Jul 14, 2015, 4:38 pm
Last edit by: Zorak
Summary of SkyMiles Upgrade Changes
Effective Aug 1, 2015, DM's on paid fares and no companions will no longer receive complimentary upgrades JFK-LAX/SFO. Delta's reps failed to disclose this in their June 14 announcement.
For travel on or after June 1, 2016, additional fare classes are eligible for SkyMiles upgrades:
Within North American and northern South America, L/U/T fares are now eligible. (Previously only Y/B/M/H/Q/K)
For all other markets, H/Q/K fares are now eligible. (Previously only Y/B/M)
SkyMiles Upgrade Awards will also require more miles. Prices for the following markets as quoted by multiple reservations agents: (Pricing is one-way)
(current chart based on observations has been moved to this thread: Upgrading with miles)
Effective Aug 1, 2015, DM's on paid fares and no companions will no longer receive complimentary upgrades JFK-LAX/SFO. Delta's reps failed to disclose this in their June 14 announcement.
For travel on or after June 1, 2016, additional fare classes are eligible for SkyMiles upgrades:
Within North American and northern South America, L/U/T fares are now eligible. (Previously only Y/B/M/H/Q/K)
For all other markets, H/Q/K fares are now eligible. (Previously only Y/B/M)
SkyMiles Upgrade Awards will also require more miles. Prices for the following markets as quoted by multiple reservations agents: (Pricing is one-way)
(current chart based on observations has been moved to this thread: Upgrading with miles)
SkyMiles July Announcements
Jul 16, 2015, 3:15 pm
#211
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
I doubt cheaper, but they're converging - DL is closing the gap between cash and mileage pricing for int'l J which has been way out of whack for a long long time.
At the new rates a cheapo TATL coach ticket + 160k mile upgrade is maybe ~$3k of value. You might find Z fares that low in some markets but they're rare; and nonexistent in hubs and uncompetitive markets.
As much as people hate to admit it, even the new rates represent a decent value (on a cpm basis).
At the new rates a cheapo TATL coach ticket + 160k mile upgrade is maybe ~$3k of value. You might find Z fares that low in some markets but they're rare; and nonexistent in hubs and uncompetitive markets.
As much as people hate to admit it, even the new rates represent a decent value (on a cpm basis).
Jul 16, 2015, 4:22 pm
#213
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: DL GM
Posts: 217
Sorry DMs, WJBJ.
On a side note, it's interesting how DL will manage with partner redemptions.
Jul 16, 2015, 5:34 pm
#214
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: PVU, SLC
Programs: DL Pork Medallion, PP, GE
Posts: 1,657
I also would like to know how you did this. I'd almost be willing to drive to MSP just take advantage of that. Almost.
Jul 16, 2015, 5:53 pm
#215
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: ATL
Programs: DL GM / PC APM / SPG GM / GP PM
Posts: 248
Jul 16, 2015, 7:57 pm
#216
Join Date: Feb 2001
Programs: DL 3MM/DM, AA 3MM/PLT, UA 1K
Posts: 322
Move over to UA or AA
DL has had the worst mileage redemption and upgrade costs for international travel vs US or AA for YEARS. Why is this a surprise? DL wants 160K miles to UPGRADE a ticket now?! They used to offer 80K round trip saver awards in J to Europe! What a joke!
Just switch to UA or AA. Very easy to do. Get a status challenge or match. I did this over 5 years ago. At 100K miles a year, you get 6 (UA) or 8 (AA) FREE global upgrades that you can use on very reasonable fares for upgrades to Asia, Europe and South America.
I did Dubai on UA last year...easy. Upgraed on a $1200 ticktet. Just did AA LAX-LHR on a $900 ticket with an eVIP. EASY. I do Asia and Europe in J all the time on $900-$1300 fares. This will NEVER happen on DL....hasn't for years. Just Switch. Last month LAX-JFK DL wanted 105K miles. I was able to easily book UA for 50K roundtrip in flat beds. (AA did have similar options, but closer in).
Regarding Miles: Just search for ANY US to International destination in business. I have millions of DL miles and have been unable to use for YEARS at saver level. DL is almost ALWAYS 2X-4X more miles than UA or AA. On EVERY flight I have booked in the past several years. Every flight in premium cabins Delta was 2X-4X. Just switch to UA or AA.
I have rarely had an issue (with some patience) redeeming "saver" fares for first or business (UA and AA still offer F on some aircraft). AA F is often half (sometimes 1/3 less) than DL J! Almost every time. Search for your self!
I just flew LAX-LHR in AA F; was 60% less miles than DL J! and AA had full bar like Virgin, brand new plane.
