blue member to search award availability - but that's no big deal) from IAH to AMS and back and looked for KLM flight numbers 663/664 at the classic - not "flex" - business level. I then went to delta.com and searched for business class award availability from IAH -> AMS and back (for the dates I found at airfrance.com) making SURE to check the "search by schedule" button.

- Bob

ma91pmh

Looking for some advice here... trying to book RDU-CDG roundtrip and the JFK-CDG is wide open and I can even get delta.com to show the availability after much playing around. This leg is in biz at 100k each round trip. Problem is the small RDU-JFK hop, which is currently showing as 40k in coach. How will that impact overall price? Can I book JFK-CDG and then if low (25k? 32.5k?) availability shows up can I change and just "add" the end segments? I want to seal the longer TATL section. Worst case I could just buy cheap round trips on the RDU-JFK section but ideally want it all in one nice booking.

dtw_brad

You might consider RDU - XXX - JFK and see if you can find that for 25,000, then string it all together.

I had a similar situation this summer and did: DTW-EWR-AMS out but AMS-DTW on the return. (so i got BE seats for 100K, but had to connect in one direction)

keep stringing legs together to get the miles cost (write down times/flights), then do a multi city for the final booking

good luck

ma91pmh

ok now I managed to find by looking segment by segment one rdu-jfk leg that works and one jfk-rdu leg that works. but this route only offers coach, so when i do multi-city and select first/business i only see connecting flights offering first! argh! any way round this or just call in?

bonnie00

Thanks to the posts on this forum, I'm finding good availability through Expertflyer and KVSTool. Delta.com is lost cause when it comes to finding seats.

bonnie00

If you call in, they'll be able to find the specific seats.

bonnie00

Just found out the AA allows one to hold award seats for one week at a time, which was a surprise, compared to Delta which doesn't allow for even a 5 minute hold.

hoth300

not true

vatraveler

Has the navigating the calendar back and forth between months to refresh availability trick stopped working for anyone else? I see green J on some routes in November after fiddling with the calendar, but they still price out at 150,000 and 200,000 miles.

nfg05

DL allows 48 hour hold on award tickets via the website.