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 21, 2015, 10:21 pm
#316
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Bye Delta
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Hyatt Plat, Marriott Plat, Nat'l Exec Elite, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 16,278
Jul 22, 2015, 5:54 am
#317
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: LAX/BOS/HKG/AMS/SFO...hmm, I need a life.
Programs: United1K, AA ExPlAAt, DL MM/Gold, Hilton Diamond, Avis First
Posts: 13,316
I have just found HKG low as recently as last week. Here is a very quick look at NYC-DUB next month:
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Jul 22, 2015, 9:41 am
#319
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: LAX/BOS/HKG/AMS/SFO...hmm, I need a life.
Programs: United1K, AA ExPlAAt, DL MM/Gold, Hilton Diamond, Avis First
Posts: 13,316
Jul 22, 2015, 12:09 pm
#320
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Silver, AA, WN, DL
Posts: 4,091
What I'm doing isn't relevant to this thread. But if you must know, the camel's back was broken late last year. I ran to Diamond instead of ending the year at Platinum specifically so I could status match to AA EXP in Q3 of this year after passing the date where the status is good until 2017. I'm finally reaching my endgame just as DL is finally reaching theirs.
Well, I have 1.3 + million skymiles (sky feet?) in my account. No way I'll use them before next summer. Good news is I retire end of August, and will have flexibility to book based on best availability vice when I can get time off.
Why do I have such a balance? I couldn't make myself book at the exorbitantly high redemption rates.
Why do I have such a balance? I couldn't make myself book at the exorbitantly high redemption rates.
So there they sit... waiting for a flight that I want to take that won't be overpriced compared to the other airlines. At this rate, I don't think they can ever be used...
Jul 22, 2015, 5:08 pm
#321
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: los angeles, calif.
Programs: Alaska Airlines Gold MVP
Posts: 7,170
Jul 22, 2015, 5:53 pm
#322
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: San Diego
Programs: IHG Spire Amb, HH Diamond, DL Diamond and 1MM
Posts: 3,611
True. The person can also check CX availability on BA.com just like we can check Delta partner availability with a dummy Flying Blue account. (Not all FB availability is bookable with Skymiles, but it's close.)
Jul 22, 2015, 6:25 pm
#323
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Somewhere...
Programs: AA PLT/3MM, UA GM/1MM, DL DM/1MM, FB Plat, AS MVP Gold, WN AList+
Posts: 1,588
Burn Baby, Burn!
While I missed the impart of this announcement when it first hit my inbox, thanks to everyone on FT I was still an arrival to this party before it was too late. Some post 6/1/16 searches have convinced me that the writing is firmly on the wall, and the safest approach now is to burn now as pricing looks dreadful from the evidence that is available with my own eyes.
Even better, I am happy to say that I have since been able to burn down 1.3m SM for trips for Ms. CoMooter and myself in Biz internationally between now and 6/1/16 at the (formerly) 'low' rates since this very opaque announcement was made.
I still have 400K to go and hopefully I can get this below 100K in the next couple of weeks and then wait to better survey the wreckage that is left of the SM program without a huge balance of SM remaining to blow on 230K+ r/t in J to Europe as seems to be the trend.
I am not buying the "Most awards will stay the same" propaganda from VA Ave in the least...I have played this game with DL before during their major changes and the best tack is always to burn, back away and see what remains.
I am afraid by this time next year SM will be little more than a glorified clone of WN's destroyed RR program. Hence, just like my use of WN now, I will fly them when I need to but will not be going out of my way to fly DL...the value proposition with DL becomes more and more blurred.
Even better, I am happy to say that I have since been able to burn down 1.3m SM for trips for Ms. CoMooter and myself in Biz internationally between now and 6/1/16 at the (formerly) 'low' rates since this very opaque announcement was made.
I still have 400K to go and hopefully I can get this below 100K in the next couple of weeks and then wait to better survey the wreckage that is left of the SM program without a huge balance of SM remaining to blow on 230K+ r/t in J to Europe as seems to be the trend.
I am not buying the "Most awards will stay the same" propaganda from VA Ave in the least...I have played this game with DL before during their major changes and the best tack is always to burn, back away and see what remains.
I am afraid by this time next year SM will be little more than a glorified clone of WN's destroyed RR program. Hence, just like my use of WN now, I will fly them when I need to but will not be going out of my way to fly DL...the value proposition with DL becomes more and more blurred.
