metallim

ok, i've read this whole thread... and in one sitting, impressive, i know. there was one post way back when that mentioned that if the chart shows avail. it's there, you just have to find it. but, i'm looking now in feb. for a r/t atl-tlv in be (a dummy booking). the leg there was easy to find at 120k, but its showing a lot of avail on the calendar for the trip back, but whenever i click it, either it says there are no flights avail on that day, or it prices it out for 235k miles, instead of 120k. is this just unbypassable delta glitch work? or is there a roundabout for this?

Sabai

Delta Airlines, the largest regional airline in the world, has yet to invest as much money in staff training as it does in advertising (See: Best In Class.)

It must have the most ill-informed, poorly trained, and provincial customer-facing staff (save Chisholm) of any carrier, yet it touts itself as the "New Global Airline."

'Tis a pity that the marketing divsion at Delta hasn't a clue as to how poorly the airline fares when the rhetoric comes up against reality.

Best In Class, Best of Both, Keep Climbing, Mission Accomplished - all very catchy indeed.

arkangel

While searching for BE, IAD-CDG, something different, and actually pleasant, happened. I have, as have many others, experienced many instances where the calendar shows low availability, only to find on further examination that it's really medium, or higher.

However, I've never experienced the opposite, until now. While searching the above city pairs, I clicked on a non-preferred low date and, believe it or not, it actually showed some 100,000 mile options. Mildly surprised. However, when I clicked on my preferred date, which displayed medium on the calendar, several 100,000 mile options appeared! Big surprise. These were all on AF metal. All the DL options were 150,000 or higher. I guess the system doesn't recognize any low level AF flights.

bornfree71

I have seen these as well - however, whenever I tried booking them, the miles would go back up or it would come back with a Sold Out message. Very frustrating!! I just pick up the phone and talk to an agent - let them share my frustration ....

arkangel

Well, maybe things have changed. Based on what you said, I went ahead and looked for a rt IAD-CDG, in BE, instead of the ow that I initially was searching for. In both cases, the calendar showed "medium" level availability on the dates that I selected, but when the actual flights were displayed, voila, there were several 100,000 mile options available in both directions, again only on AF metal. After making my selections, the complete itinerary displayed for 100,000 miles and $134 in taxes.

TravellingMan

I had managed to squeeze in couple of low business class award seats last year (last of my skypesos). Now when I try to change the dates on them there is absolutely no availability from now till eternity on any award level. So much for availability opening up closer to day of departure. Neither could the agents find any; even after I had explained to them the airport code and the airlines that fly to that location.

Quite frustrating compared to calling the United 1K line and getting award seats at the lowest published levels in minutes to my favorite destinations.

TravellingMan

ROTFL. I had given them the benefit of the doubt so far but now I am fed up.

GrizShel

what routes?

GrizShel

checking segment by segment tonight, Air France Flights that are available in classic O class (business award) are not showing up on delta.com award searches anymore.

sample:
CDG-MUC May 25, 26, 27 multiple classic business award seats on multiple flights available on AF, delta.bomb just gives this message:
way to go Delta!!

3Cforme

Try again, searching by schedule, not price.

TravellingMan

AMS-DAR or AMS-JRO in Business class. I have been trying to change them in March and Delta.com cannot find anything.

ffI

Sorry was a hit and run poster there for a while...Not much as I started in the US, only came to about 200$

Detailed Tax Information Total Tax: 201.60 USD
YC 5.50 XY 7.00 XA 5.00 AY 2.50 FR 54.20 IZ 53.50 QX 53.50 AE 20.40

In fact my friends trip from India to Boston and back in Sept in C was only 142.
Detailed Tax Information Total Tax: 142.90 USD
XA 5.00 XY 7.00 YC 5.50 IN 15.20 WO 17.10 FR 49.40 QX 36.20 AY 7.50

GrizShel

There's been another change to award bookings, now you see the charges for an award ticket in the first screen of possible itineraries, of course Delta still doesn't let you know what portion of those charges they are pocketing themselves. There's now a popup window to this info

http://www.delta.com/planning_reserv...fees/index.jsp
International Taxes and Fees
Various foreign taxes, inspection fees, and security charges typically excluding airport departure taxes International Varies up to $349*

International Surcharges
Carrier-imposed surcharges pursuant to applicable international tariff filings International YQ/YR up to
$260*
each way

lotalota

I've been checking every day for an BE award trip late in the year to CPH. I have a saved query on my ExpertFlyer account and I find it very interesting that there is often availability for the least attractive flights, rarely the good ones. I haven't looked at low or high yet, just pure availability.

For example, the old 752 out of JFK is almost always available, but the 333 and 767 via CDG/AMS rarely. If the 333 or 767 are available, they are usually paired with very unattractive extremely early departures/layovers.

I have months and months to go, so I'll keep watching. Not sure if people pay more cash for the 333 or 767 flight on BE than the 752, but they sure make them hard to find as an award.

3Cforme

I checked Flying Blue. It showed 10 dates in March with availability in Business AMS-DAR for 1 as Classic awards. In delta.com award searches by date, every date of those ten showed award availability.