A new World Record even for DL SM. THIS is "best in class" alright!
May 14, 2010, 3:26 pm
#76
Join Date: Nov 2004
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This additive award pricing that has apparently been acknowledged by DL - it really needs to be called out and criticized.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...-smi-real.html
Its not just happening for int'l itins, as is reported above.
"Don't question" her - on an 80k domestic award! Niiiiice. Classic high quality CS.
This is what I meant. With such additive pricing, there's never going to be a low level award to anywhere.
We badly need an open discussion of all of this, including the conversations that are described above. They're happening to more than a few people here.
By creating a climate of silence, DL not only deliberately fails to deliver what it promises in SM literature (a three tier award scheme, even for domestic) but it strives to hide how absolutely terrible both SM and its CS are.
And that is a great reason for these problems to be aired on FT.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...-smi-real.html
Its not just happening for int'l itins, as is reported above.
"Don't question" her - on an 80k domestic award! Niiiiice. Classic high quality CS.
This is what I meant. With such additive pricing, there's never going to be a low level award to anywhere.
We badly need an open discussion of all of this, including the conversations that are described above. They're happening to more than a few people here.
By creating a climate of silence, DL not only deliberately fails to deliver what it promises in SM literature (a three tier award scheme, even for domestic) but it strives to hide how absolutely terrible both SM and its CS are.
And that is a great reason for these problems to be aired on FT.
May 14, 2010, 4:03 pm
#77
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Location: Tucson, AZ, USA. UA 1K, reluctant but * best in class * DL FO/MM. Former BA jumpseat rider and scourge of Dilbertian management and apologists. As LX might - and do - say: "....an experienced frequent flyer of international airlines"
Posts: 3,386
Checking the itin today on DL.COM, I found five itins at 635,000 SM and one at the (can it be so?) unassailable new World Record level of 675,000 SM.
This outrageous and odd number gives insight into the DL award "pricing" mechanism.... it's clearly not operating in a zonal, three-tier way.
Admittedly, for this one, all sectors are now in F or J, which beats the previous one with a Y sector. But is it worth 40k extra SM for an F ride from PHL to DTW instead of Y from PHL to JFK?
Only the :-: best in class :-: program can give you "options" such as this.
This outrageous and odd number gives insight into the DL award "pricing" mechanism.... it's clearly not operating in a zonal, three-tier way.
Admittedly, for this one, all sectors are now in F or J, which beats the previous one with a Y sector. But is it worth 40k extra SM for an F ride from PHL to DTW instead of Y from PHL to JFK?
Only the :-: best in class :-: program can give you "options" such as this.
May 14, 2010, 4:23 pm
#78
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May 14, 2010, 4:44 pm
#79
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Now, 200k is still way too much, and that has already been beaten to death in this forum; however, posting wild stuff just to bash DL doesn't contribute.
I take it you haven't been in a McDonalds restaurant in Moscow, Tokyo or Shanghai lately.
May 18, 2010, 8:26 am
#81
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Huntsville, AL
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Interestingly (apparently as a result of booking engine changes being discussed in other threads), the 635K award is no longer available. 
Only 200K and 275K.
David
Only 200K and 275K.
David
May 18, 2010, 6:39 pm
#82
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Japan
Posts: 5,577
Absolutely correct. And the 275K is all F/Biz as well. Wow. Still 100,000 above what the award chart says it should be for Premium ( high ) travel, but surely a step in the right direction. Do you think, they read this thread and reacted accordingly? I wouldn't give them credit for that, but one can dream......
May 18, 2010, 7:01 pm
#83
Join Date: Apr 2005
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Lovely exchange with a Skymiles "Supervisor" tonight.
Trying to book LGA-SDF in the summer.
It's irradiating enough that ALL days this summer are at a minimum "medium (40K)" but looking online I came up reasonable flights (over CVG out and MEM back) for 80,000 roundtrip!!! I called the desk to find out how it can be possibly higher than 60K. She said that domestic awards are low 25K, med 45K and high 100K. I told her the website disagrees and she asked me to "not to question her." I asked her how that could add up to 80K (math doesn't work) and she finally agreed that 30K was the max for a one way(based on RT). She then told me that the return was broken over MEM (so 30K LGA-CVG-SDF, 20K SDF-MEM and 30K MEM-LGA). I asked if SDF-MEM-LGA is a valid routing and she said "yes" (which is true, I had the exact flights at 40K RT last week). I asked how DL can break the trip over MEM and she said that DL is free to break an itinerary any way it chooses. I asked for the manager on duty and she said that she is the top person available.
Best in class indeed. (note I found LGA-IND seats roundtrip for ~$160 all-in and that was medium too...what a joke. DL obviously has seasonality controls on low awards and will not inform the consumer.)
Trying to book LGA-SDF in the summer.
