Having DL AmEx card gives favored award availability
Feb 10, 2013, 8:48 pm
#61
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Feb 10, 2013, 8:48 pm
#62
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Location: DEN
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GM (no card) family member
Y:
25K: 721, 887/2014, 3689/10, 1996/1947, 1496/947, 1996/781
40K: 1029, 1991, 1815, 1084, 1799, 1975, 422/1974, 3774/10, 3360/80, 5274/1881, 422/1130, 808/95, 257/2014,
F:
80K: 1815, 1084, 721, 1975, 1991, 785, 2013, 1291, 1799, 1029, 257/1013, 881/1449, 142/1013, 422/1974, 808/951, 422/1130, 257/2014, 3360/80, 1734/2007, 5274/1881
I couldn't believe my GM sibling had more lows in Y than I did so went back and relogged in and indeed more connections at low!
Note to add: I only showed options on page 1...
Y:
25K: 721, 887/2014, 3689/10, 1996/1947, 1496/947, 1996/781
40K: 1029, 1991, 1815, 1084, 1799, 1975, 422/1974, 3774/10, 3360/80, 5274/1881, 422/1130, 808/95, 257/2014,
F:
80K: 1815, 1084, 721, 1975, 1991, 785, 2013, 1291, 1799, 1029, 257/1013, 881/1449, 142/1013, 422/1974, 808/951, 422/1130, 257/2014, 3360/80, 1734/2007, 5274/1881
I couldn't believe my GM sibling had more lows in Y than I did so went back and relogged in and indeed more connections at low!
Note to add: I only showed options on page 1...
Feb 10, 2013, 10:19 pm
#64
Suspended
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Having DL AmEx card gives favored award availability
Maybe it isn't the Amex but the customer value score, which is increased by several factors including the Amex. That would be an interesting experiment.
Feb 10, 2013, 10:37 pm
#65
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DM / Plat Amex
Coach
25K: 721, 887/2014, 1996/781, 1996/1947, 3689/10, 1996/2247, 1496/947
40K: 1975, 1815, 1029, 1084, 1799, 1991, 422/1974, 3360/1881, 257,2014, 808/95, 3774/10, 3541/2043, 5274/1881
First
80K: 1815, 1084, 721, 1975, 1991, 785, 2013, 1291, 1799, 1029, 257/1013, 881/1449, 142/1013, 422/1974, 808/951, 422/1130, 257/2014, 3360/80, 1734/2007, 5274/1881
Coach
25K: 721, 887/2014, 1996/781, 1996/1947, 3689/10, 1996/2247, 1496/947
40K: 1975, 1815, 1029, 1084, 1799, 1991, 422/1974, 3360/1881, 257,2014, 808/95, 3774/10, 3541/2043, 5274/1881
First
80K: 1815, 1084, 721, 1975, 1991, 785, 2013, 1291, 1799, 1029, 257/1013, 881/1449, 142/1013, 422/1974, 808/951, 422/1130, 257/2014, 3360/80, 1734/2007, 5274/1881
Feb 11, 2013, 8:47 am
#67
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Feb 11, 2013, 9:25 am
#68
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 53
FO / Plat Amex
Y
25K: 721, 887/2014
40K: 1815, 1975, 1799, 783, 1029, 1991, 1291, 1084, 2198/116, 422/1974, 422/1130, 3774/10, 881/116, 3360/80, 142/2287, 5274/1881, 881/2007, 3689/10, 257/2014, 3360/1881, 142/1013, 808/95, 1996/781, 3541/2043, 257/1013, 808/951, 1734/2287, 1995/1947, 1734/2007, 1496/947, 2198/2007, 1996/2247
F
80K: 1291, 1815, 721, 1084, 1991, 1975, 2013, 785, 1799, 1029, 881/2007, 1642/1026, 881/1449, 808/951, 5720/1499, 422/1974, 881/116, 422/1130, 142/2287, 5274/1881, 3562/951, 3360/1881, 1734/2287, 1996/1947, 1734/1449, 1496/947, 1734/2007, 1996/781, 257/2014, 1996/2247, 887/2014, 5720/2347, 142/1013, 257/1013
Y
25K: 721, 887/2014
40K: 1815, 1975, 1799, 783, 1029, 1991, 1291, 1084, 2198/116, 422/1974, 422/1130, 3774/10, 881/116, 3360/80, 142/2287, 5274/1881, 881/2007, 3689/10, 257/2014, 3360/1881, 142/1013, 808/95, 1996/781, 3541/2043, 257/1013, 808/951, 1734/2287, 1995/1947, 1734/2007, 1496/947, 2198/2007, 1996/2247
F
80K: 1291, 1815, 721, 1084, 1991, 1975, 2013, 785, 1799, 1029, 881/2007, 1642/1026, 881/1449, 808/951, 5720/1499, 422/1974, 881/116, 422/1130, 142/2287, 5274/1881, 3562/951, 3360/1881, 1734/2287, 1996/1947, 1734/1449, 1496/947, 1734/2007, 1996/781, 257/2014, 1996/2247, 887/2014, 5720/2347, 142/1013, 257/1013
Feb 11, 2013, 9:30 am
#69
Join Date: May 2006
Programs: Delta Skymiles, Flying Blue
Posts: 717
I was working on a booking for friends and realized that owning the DL AmEX card gives favored availability for domestic awards vs. not owning it. None of the three accounts I tried, including mine, are for anyone with any DL status.