Just switch to UA or AA. Very easy to do. Get a status challenge or match. I did this over 5 years ago. At 100K miles a year, you get 6 (UA) or 8 (AA) FREE global upgrades that you can use on very reasonable fares for upgrades to Asia, Europe and South America.
I did Dubai on UA last year...easy. Upgraed on a $1200 ticktet. Just did AA LAX-LHR on a $900 ticket with an eVIP. EASY. I do Asia and Europe in J all the time on $900-$1300 fares. This will NEVER happen on DL....hasn't for years. Just Switch. Last month LAX-JFK DL wanted 105K miles. I was able to easily book UA for 50K roundtrip in flat beds. (AA did have similar options, but closer in).
Regarding Miles: Just search for ANY US to International destination in business. I have millions of DL miles and have been unable to use for YEARS at saver level. DL is almost ALWAYS 2X-4X more miles than UA or AA. On EVERY flight I have booked in the past several years. Every flight in premium cabins Delta was 2X-4X. Just switch to UA or AA.
I have rarely had an issue (with some patience) redeeming "saver" fares for first or business (UA and AA still offer F on some aircraft). AA F is often half (sometimes 1/3 less) than DL J! Almost every time. Search for your self!
I just flew LAX-LHR in AA F; was 60% less miles than DL J! and AA had full bar like Virgin, brand new plane.
Last edited by wschild; Jul 16, 2015 at 8:06 pm
Jul 16, 2015, 8:06 pm
#217
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: Skymiles member
Posts: 134
DL has had the worst mileage redemption and upgrade costs for international travel vs US or AA for YEARS. Why is this a surprise? DL wants 160K miles to UPGRADE a ticket now?! They used to offer 80K round trip saver awards in J to Europe! What a joke!
Just switch to UA or AA. Very easy to do. Get a status challenge or match. I did this over 5 years ago. At 100K miles a year, you get 6 (UA) or 8 (AA) FREE global upgrades that you can use on very reasonable fares for upgrades to Asia, Europe and South America.
I did Dubai on UA last year...easy. Upgraed on a $1200 ticktet. Just did AA LAX-LHR on a $900 ticket with an eVIP. EASY. I do Asia and Europe in J all the time on $900-$1300 fares. This will NEVER happen on DL....hasn't for years. Just Switch.
Regarding Miles: Just search for ANY US to International destination in business. I have millions of DL miles and have been unable to use for YEARS at saver level. DL is almost ALWAYS 2X-4X more miles than UA or AA. On EVERY flight I have booked in the past several years. Every flight in premium cabins Delta was 2X-4X. Just switch to UA or AA.
I have rarely had an issue (with some patience) redeeming "saver" fares for first or business (UA and AA still offer F on some aircraft). AA F is often half (sometimes 1/3 less) than DL J! Almost every time. Search for your self!
I just flew LAX-LHR in J. AA F was 60% less miles than DL J.
Just switch to UA or AA. Very easy to do. Get a status challenge or match. I did this over 5 years ago. At 100K miles a year, you get 6 (UA) or 8 (AA) FREE global upgrades that you can use on very reasonable fares for upgrades to Asia, Europe and South America.
I did Dubai on UA last year...easy. Upgraed on a $1200 ticktet. Just did AA LAX-LHR on a $900 ticket with an eVIP. EASY. I do Asia and Europe in J all the time on $900-$1300 fares. This will NEVER happen on DL....hasn't for years. Just Switch.
Regarding Miles: Just search for ANY US to International destination in business. I have millions of DL miles and have been unable to use for YEARS at saver level. DL is almost ALWAYS 2X-4X more miles than UA or AA. On EVERY flight I have booked in the past several years. Every flight in premium cabins Delta was 2X-4X. Just switch to UA or AA.
I have rarely had an issue (with some patience) redeeming "saver" fares for first or business (UA and AA still offer F on some aircraft). AA F is often half (sometimes 1/3 less) than DL J! Almost every time. Search for your self!
I just flew LAX-LHR in J. AA F was 60% less miles than DL J.
Jul 16, 2015, 8:10 pm
#218
Join Date: Feb 2001
Programs: DL 3MM/DM, AA 3MM/PLT, UA 1K
Posts: 322
Imagine: you want to go to Europe in Business Class. You can consistently find seats on UA and AA for 125K miles or less round trip if you are open to different gateways. Search for yourself. then search on delta. Delta will usually be 200K-350K miles. I can usually find two tickets and take my spouse all the time for less than HALF of what DL wants for one ticket. If not, I will use miles for spouse and buy a ~$1000 ticket and upgrade with SWUs. This helps with earning status. And on AA and UA, your traveling companion inherits your status for upgrade clearing on domestic routes. DL is terrible for companion upgrades.