It's irradiating enough that ALL days this summer are at a minimum "medium (40K)" but looking online I came up reasonable flights (over CVG out and MEM back) for 80,000 roundtrip!!! I called the desk to find out how it can be possibly higher than 60K. She said that domestic awards are low 25K, med 45K and high 100K. I told her the website disagrees and she asked me to "not to question her." I asked her how that could add up to 80K (math doesn't work) and she finally agreed that 30K was the max for a one way(based on RT). She then told me that the return was broken over MEM (so 30K LGA-CVG-SDF, 20K SDF-MEM and 30K MEM-LGA). I asked if SDF-MEM-LGA is a valid routing and she said "yes" (which is true, I had the exact flights at 40K RT last week). I asked how DL can break the trip over MEM and she said that DL is free to break an itinerary any way it chooses. I asked for the manager on duty and she said that she is the top person available.
Best in class indeed. (note I found LGA-IND seats roundtrip for ~$160 all-in and that was medium too...what a joke. DL obviously has seasonality controls on low awards and will not inform the consumer.)
May 18, 2010, 7:04 pm
#84
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: BNA
Programs: DL PM/MM, Hilton Diamond, *wood plat, UA 1kc
Posts: 921
Lovely exchange with a Skymiles "Supervisor" tonight.
Trying to book LGA-SDF in the summer.
It's irradiating enough that ALL days this summer are at a minimum "medium (40K)" but looking online I came up reasonable flights (over CVG out and MEM back) for 80,000 roundtrip!!! I called the desk to find out how it can be possibly higher than 60K. She said that domestic awards are low 25K, med 45K and high 100K. I told her the website disagrees and she asked me to "not to question her." I asked her how that could add up to 80K (math doesn't work) and she finally agreed that 30K was the max for a one way(based on RT). She then told me that the return was broken over MEM (so 30K LGA-CVG-SDF, 20K SDF-MEM and 30K MEM-LGA). I asked if SDF-MEM-LGA is a valid routing and she said "yes" (which is true, I had the exact flights at 40K RT last week). I asked how DL can break the trip over MEM and she said that DL is free to break an itinerary any way it chooses. I asked for the manager on duty and she said that she is the top person available.
Best in class indeed. (note I found LGA-IND seats roundtrip for ~$160 all-in and that was medium too...what a joke. DL obviously has seasonality controls on low awards and will not inform the consumer.)
Trying to book LGA-SDF in the summer.
It's irradiating enough that ALL days this summer are at a minimum "medium (40K)" but looking online I came up reasonable flights (over CVG out and MEM back) for 80,000 roundtrip!!! I called the desk to find out how it can be possibly higher than 60K. She said that domestic awards are low 25K, med 45K and high 100K. I told her the website disagrees and she asked me to "not to question her." I asked her how that could add up to 80K (math doesn't work) and she finally agreed that 30K was the max for a one way(based on RT). She then told me that the return was broken over MEM (so 30K LGA-CVG-SDF, 20K SDF-MEM and 30K MEM-LGA). I asked if SDF-MEM-LGA is a valid routing and she said "yes" (which is true, I had the exact flights at 40K RT last week). I asked how DL can break the trip over MEM and she said that DL is free to break an itinerary any way it chooses. I asked for the manager on duty and she said that she is the top person available.
Best in class indeed. (note I found LGA-IND seats roundtrip for ~$160 all-in and that was medium too...what a joke. DL obviously has seasonality controls on low awards and will not inform the consumer.)
May 18, 2010, 7:42 pm
#85
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It's a real shame I can't go to Italy next week.
Actually, I found these in about 3 minutes while logged in to my daughters FO account.
I don't dispute that for the most part the three tier system, availability, and award calender are terrible, but the low awards do exist. And I guarantee that, unlike my earlier humorous post in this thread, I didn't "photoshop" these.
Actually, I found these in about 3 minutes while logged in to my daughters FO account.
I don't dispute that for the most part the three tier system, availability, and award calender are terrible, but the low awards do exist. And I guarantee that, unlike my earlier humorous post in this thread, I didn't "photoshop" these.
May 18, 2010, 7:51 pm
#86
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Japan
Posts: 5,577
It's a real shame I can't go to Italy next week.
Actually, I found these in about 3 minutes while logged in to my daughters FO account.
I don't dispute that for the most part the three tier system, availability, and award calender are terrible, but the low awards do exist. And I guarantee that, unlike my earlier humorous post in this thread, I didn't "photoshop" these.
Actually, I found these in about 3 minutes while logged in to my daughters FO account.
I don't dispute that for the most part the three tier system, availability, and award calender are terrible, but the low awards do exist. And I guarantee that, unlike my earlier humorous post in this thread, I didn't "photoshop" these.
May 18, 2010, 8:02 pm
#87
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The fact that this is close in could be significant; maybe some TATL inventory will get released last minute this spring and summer?
May 18, 2010, 9:09 pm
#90
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Yup, I do have to get over there in the next month or so to select a block of marble, just can't do it this month; too many deadlines.
I actually carved a fireplace last year in a material called "Volcano onyx".
It's a beautiful stone, but tricky to work with.
I actually carved a fireplace last year in a material called "Volcano onyx".
It's a beautiful stone, but tricky to work with.