NHFL9

I am pretty confident you can do this on low miles but it will require a couple of connections and some creativity (unlike booking with UA where it is probably straightforward.) A quick look on ExpertFlyer shows low level availability with Alaska Airlines in First between SJC (2 seats) and OGG, PDX (2 seats) and OGG on 7/30. Ideally you could position to SJC and PDX with DL flights on the same award, but if that fails you could always buy on WN which is probably relatively inexpensive. Feel free to PM me for more details.

Also, I am not sure if you can redeem DL miles for U.S. Mainland - Hawaii routes, but if you can Hawaiian has low level coach availability for 4+ seats LAS-HNL-OGG on 7/28 and 7/30 (but not 7/29).

fti

Maybe or maybe not. I was just looking at a relatively last-minute trip to Alaska later this month. Delta had award travel at the low level, United didn't have anything but high in one direction.

You are entitled to your opinion. But I can use 25K miles for flights easily worth $1,000 on a regular basis. Domestic trips to ANC or JNU are easily $700 round trip from the midwest, not to mention the fact that DL will give me three round trips for the price of two award tickets.

I would say the main area is this. But that is significant since I have earned tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of miles this way over many years. Just one IFE malfunction one time yielded me something like 20K miles IIRC. Also, until the past 12-18 months, DL had fairly large transfer bonuses from AmEx MR, which other airlines didn't have. That was huge.

NHFL9

Also for everyone saying the grass is greener over at UA, while I'd agree they generally have better low-level award availability, remember the elite bonuses at UA are lower unless you bank 100,000 EQM a year or more. (i.e., Gold and Platinum only earn 50% and 75% mileage bonuses respectively.)

5khours

No comparison between DL and UA award redemptions. DL does some things well, but their FF program is the pits.

redtop43

I agree also. DL has the Amex and SunTrust tie-in's. United does have Chase Ultimate Rewards, but there are more different Amex cards you can get.

TheMadBrewer

The fair comparison between programs would be something like:

For each airline take a 75K mile BIS flyer that puts all the tickets on the branded card. At the end of the year they will each pot of miles. Now see what they can redeem then for with minimum effort. Repeat for different travel patterns.

That is fairer than saying "airline A is X and airline B is Y and since X < Y then airline A is better."

Sabai

Not on DL.

nittany987

Yeah, Indy will be sorely disappointed.

Doc Savage

Just make sure to bring along enough money to pay cab fare so you don't get dissed by German backpackers.

TLBpassenger

I've booked (mostly international) award tickets on 4 or 5 different ff programs - usually without too much hassle - except that I book at least 9 or 10 months in advance.

OP I booked 5 Delta economy tickets LAX-OGG for Xmas for 65 000miles each

dgxoxo

I was about to throw in the towel myself with Delta due to frustration surrounding the inability to get low business TATL skyteam redemptions. Then suddenly last night I got a wedding invitation for January close to GVA. I was able to book AF metal to CDG in business, stop over, then CDG - GVA on AF metal (in euro business, but whatever), and GVA/AMS/JFK for the low 100k. I was pleasantly surprised, since I thought that AF and KL had blocked access to DL for TATL redemption. And then I was a bit sad that I burned miles for domestic trips for my parents!!!

Edited to add that there was lots of availability on AF, KL and AZ on the days I wanted to fly.

GUWonder

Nice when it works out.

I would operate on the basis that the era of easy US-Europe AF-KL biz cabin access (at the base DL "award" ticket price level) is either history or going to be history before the end of next year.

OLYflyer

Try LAX-SJC/OAK-OGG. for 40k Skymiles + $200 cash money you'll be riding in F to & from Maui.

ronin308

Maybe it partially depends on originating city.

I hear a lot of bad things about low level Skymiles availability, but when I actually start searching for bookings, I find them either similar or less than UA. Keep in mind, I'm Gold with both programs.

I've done searches for 3 pax OMA to SJU, MBJ and TPA earlier this year in all cases found Delta cheaper for my preferred times. I ended up booking OMA-TPA for 35k per pax RT vs 37.5k on UA which also would have been longer flight times.

For fun, I checked OMA to OGG during thanksgiving weekend. Delta is 77.5k vs 80k for UAL.

Pi7473000

WOW! I paid less in Business class on UA from SLC to BKK. Delta has the worst mileage program in the U.S. It is awful to see how they reward their loyal travelers. This is the reason why I will never stay loyal to Delta!