I only fly DL on domestic routes where they have non-stop because they have Live TV and wifi on most flights. Forget international on DL for upgrades or miles.
Last edited by wschild; Jul 16, 2015 at 8:16 pm
Jul 16, 2015, 9:08 pm
#219
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,774
Does Delta really think its Skymiles members are all idiots?
who would buy an economy ticket and use 30000 miles to upgrade while there is possibility to get a business award seat for as low as 25000 miles?
Bye Delta. Even if I have to fly Delta with no other via choice, no way I am crediting the miles to skymiles. Maybe FlyingBlue or other skyteam programs.
who would buy an economy ticket and use 30000 miles to upgrade while there is possibility to get a business award seat for as low as 25000 miles?
Bye Delta. Even if I have to fly Delta with no other via choice, no way I am crediting the miles to skymiles. Maybe FlyingBlue or other skyteam programs.
Jul 16, 2015, 9:25 pm
#220
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: B6 Mosaic, Bonvoy LT Titanium (x SPG LT), IHG Spire, UA Silver
Posts: 5,849
Does Delta really think its Skymiles members are all idiots?
who would buy an economy ticket and use 30000 miles to upgrade while there is possibility to get a business award seat for as low as 25000 miles?
Bye Delta. Even if I have to fly Delta with no other via choice, no way I am crediting the miles to skymiles. Maybe FlyingBlue or other skyteam programs.
who would buy an economy ticket and use 30000 miles to upgrade while there is possibility to get a business award seat for as low as 25000 miles?
Bye Delta. Even if I have to fly Delta with no other via choice, no way I am crediting the miles to skymiles. Maybe FlyingBlue or other skyteam programs.
Jul 17, 2015, 12:49 am
#222
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: SEA
Programs: DL DM, DL SkyClub, DL AmEx Plat, SPG +, Hilton Silver, Hertz, Thrifty BlueChip, NEXUS/GE
Posts: 586
Quote:
Originally Posted by uclacolumbiaunc
Does Delta really think its Skymiles members are all idiots?
who would buy an economy ticket and use 30000 miles to upgrade while there is possibility to get a business award seat for as low as 25000 miles?
Bye Delta. Even if I have to fly Delta with no other via choice, no way I am crediting the miles to skymiles. Maybe FlyingBlue or other skyteam programs.
As we have seen time and time again, the devaluations are not announced all at once. If it is 30,000 miles to upgrade, do you think it will remain at 25,000 to get an award ticket? Dynamic pricing will take care of that. When it is 200,000 for a one way J domestic ticket, the 30,000 mile upgrade suddenly looks like a good deal.
Originally Posted by uclacolumbiaunc
Does Delta really think its Skymiles members are all idiots?
who would buy an economy ticket and use 30000 miles to upgrade while there is possibility to get a business award seat for as low as 25000 miles?
Bye Delta. Even if I have to fly Delta with no other via choice, no way I am crediting the miles to skymiles. Maybe FlyingBlue or other skyteam programs.
As we have seen time and time again, the devaluations are not announced all at once. If it is 30,000 miles to upgrade, do you think it will remain at 25,000 to get an award ticket? Dynamic pricing will take care of that. When it is 200,000 for a one way J domestic ticket, the 30,000 mile upgrade suddenly looks like a good deal.
Jul 17, 2015, 1:03 am
#223
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,774
Bye delta.
Jul 17, 2015, 1:18 am
#224
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Atlanta, GA, USA
Programs: Frontier Gold, DL estranged 1MMer, Spirit VIP, CO/NW/UA/AA once gold/plat/comped gold now dust.
Posts: 38,176
For travel on or after June 1, 2016, the number of miles needed will change based on destination, demand and other dynamics. Most Award prices will remain unchanged.
I already said bye, but will probably only get to gold (i.e. silver) on AA, with the rest of the spend going to ULCCs. I might bite the bullet and line everything up on AA for gold if there's clarity on their plans.
In the meantime I've had a few flights on AA where DL had a non-stop instead of a connection and with 1MM/silver I'd get the free bag and a remote shot at upgrade.
Nope. Not gonna do it...loyalty is a two way street and I won't give DL the revenue after all the negative changes. Still zero paid tickets on them this year, and not the easiest thing to do from ATL. I just have to burn off the existing balance.
Jul 17, 2015, 3:46 am
#225
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: SEA once more (previously CDG and NRT)
Programs: Former DL DM and UA 1k, now a J class free agent (UA Gold, AS MVP Gold)
Posts: 2,450
Anyone else feel like changes to Skymiles are coming from Darth Vader:
"I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further."
"I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further."
Last edited by SEA-Flyer; Jul 17, 2015 at 3:51 am