Thank you both for the information. Most appreciated.

W

They usually book into a discounted business class though (on OW/*A, D)
On ST I can't remember if they booked into S or C.
Why you would book a J RTW on ST though is beyond me-most of the carriers aren't even that good.
If I were paying for that I would at least try to get *A for location and carrier choice or OW for the best J products (AA, BA for TATL and JL/CX to Asia.)

Korean has flat beds in J. so does Alitalia. Korean has a rather extensive network in South East Asia. Apart from that, I don't have a single mile on anything but ST. It just wouldnt really make any sense to go with anyone other then ST.

Wait so if you book skyteam flights via a delta phone agent and ask them to force a dl number you get more mqm?

Yes but it may be more expensive. Also I think this will only work if the flight has a DL code share number. I think buying ST partner flights that aren't code shares will earn reduced MQM according to the charts online regardless of ticket stock.

Very true, just had an example. Needed a one-way flt from Tokyo to HKG. DL can get me there n/s on their metal, of course, flying from NRT but it had to be a full Y fare with no UG guarantee. Nevertheless, qualifies for 50% bonus MQM's.

OTOH, MU offered a connecting flt in F via PVG that is not a DL codeshare. Obviously longer flt than the DL n/s and have to give up some MQM's but cost is less than half with guaranteed up front seating, and flying out of HND is much more convenient.

Did you credit the MU flight to your DL SM# and if so how much did it earn? Was DL or MU ticket stock?

I've never flown MU, how are they?

For future reference, NRT-HKG and vv nearly always open OP inventory at least a few days in advance, often a few weeks. You could probably have UGed the DL metal flight with miles, depending on how far out you bought it.

Somewhere in this thread are a number of posts suggesting that the subject change merely presages the next rounds of SM enhancements... such as FUBAR, or whatever they are going to call the rumored "proportionate to paid fare" mileage redemption requirements.

I just ran across this web page:
The (recent) Maker's Mark event described in the above link highlights the impact that social media can have.

Consequently, I would expect that further changes to SM are going to be evolutionary (or, rather, devolutionary) to avoid triggering concentrated outrage sufficient to spark a consumer backlash.

Death by 1000 cuts...

Not too bad.
I've flown them in C before when CXKA was demanding more for a B fare (HKG-SHA), and unwilling to connect in PEK or go to SZX to fly CA)
CX is much better in their command of English/Cantonese and the product, but not too bad for what I paid and better than CX Y.

AZ has a dated hard product, though.
For *A you can get a good hard product on AC, LX, NH, even CA on their new C.
Also, *A is easier to get seats on that ST.
CX has a comparable network to SE Asia, plus I get to spend more time on the longhaul flight.

True, it is somewhat easy to drop 25K RDM’s to get this UG on DL metal, and I would have but for the $2K o/w Y fare. BE o/w fare was almost $3K, a bit high for what is roughly equivalent to a US transcon.

IME, MU is okay. Really not much different than CZ. SP is usually ignored and it is worse if boarding is on the tarmac instead of jetway.

Yes, it is MU ticket stock and a bit irritating because there is no way to enter the DL FF number on their website. Their hard product is well below DL’s 777 for this route but an F seat is <$1K.

MU flts in F earn 100% MQM’s for intl (only 75% for dom) and do not earn the Diamond 125% bonus RDM’s. Discounted Y seats only earn 50% MQM’s. Another little quirk… minimum flt distance is 310 mi, not the standard 500.

Kind of surprised the cynic in you wouldn’t say that what MM really did was create an illusion of limited supply as an excuse to not only increase brand awareness but also increase prices. ;)

But yes, the DL FF program is death by 1000 cuts, and the other legacies will follow once they get their kinks worked out. It will continue to be slow and painful, just as it has been for the past couple years, but they are not done. Keep saying here this is only going to get worse before it gets better.

It looks like SkyMiles is now cheating on "A" fares
 

Another sneak shot across the bow of the frequent flyer by SkyMiles is to credit A fares as coach instead of purchased first class.

Buy a first class ticket with any segment denoted as A instead of P or F and they will credit that one at the "K(or Q,H, etc.)/A purchased/flown" 100% MQM rate instead of the 150% to which it should be entitled.

I have written them about it this morning when it posted and will update when (and if) they respond.

Thats been covered in numerous other threads. Its posted incorrectly for some reason. Don't let them give you the bs line about its a K or Q or whatever coach fare. DL's earning tables on the website say A gets 150%.

I have plenty of flights that report as paid K flown A, and there is a line in the activity that says "Delta 50% Class of Service Bonus for UP fares".

I know about that line and knew that it was missing on both SM accounts. I have no intention of letting them get away with it and will harass them until they repost it properly for each of us.

Meanwhile, I am sneaking a look over at AA since after they merge and it settles down, they will be going everywhere I need to go (as neither AA nor US does now) and might become an alternative for me if they retain some of the better points of AAdvantage.