I checked MSP-SEA for 09 July. Not logged in (or logged into an account of someone who does not have the card) only gives 40K mile awards. But once logged into the account of a DL AmEx cardholder, the "I am traveling" button appears and if checked, gives a 25K mile award on one flight that day.
You learn something new every day! One more reason to own the DL AmEx card vs. being FO
I checked MSP-SEA for 09 July. Not logged in (or logged into an account of someone who does not have the card) only gives 40K mile awards. But once logged into the account of a DL AmEx cardholder, the "I am traveling" button appears and if checked, gives a 25K mile award on one flight that day.
You learn something new every day! One more reason to own the DL AmEx card vs. being FO
Feb 11, 2013, 9:47 am
#70
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: ATL
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Posts: 2,001
mnredfox, I love this idea. It's great to have this more rigorous look at the effect of Medallion status and Amex cards on award availability instead of relying on anecdotal evidence.
As a PM with no DL Amex, I see identical availability and pricing as MSPeconomist for the 44 results in coach. For First/Business, I see nearly identical availability and pricing as MSPeconomist, with only 1 difference out of 41 results (3360/80 is pricing at 100k for me instead of 80k -- possibly since my search is 15 hours after hers).
It seems that the most substantive differences are showing up at the coach level in low availability. Focusing on coach awards at 25K, so far we have the following data points (incremental award availability shown in red):
Not logged in: 2 choices
721, 887/2014
FO + Platinum Amex: 2 choices (per bgh10788)
721, 887/2014
GM + no DL Amex: 6 choices (per mnredfox)
721, 887/2014, 3689/10, 1996/1947, 1496/947, 1996/781
PM + no DL Amex: 7 choices (per lamont2718)
721, 887/2014, 3689/10, 1996/1947, 1496/947, 1996/781, 1996/2247
DM + no DL Amex: 7 choices (per mnredfox)
TBU
DM + no DL Amex: 8 choices (per gypsycsc)
TBU
DM + Platinum Amex: 7 choices (per Traveller, reordered)
721, 887/2014, 3689/10, 1996/1947, 1496/947, 1996/781, 1996/2247
DM + Reserve Amex: 7 choices (per MSPeconomist, reordered)
721, 887/2014, 3689/10, 1996/1947, 1496/947, 1996/781, 1996/2247
Preliminary takeaways:
- Although we still need more evidence before drawing refined conclusions, it seems that GM status results in increased availability, and PM/DM status adds even more availability.
- However, so far no data points suggest that having a DL Amex increases award availability.
- Furthermore, so far no data points suggest any differences between award availability for Reserve Amex and Platinum Amex cardholders.
As a PM with no DL Amex, I see identical availability and pricing as MSPeconomist for the 44 results in coach. For First/Business, I see nearly identical availability and pricing as MSPeconomist, with only 1 difference out of 41 results (3360/80 is pricing at 100k for me instead of 80k -- possibly since my search is 15 hours after hers).
It seems that the most substantive differences are showing up at the coach level in low availability. Focusing on coach awards at 25K, so far we have the following data points (incremental award availability shown in red):
Not logged in: 2 choices
721, 887/2014
FO + Platinum Amex: 2 choices (per bgh10788)
721, 887/2014
GM + no DL Amex: 6 choices (per mnredfox)
721, 887/2014, 3689/10, 1996/1947, 1496/947, 1996/781
PM + no DL Amex: 7 choices (per lamont2718)
721, 887/2014, 3689/10, 1996/1947, 1496/947, 1996/781, 1996/2247
DM + no DL Amex: 7 choices (per mnredfox)
TBU
DM + no DL Amex: 8 choices (per gypsycsc)
TBU
DM + Platinum Amex: 7 choices (per Traveller, reordered)
721, 887/2014, 3689/10, 1996/1947, 1496/947, 1996/781, 1996/2247
DM + Reserve Amex: 7 choices (per MSPeconomist, reordered)
721, 887/2014, 3689/10, 1996/1947, 1496/947, 1996/781, 1996/2247
Preliminary takeaways:
- Although we still need more evidence before drawing refined conclusions, it seems that GM status results in increased availability, and PM/DM status adds even more availability.
- However, so far no data points suggest that having a DL Amex increases award availability.
- Furthermore, so far no data points suggest any differences between award availability for Reserve Amex and Platinum Amex cardholders.
Last edited by lamont2718; Nov 1, 2013 at 8:56 am
Feb 12, 2013, 4:19 pm
#72
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Thanks for the inputs. Will update the chart up thread later. Keep the reports coming in please!
Feb 12, 2013, 4:22 pm
#73
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Since people aren't searching around the same time, this data must be interpreted with caution.
Feb 12, 2013, 10:38 pm
#74
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Feb 13, 2013, 12:27 am
#75
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Having DL AmEx card gives favored award availability
Does the award calendar not suck if you have the magic plastic? Impressive; DL IT is far less pathetic than it otherwise appears to be.
Does the award calendar not suck if you have the magic plastic? Impressive; DL IT is far less pathetic than it otherwise appears to be.