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Strategy to retain Skymiles Value

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Strategy to retain Skymiles Value

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Old Jul 15, 2015, 11:50 am
  #1  
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Join Date: Jun 2010
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Strategy to retain Skymiles Value
This might be common knowledge but would like to know if anyone does this is practice.

I have about 1.0M miles and travel to Europe quite often. Would it make sense for me to book out as many mileage tix as possible for the next 330 days (best estimating dates as I can), and just hold the tix to redeposit later if I don't go?

I'll be able to find pretty good deals far out, my only downside is really floating the fees and taxes. But with "dynamic" pricing occurring, I think holding tickets may be of greater value than holding skymiles. Basically ticket down my account to zero. Thoughts?
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Old Jul 15, 2015, 12:05 pm
  #2  
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Yes. As a Diamond you get free redeposit anyway. No downside.
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Old Jul 15, 2015, 12:23 pm
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
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Originally Posted by Dieuwer
Yes. As a Diamond you get free redeposit anyway. No downside.
Unless you are no longer DM at the time you take the flight, redeposit waiver applies to what status you have at the time of cancelling, not ticketing.
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Old Jul 15, 2015, 12:24 pm
  #4  
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Originally Posted by BusTrav8yrs
Unless you are no longer DM at the time you take the flight, redeposit waiver applies to what status you have at the time of cancelling, not ticketing.
True, but how can you not be a DM until the end of this year when already are a DM?
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Old Jul 15, 2015, 1:08 pm
  #5  
TTT
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Originally Posted by Dieuwer
Yes. As a Diamond you get free redeposit anyway. No downside.
Downside could be the $$ required for taxes/fees depending on destination.
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Old Jul 15, 2015, 2:01 pm
  #6  
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
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Burn, baby, burn!
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Old Jul 15, 2015, 2:09 pm
  #7  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Programs: DL PM, Hyatt Plat, SPG Gold
Posts: 1,082
Originally Posted by gogreyhound
Burn, baby, burn!
And STOP trying to earn more. My discretionary flying is way down. My wife cancelled her DL Amex over a year ago and she hasn't missed it. Guess I'll have to take a hard look and changing my DL AMEX cards to another AMEX flavor. Just for the price of comfort+ I can have all of the boarding perks of a PM, the best seats in the back, and free snacks and beverages. Life is gonna be good. Who needs status?
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Old Jul 15, 2015, 2:22 pm
  #8  
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
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Originally Posted by gogreyhound
Burn, baby, burn!
Exactly...get rid of them before those million miles gets you a one way domestic coach flight.
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Old Jul 15, 2015, 2:37 pm
  #9  
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Iowa...Delta Charter Diamond, now Gold
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Originally Posted by FlyingDL4Fun
..., my only downside is really floating the fees and taxes. ...?
I float you the fees if you use one of the tickets for me!
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Old Jul 15, 2015, 2:43 pm
  #10  
k2
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
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Originally Posted by FlyingDL4Fun
This might be common knowledge but would like to know if anyone does this is practice.

I have about 1.0M miles and travel to Europe quite often. Would it make sense for me to book out as many mileage tix as possible for the next 330 days (best estimating dates as I can), and just hold the tix to redeposit later if I don't go?

I'll be able to find pretty good deals far out, my only downside is really floating the fees and taxes. But with "dynamic" pricing occurring, I think holding tickets may be of greater value than holding skymiles. Basically ticket down my account to zero. Thoughts?
As a DM there's no downside at all, I typically hold ~2 int'l J award tix over the forward 12 months - trips that we're pretty sure we'll use, but end up cancelling and redepositing half the time.
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