Certain Partner J Awards to Europe now 85,000 miles?
#46
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 1,880
ruckzac, you do know that really not that long ago, the standard cost for these was 80,000 then 90,000 ROUND TRIP, right? One can play all sorts of games trying to rationalize "cost" as you are, "Well gee, there's a Full Whack JJJXXJJJ fare that costs $22,999 RT, so in that case its only .008 per mile!" or whatever......
What I find amazing is that from what I know, their load factors across the pnd have been relatively poor in front AND in back the last year or so....so a really bad time to pull this garbage....again.
What I find amazing is that from what I know, their load factors across the pnd have been relatively poor in front AND in back the last year or so....so a really bad time to pull this garbage....again.
I do think, though, that international award tickets – especially J tickets – were under-priced until recently, especially relative to domestic award tickets. The recent trend of moderately cheaper domestic award tickets and significantly more expensive international award tickets seems reasonable to me, though admittedly depressing for people, like myself, who are sitting on a bevy of miles.
#47
Not to defend Delta, but I just wanted to point out I think your argument is invalid, as Delta's IT organization probably is not well-equipped to assist customers with rebooking requests.
They probably have the tools (since I'm assuming some helped to develop them), but lack the training, resources, supervision, and management...
In the other direction, Delta's customer care folks also probably do not know how to push changes out to their customer-facing website.
#48
Join Date: May 2015
Location: DCA
Programs: AA EXP, DL FO, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 6,712
If a million people experienced a natural disaster and there was a high demand for medical assistance, I would love to drop my day job and help, but ultimately I do not have the expertise, knowledge, nor tools.
Not to defend Delta, but I just wanted to point out I think your argument is invalid, as Delta's IT organization probably is not well-equipped to assist customers with rebooking requests.
They probably have the tools (since I'm assuming some helped to develop them), but lack the training, resources, supervision, and management...
In the other direction, Delta's customer care folks also probably do not know how to push changes out to their customer-facing website.
Not to defend Delta, but I just wanted to point out I think your argument is invalid, as Delta's IT organization probably is not well-equipped to assist customers with rebooking requests.
They probably have the tools (since I'm assuming some helped to develop them), but lack the training, resources, supervision, and management...
In the other direction, Delta's customer care folks also probably do not know how to push changes out to their customer-facing website.
#49
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: IAH
Programs: DL DM, Hyatt Ist-iest, Stariott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 12,790
While I'm not the poster you quoted, now that their "it's complicated" relationship with AS is ending, which was one of my biggest reasons for buying DL F, we'll see. I usually only fly DL to visit family that is near Atlanta and in Florida, and this year I decided to book AA direct to MIA and rent a car for the couple hour drive, vs pay DL $600 for Y, because somebody in AA revenue management didn't turn off the saver flights the Wednesday before Christmas and decided to turn them on literally the day after Christmas. This is one of the best deals I've been able to find for 15k lonely Avios.
Fly United to IAH and connect from there!
Fly United to IAH and connect from there!
#50
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: HNL
Programs: DL PM/1MM, BW DE (lifetime), HH DE, Marriott PE (lifetime), National Emerald Executive
Posts: 7,205
Better keep RM off the phone. They probably always said NO! to every customer request for alternate routing rebooking or tried to charge them 17 times the original ticket price more.
#51
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: AA Gold, 1MM; Hyatt Explorist; MR Gold; HH Diamond
Posts: 533
Due to AA's lack of saver award availability, I started flying DL quite a bit more, but with this recent DL devaluation, I'm done with these legacy carriers. I travel for business and buy rack rate last minute fares, so I'm a high margin customer. For me, award miles are the most important part of the frequent flyer program and I really don't care if I'm upgraded to the front of the plane while on a work trip. I'm done with Delta and done with American. Southwest Airlines all the way, baby. DING! I'm now free to move about the country.
#53
#54
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 15,347
ruckzac, when the tickets were priced at 80k or 90k, a Biz ticket on a route that I frequent often cost in excess of $5,000, today it normally costs less than $2500, and the miles asked are between 140 and 170k. Furthermore I must add that capacity across all Transatlantic carriers has increased and load factor lessened. There is no reason to be doing this at this point, other than to mess with their best customers.
What is more insidious, and many of you do not get, as you are generally not originating in Europe is that it is often these inflated rates PLUS ridiculous YQ's, so you are talking 170k PLUS $400-500 per ticket, and when talking about Econ fares vs redemptions youa re seeing differences of only $100-200.
What is more insidious, and many of you do not get, as you are generally not originating in Europe is that it is often these inflated rates PLUS ridiculous YQ's, so you are talking 170k PLUS $400-500 per ticket, and when talking about Econ fares vs redemptions youa re seeing differences of only $100-200.
#55
Original Member and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kansas City, MO, USA
Programs: DL PM/MM, AA ExPlat, Hyatt Glob, HH Dia, National ECE, Hertz PC
Posts: 16,579
#56
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 647
Typo. Meant Skyteam, not Skymiles. I had always thought that the Skyteam JV required that partner award inventory was only available in low, that is the low level the member charges. So if DL is 70, how can a partner be higher than that?
#57
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 15,347
Good question Beckles, AFAIK it has only increased a small amount among the traditional US and European trunk carriers, however there has been an uptick from the ME3+Turkish, not just from their hubs into North America, but with these 5th freedom routes they have been starting. but what it has meant that all that connecting traffic from the Asian Sub-continent and Middle East that once existed is gone, not to mention from even some Eastern European destinations now go through these places rather than Europe. Look at it this way: A decade or so ago TK had one flight a day to JFK, today depending on season and political mood, They fly to 11 North American destinations with up to 15 flights a day, when you consider that they also have flights to South America, whereby once upon a time people would connect through Europe or the US for such flights, and that all the ME3 also offer these flights, you see the issue.
When one ALSO factors in all the Norwegian, Wizz, WoW, Level, etc that is being thrown into the marketplace, it is a lot of capacity, not on one particular route or hub in particular, but it adds up..........which is why most of the last year, except absolute peak times, one could get sub $500 RT fares from Europe to the US, and very often sub $2200 Biz fares from numerous destinations on all major carriers, often with little or no advance purchase restrictions.
It is against this backdrop that Delta is (stupidly in my opinion) deciding to kill their SM members through these changes.
When one ALSO factors in all the Norwegian, Wizz, WoW, Level, etc that is being thrown into the marketplace, it is a lot of capacity, not on one particular route or hub in particular, but it adds up..........which is why most of the last year, except absolute peak times, one could get sub $500 RT fares from Europe to the US, and very often sub $2200 Biz fares from numerous destinations on all major carriers, often with little or no advance purchase restrictions.
It is against this backdrop that Delta is (stupidly in my opinion) deciding to kill their SM members through these changes.
#58
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,051
While this has traditionally been how they priced partner awards, I have seen nothing to indicate it was actually contractual. Further, this is not exactly new, DL has had two award levels on VS flights for a number of months now. We've also seen opposite examples where partner metal flights have priced below the "lowest" level to be found on DL metal (in particular flights to AU).