Redemption Rates Boggle My Mind
 

I am a recent convert from UA to DL, but am now re-evaluating my options based on research I've been conducting on comparing redemptions between the two. More than anything else, I want to try and understand where DL is coming from with their mileage pricing model and how it compares to other carriers.

First let me state that accruing miles on UA and DL are identical for a 1k or PLT now that the AE Double Miles promotion has ended. When i first joined and had that promo, I was able to rationalize it because I was earning 50% more per trip than on UA, which almost made up for it.

Now, here are some examples of discrepancies:

to Asia (not NRT, which is 10k cheaper on UA):

DL: 60k, 120k, 185k EACH WAY in BUSINESS (low, med, high)
UA: 125k, 250k ROUND TRIP in BUSINESS (saver, standard)
UA: 145k, 290k ROUND TRIP in FIRST (saver, standard)
now when i did some checks, there is almost never med and ABSOLUTELY never lows to Asia available, whereas there always seems to be some sort of availability on UA for a save award if you book enough in advance.

the way it prices out, and this is similar on most other destinations, that low is a little below saver, medium is right around standard and high is just ridiculous (180k round trip to Hawaii for business just isn't fair). Now this is where I am ready to go back to UA. I have always been able to find availability in the saver category. sometimes it takes some time and a little flexibility, but I always can. Delta, on every flight I've booked as an award, its been a struggle just to find mediums and a lot of time time i'm stuck with high if i want to go out of the USA. Therefore, I'm on average paying a little less to way more on Delta than I would paying the most i would ever have to on UA. Case in point, I can easily find F awards from ORD-NRT for 135k in july, but the best i can do on DL 305k in BUSINESS (even though its says medium in both directions. If i give them the benefit of the doubt, then we can call it 240k)!!!!!!

So, from a purely redemption perspective, and if you accrue miles at the same pace on both, then why stick with DL if they are just going to taunt you with these "low" rates, but only let you get the high rewards to places you would want to go?

I'm not trying to rant here, but merely trying to understand their model and if i'm doing something wrong. Further, what can be done to maximize my miles to more reasonable redemptions.

sorry for the long wind.

I agree, I was looking to take my son to Hong Kong with me. I could not book the same flight as I have planned and to send him there ATL-NRT-HKG would have been 420K BE class.

Now I fly from DAB-ATL regularly. I get 500 miles each way. But an awards ticket (coach) for the same route costs me 25k. So I would need to fly it 50 times to earn one free flight.

For anyone who keeps track of their miles and values easy redemption at reasonable rates UA is the clear winner over DL. Earning potential outside of actual flying is a bit better on DL but IMO does not stack up against the lack of low award availability.

The model is that there are way to many miles floating around and that DL needs to limit their liability by restricting and devaluating redemptions, simple supply and demand logic at work.

As robbert said: "The model is that there are way to many miles floating around and that DL needs to limit their liability by restricting and devaluating redemptions, simple supply and demand logic at work."

The new Delta model is all wrong for those of us who want or need to fly internationally. There is a lot of complaining as you've heard from former NW fliers due to the perceived devaluation of miles and the difficulty in redeeming them. Good luck finding 120K round trip for Coach to Asia in the 2nd half of the year. 60K r/t was the NW coach award, 120K r/t business, and had been for years. Now, a business award costs 277K R/T from MGM-MNL in J if there is availability and a decent itinerary that doesn't force me into a 12 or 19 hour layover at either ATL or DTW before the transpacific leg.

What can you do to maximize redemptions? Not much. If you find a good fare, grab it, because I don't think they are going to change the pricing model any time soon.

its so sad, because i do feel DL has a lot going for it, but one of my personal biggest perks of flying on one airline is redemption opportunities and DL is almost forcing me to switch back to UA.

As I've said on other threads, JAX-TVC for the entire summer is 60,000 miles -- roughly 900 miles on regional jets. UA has 25,000 mile redemptions available. I just wish UA had a hub nearer to us than IAD (and ORD for that matter). It's pretty well known DL is the worst among major carriers for award redemption.

Numerous threads on this. If award redemption levels are high on your list of FFP requirements, re-evaluating your primary carrier may be in order.

and to think, this is the only the 8th thread in the last seven days about the award calender functionality. :rolleyes:

this is in no way about the functionality of the award calender. It is about the [B]availability[B] of the awards.

In either case, the sheer number of threads about award anything shows how broken the system is and how frustrated many of DL's customers are.

+1. And the sheer number of times SMI, DWD, or anyone else at DL even addressing this slightly is zilch. That's the most bothersome.

to be quite honest, my original intention was to PM SMI and simply ask the rational and what i can do about it, but you can't MP them and i didn't want to call them out in a title, so this was the next best option.

maybe if enough elites voice their concerns, something will be done :rolleyes:

DL miles are now useless for DL premium redemptions. Use them up for AF/AS and other partner award redemptions until the day in the not too distant future when DL begins pricing partner awards at the medium level, leaving the low level for Wednesday morning flights to Duluth.

and yet some will claim that SkyMiles offers superb availability :D

seriously though, you thought StarNet blocking was bad...welcome to best in class

As I have posted before, nothing will be done. DL can not publicly comment or admit that the award availability is so poor or that the award calendar is broken. It would open up a can of worms. They WANT the award calendar as it is - it sucks up thousands more miles per award ticket, thus taking that liability off their balance sheet. And if they admitted anything, it would open them up to lawsuits. They may be dumb, but they are not stupid!