redtop43

I live in PHL, and I've just met someone in LAS that I might want to try to establish a relationship with.

I'm mostly retired, and would like to keep the costs down. I have 1.4 million Skymiles and no status. Being retired, I can be pretty flexible on travel dates. If we do try to make this work, I can probably leave enough clothes at her house so that I could carry on a bag, but ability to check one for free would be a plus (and not hard to accomplish). Probably would try to see her once a month.

I'm unreasonably cranky about flying, particularly in coach, although lounge access isn't a big deal to me.

I have two business trips a year to Vegas that are paid for. I can easily generate $25 or $50K in spending on a credit card via some manufactured spending tricks, although they're not free. I have had the DL Gold and Platinum cards at one time, so will probably not qualify for signup bonuses.

My question is how to maximize my flying experience at minimum cost. My thinking so far is that Gold status would be hard to achieve if I plan to mostly use award tickets. But if I get the Amex Delta Platinum card and spend $50K, this would waive the MQD requirement and give me 20K MQM's. I would then need only 5K more, meaning spending $1K a year, which isn't an issue.

Would Silver get me anything meaningful? Does it at least get me a discount on Economy Comfort? I think it gets free EC seats at 24 hours - I don't have any illusions about first class upgrades to Vegas as a silver, but is EC possible/reasonable?

Also, are there any strategies for free Wifi? I think I saw certain Amex cards that carry that. Are any of those cards available at a reasonable fee?

Comments about the strategy - effectiveness and cost-effectiveness - are welcome.

doubleA

I have no advice to offer, except to say that this situation sounds awesome. Good luck OP!

dilbertsdaddy

If you have a DL Plat AX (not sure about gold ax) you can do pay with miles instead of free tickets. PWM gives you MQM's and points on the fare. Vegas is generally cheap so you might find out it is a wash or close to it if you get low enough fares. Then you will be building status while burning miles.

The DL Plat AX will also exempt you from MQD requirements and give you MQM boosts if you spend enough. The only downside to PWM is if you have non-refundable tickets you can't redeposit the miles if something changes.

Silver is essentially useless but I think they at least get free bags (I think you can get that with DL AX as well though). If you are accruing miles with PWM and get a AX boost of MQM you should be able to get to Gold farely easily.

For example:

25K spend gives you 10K MQM

9 round trips (though ATL) PHL-LAS gives you over 40K more.

Gold in 9 months.....


Once you get close, if you need a mileage run, there is a new PHL-LHR flight with low (Y) fares that you could do a PWM on to get there quicker.


Good luck.....

Beckles

Yeah, bonus miles, Preferred seating at time of booking, Comfort Plus seating within 24 hours, Priority check-in, priority phone customer service, priority on waitlists, and the rare complimentary upgrade are essentially useless.

jkatzen

Frankly, for PHL-anywhere, I'd switch to US/AA, get their credit card, and try to build status there.

I'd earn AA miles on revenue flights and burn your Delta SkyMiles on award flights as much as possible -- Delta miles are both worth much less than other programs (higher redemption rates in most cases) and are harder to get (reduced earning rates in most cases).

On Delta, you won't get upgraded very often as a Silver (except maybe off-peak Saturday flying -- but then maybe not to Vegas on a Saturday), and there will only rarely be a non-middle C+ seat available within 24 hours. There's no longer an advance discount for Silvers.

There's just not much of an Award-program or Premium-Seat upside to flying Delta from PHL. Tickets may sometimes be slightly cheaper (for not being nonstop like US/AA), but at the expense of everything else.

AvidFlyer1990

Have never used PWM personally, so can't comment, however as dilbertsdaddy mentioned, using PWM is a good strategy to use miles, while building status. Also, just to be on the safe side, I'd NOT ZERO out the cost using PWM (I've heard other FT'ers facing provlems on MQD's getting credited correctly).

I'd probably do 28k miles worth of PWM ($280) and then pay $20 in cash for a $300 ticket. Have fun, and good luck man!!

mpheels

In defense of FO status - I'm half way through my second year as FO. My only full upgrades to F were on flights to/from HNL (I'm 3 for 4 on those flights). For all other flights, I've had 100% success in getting C+ window or aisle seats, often a bulkhead. If you are willing/able to check in right at T-24 hours, then it's pretty easy to get a C+ seat as there are always a few seats blocked that open at the 24 hour mark, plus any C+ seats vacated by DM/PM passengers upgraded at the window.

jhw268

Wait PWM now gets you MQMs? Is that a new development?

Flyertall

I didn't know PWM got MQM either. I would have PWM a lot more if I did. Good tip about partial PWM, and partial cash.

DYKWIA2014

What happens in Vegas . . .

AvidFlyer1990

PWM always got you MQMs! And, welcome to FT!!

Flyertall

Viva-a-a-a-a! L-a-a-s Vegas!

If it were not for this thread, I woudl have never known that PWM still got MQM! I've avoided PWM precisely because I wanted to build MQM. This is liberating news!

OP... good luck on your LDR. And don't let her read this thread. She'll think your a cheapskate! Unless she marries you. Then show her, and she'll think you're frugal!

Sez_Who

With such a bank of RDM's, you may want to fly in F. If you do, most of the other stuff (bag fees/C+/etc) is moot.

As for free wi-fi, it won't happen.

3Cforme

I don't believe that is correct.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...rtial-mqd.html

redtop43

I think there might be some Amex cards that have free wifi.

I agree it's not available as a perk from DL, nor I think from the DL co-branded cards. But some other Amex cards, I think.