Online no longer does award stopovers properly
Dec 21, 2011, 4:56 am
#77
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SEA - DL DM/2MM, *A Gold, SPG Lifetime Plat, some other car and hotel stuff
Posts: 5,649
Dec 21, 2011, 5:00 am
#78
Suspended
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Dec 21, 2011, 5:11 am
#79
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,397
I find the best use of miles is for both domestic and international 
. If you can get about 5-10 cents per mile "value" out of international coach awards like I can for domestic coach awards, please let me know (then I get UG'd most of the time as PM). But the "value" I am referring to is based on the coach value of the flights I take.
I realize that value is in the eye of the traveler. I also realize that 95% of DL flyers have no idea how to most effectively use domestic stopovers and open jaws on award tickets. But that has worked just fine for me in recent years.
. If you can get about 5-10 cents per mile "value" out of international coach awards like I can for domestic coach awards, please let me know (then I get UG'd most of the time as PM). But the "value" I am referring to is based on the coach value of the flights I take.I realize that value is in the eye of the traveler. I also realize that 95% of DL flyers have no idea how to most effectively use domestic stopovers and open jaws on award tickets. But that has worked just fine for me in recent years.
Dec 21, 2011, 5:17 am
#80
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: MHT/BOS
Programs: Many
Posts: 429
I am glad to see I am not the only one having this stopover pricing issue with DL miles... the most frustrating thing to me with this is lack of recourse/reason and so many made up excuses by DL agents...
Dec 21, 2011, 5:27 am
#81
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SEA (previous locations: DTW, TLV, EWR, BOS)
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Posts: 3,383
They will not. They have been trained to say 'well sir, this is what the computer is telling me.' They literally stopped thinking, and just do 'what the computer tell them.'
I ran into this issue yesterday, when trying to add a stopover in a SkyTeam hub city (Prague) before ending the trip in CDG. Even though everything was in the low bucket, the system was asking for 145K.
The agent's response when I asked? "You can have a stopover, but you have to pay for it..."
Can this airline become any more pathetic???
I ran into this issue yesterday, when trying to add a stopover in a SkyTeam hub city (Prague) before ending the trip in CDG. Even though everything was in the low bucket, the system was asking for 145K.
The agent's response when I asked? "You can have a stopover, but you have to pay for it..."
Can this airline become any more pathetic???
Dec 21, 2011, 6:55 am
#82
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: DL DM 2MM, Marriott LT Titanium, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 15,187
The problem is, even if its confirmed that there should be no price increase and SO/OJ is still allowed, is their world-class IT even aware of the issue? And if so, what priority is it given to fix this? I'm sure while its broken, DL is pulling in millions of extra miles from pax overpaying for redemptions.
Dec 21, 2011, 7:07 am
#83
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: MEL
Programs: DL, QF, QR Gold, MR Lifetime Gold
Posts: 7,003
The priority is directly related to the potential revenue. Monetizing programs are implemented almost instantly. Fixes for award redemptions... let's see... how long did it take to fix the award calendar?
It's all the gamers' fault anyway...
It's all the gamers' fault anyway...
Dec 21, 2011, 7:27 am
#84
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Yes, obviously we are gaming the system by using awards that are allowed within the rules for multicity stopover or open jaw... so DL must stop that. Same how we were 'gaming' by changing award tickets as allowed per the rules to try to get better routing/pricing as low opened up at the last minute.
Dec 21, 2011, 9:02 am
#86
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Gold (prev. Ex Plat for 10 years); DL Plat; UA Gold; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,338
Still an active problem as of this morning. Was trying to book a domestic ticket with stopover for January. Calculating it without stopover: 25,000 miles. With stopover? 65,000 miles. All in coach with low availability confirmed on all segments. Delta Plat number was able to replicate the problem and struggled to figure out a way around it but eventually was able to force the 25,000 pricing.
Dec 21, 2011, 9:51 am
#87
Join Date: Jun 2010
Programs: Whatever's Cheapest, Accruing Miles, Redeeming for Premium Cabins, Not Chasing Status Unnecessarily
Posts: 2,264
Still an active problem as of this morning. Was trying to book a domestic ticket with stopover for January. Calculating it without stopover: 25,000 miles. With stopover? 65,000 miles. All in coach with low availability confirmed on all segments. Delta Plat number was able to replicate the problem and struggled to figure out a way around it but eventually was able to force the 25,000 pricing.
I wonder what they had to (lingo-wise) and what you had to do to get them to do it and what center they worked at.
Dec 21, 2011, 10:42 am
#88
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Gold (prev. Ex Plat for 10 years); DL Plat; UA Gold; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,338
Despite this being a domestic ticket, I do believe the words "rate desk" were invoked on their end. I just kept pushing the agent but fortunately she was one of the best I've encountered and wasn't happy with what the computer told her.
Dec 21, 2011, 10:55 am
#89
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2007
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If the rate desk did the ticket issue, then it is correct pricing that a stopover should not cost more, and it means the award engine is pathetically broken yet again and overcharging for these flights.
Dec 21, 2011, 11:46 am
#90
FlyerTalk Evangelist & Ambassador: China
Join Date: Aug 2005
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They will not. They have been trained to say 'well sir, this is what the computer is telling me.' They literally stopped thinking, and just do 'what the computer tell them.'
I ran into this issue yesterday, when trying to add a stopover in a SkyTeam hub city (Prague) before ending the trip in CDG. Even though everything was in the low bucket, the system was asking for 145K.
The agent's response when I asked? "You can have a stopover, but you have to pay for it..."
Can this airline become any more pathetic???
I ran into this issue yesterday, when trying to add a stopover in a SkyTeam hub city (Prague) before ending the trip in CDG. Even though everything was in the low bucket, the system was asking for 145K.
The agent's response when I asked? "You can have a stopover, but you have to pay for it..."
Can this airline become any more pathetic???
Oddly, only Chisholm agents have done this for me in the past. But perhaps now DL has enhanced their systems so they can no longer provide this good CS.