bradfrancini

When I search for upgrade availability (usually on LAX-ATL), ExpertFlyer offers up some interesting connection options (LAX-MEM-ATL) that usually are wide open...but when I go to delta.com I can't find a way to book them. Is there a way around this or is ExpertFlyer just making assumptions about connections that don't exist?

Thanks, and apologies if this is handled somewhere in another post. A (cursory) glance of the FAQ didn't turn it up.

GBadger

Have you tried searching at delta.com using the multicity search option?
e.g.
LAX-MEM
MEM-ATL

MSPeconomist

I'm not surprised; delta.dumb doesn't seem to like the PMNW hub routings very well, but I've noticed the problem more when I search for AMS connections.

Like the previous poster said, try multi-city. If this doesn't work, try calling and have the elite line book it for you. If you're subject to the $20 direct ticketing fee, you might be able to do what some folks do for award tickets: have the phone agent make the reservation and place it on hold, and then you buy it through delta.com. Alternatively, try talking with tech support since they shouldn't charge a fee if it's an IT issue. (Isn't almost everything with DL an IT issue?)

3Cforme

ExpertFlyer looks at availability by segment, not applying fare rules for the relevant connection. In that way, delta.com is a lot smarter. You may find EF suggesting some routings which are prohibited for the cheapest fare rules and so might not appear appear in a delta.com search by price.

ExpertFlyer Voice

ExpertFlyer doesn't make assumptions about what is a valid connection or what fare rules may or may not apply. The Flight Availability results are directly from the airline reservation systems when asked for a list of flight/connection options to go from A to B. As such all connections are valid and their availability determined by the airline. So long as there is a valid fare for the flights, you should be able to buy that itinerary.

golfingboy

I found a way around the issue where the multi-city search does not show the flights that is being shown on ITA or EF... I.E. LAX-ATL-MEM-JFK is available via ITA, but when you feed it into DL via multi-city the MEM-JFK is listed as empty or they only list 2 or 3 flights that results in a higher fare than what is being shown in ITA...

When doing multi-city search after you found the flights you want thru ITA or EF, do the same thing on DL's site via multi-city search... Select the time periods in the multi-city search [morning, noon, afternoon, evening, etc] and the flight that you see thru ITA, and EF will show up and the price matches.

For instance, thru ITA I found LAX-JFK-MIA-MSP-SAN-DTW-MIA-JFK-LAX... When I fed in the airport codes in multi-city I was able to select flights all the way up to SAN, then when trying to select flights for SAN-MIA the list was empty [no flights listed]... I went back and "fed" in the time periods such as evening for LAX-JFK, morning for JFK-MIA, noon for MIA-SAN, evening for SAN-MIA, etc... Viola, I was able to select the flights that I found on ITA and book it for exactly the same fare amount that was quoted on ITA.

Hope this helps...