Jul 22, 2015, 7:53 pm
#324
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,934
The one downside of Award Nexus is that it uses up your free points fast if you have no idea what date you want to travel (it doesn't do an award calendar). But if you have specific dates (or a narrow range of dates) in mind it's really useful IMHO.
There's a lot of AA partners that don't show up on aa.com award searches, so don't assume that just because aa.com shows nothing there is nothing.
AA itself doesn't fly to BKK, so you'll need at least part of the flight on partners, and maybe it'll be all on partners. And maybe all on partners that don't show up on aa.com?
Last edited by sdsearch; Jul 22, 2015 at 7:59 pm
Jul 23, 2015, 5:50 am
#325
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: LAX/BOS/HKG/AMS/SFO...hmm, I need a life.
Programs: United1K, AA ExPlAAt, DL MM/Gold, Hilton Diamond, Avis First
Posts: 13,316
Don't search on aa.com. Set up an account at www.awardnexus.com, which willl be free for you (for a bunch of searches, anyway) as a FlyerTalk member. (Look for the "more signup options" link below the green Purchase button at the bottom right.) Then do a OW (oneworld) search on there. (It'll search BA and/or QF for you, as you specify. If it finds something, then call up AA to book it, and explain that aa.com couldn't find it, and they should waive the phone booking fee in that case.)
The one downside of Award Nexus is that it uses up your free points fast if you have no idea what date you want to travel (it doesn't do an award calendar). But if you have specific dates (or a narrow range of dates) in mind it's really useful IMHO.
There's a lot of AA partners that don't show up on aa.com award searches, so don't assume that just because aa.com shows nothing there is nothing.
AA itself doesn't fly to BKK, so you'll need at least part of the flight on partners, and maybe it'll be all on partners. And maybe all on partners that don't show up on aa.com?
The one downside of Award Nexus is that it uses up your free points fast if you have no idea what date you want to travel (it doesn't do an award calendar). But if you have specific dates (or a narrow range of dates) in mind it's really useful IMHO.
There's a lot of AA partners that don't show up on aa.com award searches, so don't assume that just because aa.com shows nothing there is nothing.
AA itself doesn't fly to BKK, so you'll need at least part of the flight on partners, and maybe it'll be all on partners. And maybe all on partners that don't show up on aa.com?
Jul 23, 2015, 6:49 am
#326
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS
Posts: 15,027
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me
Jul 23, 2015, 7:08 am
#327
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: AA, SPG, HERTZ, BA, UA, CO, JB
Posts: 289
SkyMiles July Announcements
I laughed at Amex when the only cards they offer to convert me to from spg were delta cards. I swear that I will only get delta miles if they gave them away for free and will only fly delta if they are the absolute cheapest option.
Jul 23, 2015, 9:08 am
#328
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, MM, NR; HH Diamond, Bonvoy LT Gold, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Diamond, others
Posts: 12,159
Oh, you meant least expensive. Never mind.
Jul 23, 2015, 11:00 am
#329
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Murder Mitten
Posts: 298
Why do people think that people will be dumping their CC in droves? I dont think people will be "dumping" delta credit cards just because skyrupiah is devaluing. Most people aren't smart enough to realize that Delta skyrupiah is worthless.
Again, Delta isn't looking to appease the "road warrior" who tries to get every benefit from their miles, which is to Delta's detriment.. That in fact, is the type of customer that they are trying to get rid of so they can make more profit!
Again, Delta isn't looking to appease the "road warrior" who tries to get every benefit from their miles, which is to Delta's detriment.. That in fact, is the type of customer that they are trying to get rid of so they can make more profit!
Jul 23, 2015, 11:52 am
#330
Join Date: Jun 2013
Programs: DL Plat, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat, Hertz Prez Circle, National Exec
Posts: 1,357
Why do people think that people will be dumping their CC in droves? I dont think people will be "dumping" delta credit cards just because skyrupiah is devaluing. Most people aren't smart enough to realize that Delta skyrupiah is worthless.
Again, Delta isn't looking to appease the "road warrior" who tries to get every benefit from their miles, which is to Delta's detriment.. That in fact, is the type of customer that they are trying to get rid of so they can make more profit!
Again, Delta isn't looking to appease the "road warrior" who tries to get every benefit from their miles, which is to Delta's detriment.. That in fact, is the type of customer that they are trying to get rid of so they can make more profit!