Skymiles finds ways to get worse! 65000 miles to upgrade to Premium Economy !
Aug 9, 2018, 2:51 pm
#31
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 770
and another perfect example of why it makes absolutely no sense to be loyal to an airline. loyalty has lost most of its glamour. i will say DL is my favorite airline when traveling (domestic or international) of the US 3 but i simply book what works best for me. i used to try to bend over backwards to make it work on DL to retain status but after a while i realized how absurd it was. just book what works for you and stop trying to stick with one airline
Aug 9, 2018, 2:52 pm
#32
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL PM, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 8,414
It's not great for one-way. I guess using the math of this one way offer it would be $2400 r/t for PE. That's not an especially good deal by any measure though I would think it is a rather average fare for r/t intl PE. That being said, at least on other carriers it is possible to find r/t PE in advance for $1k r/t.
Aug 9, 2018, 3:40 pm
#33
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: DL DM, UA Gold, Alaska MVP, Bonvoy (lol) Ambassador
Posts: 2,994
DL proves over and over that an airline delivering quality products and services doesn't need much of an FF program. I would rather fly D1 over-ocean than any other US carrier, but I gave up SkyMiles years ago and would not cross the street to earn them. Having said that...
Aug 9, 2018, 3:40 pm
#34
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: San Diego
Programs: IHG Spire Amb, HH Diamond, DL Diamond and 1MM
Posts: 3,610
The current iteration of the program is for someone buying the revenue ticket with OPM then not knowing how to value DL miles and willing to pay any amount to sit in a premium seat. It represents terrible value relative to other ticket options, but most people who redeem these now don't have other options - and DL knows it and charges a premium.
I redeemed three rt biz-class awards of SAN-SEA-HKG at 160k miles a pop. The “value” was only 2.5 cpm. Not great, but way better than any upgrade award.
(By the way, I took the wide-open “low” availability as a sign that Delta could not sell SEA-HKG at a profitable fare. We know what happened next.
If one cannot find reasonable flight redemption options, one can always buy premium drinks in the Skyclub at 2 cpm.
Aug 9, 2018, 4:09 pm
#35
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
Aug 9, 2018, 5:14 pm
#36
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MEM
Programs: Starbucks Green Card
Posts: 5,431
Aug 9, 2018, 5:27 pm
#37
Join Date: May 2006
Location: GA
Programs: VA-PLT, QF-GLD, DL-GM, UA-ex1K, AA-exPLT, HH-DM, IHG-PLT, MR-GLD
Posts: 8,242
United doesn't have an equivalent PE so the comparison can't be made. As an international flyer I am disappointed in DL giving up on C+ whilst replacing it with a product (PS) that is nice but that they dramatically over-value (at least for now). Since UA and AA will both still have 'extra space' economy seats on these routes, I think DL is going to lose a slice of its customer base.
OP has found out how DL is treating it's FF members, it's gone to a total $$ based program essentially, there is no certainty, and while there can be OK deals there can also be offers which are downright insulting.
If FF programs are what you care about, DL is not the right airline for you. They've made that crystal clear.
OP has found out how DL is treating it's FF members, it's gone to a total $$ based program essentially, there is no certainty, and while there can be OK deals there can also be offers which are downright insulting.
If FF programs are what you care about, DL is not the right airline for you. They've made that crystal clear.
Aug 9, 2018, 6:06 pm
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card
Posts: 10,745
It's not great for one-way. I guess using the math of this one way offer it would be $2400 r/t for PE. That's not an especially good deal by any measure though I would think it is a rather average fare for r/t intl PE. That being said, at least on other carriers it is possible to find r/t PE in advance for $1k r/t.
Aug 9, 2018, 7:37 pm
#40
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 770
at an insulting price.. just booked tickets from tpa to zrh via phl on AA using 22.5k miles. Spending 65k to upgrade from Y to PS is absurd
Aug 9, 2018, 7:40 pm
#41
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL PM, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 8,414
Right, important point. Important to differentiate between a mileage upgrade award and upgrading with miles:
For Delta, the difference is that mileage upgrade awards are set amounts of miles (from now unpublished chart) that can only be used if upgrade fare class inventory is available. The amount is fixed based on the regions you are traveling between. This is usually a very good value if you are upgrading from a more expensive coach ticket (Y/B/M fares).
Upgrading with miles is kind of like the pay with miles program but is not limited to Amex card holders. It is typically used when mileage upgrade award inventory is not available or if the price to upgrade is less than the mileage award cost. In this case you are basically paying a cash upgrade, but the miles are being converted into cash at a rate of $.01 /miles.
Aug 9, 2018, 9:32 pm
#42
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: San Jose, CA USA
Posts: 1,791
Why do you keep booking DL? Seems like you have been griping about them forever, so all these negative experiences can hardly be a surprise -- what are you expecting?
Then again, it seems like most of your posts across multiple forums and travel providers are rants of some kind. Some people just aren't happy unless they're complaining, I guess
Then again, it seems like most of your posts across multiple forums and travel providers are rants of some kind. Some people just aren't happy unless they're complaining, I guess
Wife and I are going to burn all our DM miles next year ad sign off on DL. Yeah, they're pretty good operationally, and the reason I went over to them (from being a 2.5mm UA flyer and 6mm AA flyer) was that they were more reliable. But make no mistake, the DL FF program is the stingiest of all, and DL crows about it, and we flyers have to suck it up and walk with our feet. I suspect we have that common agreement on strategy.
One thing that amuses me: "Who would ever purchase FF miles for DL"?, given how rapidly they depreciate in value. Worse than radioactive decay.
Airlines are like politicians. You don't listen to anything they say---you just watch what they do.
Aug 10, 2018, 6:04 am
#43
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: HSV
Programs: Bellevue Lifetime Premiere Mega Elite Supreme
Posts: 1,509
Aug 10, 2018, 7:10 am
#44
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,892
What did I say that you disagreed with? Go read a bunch of OPs other posts and a bunch of mine and tell me I'm the curmudgeon 
I said OP complains a lot, not that the current complaint was invalid (in fact I started the exact opposite several posts later)
You'll get no argument from me if this either. If it doesn't work for you, move on. OP seems unwilling to do that.
I said OP complains a lot, not that the current complaint was invalid (in fact I started the exact opposite several posts later)
You'll get no argument from me if this either. If it doesn't work for you, move on. OP seems unwilling to do that.
Aug 10, 2018, 8:13 am
#45
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,718
SM is an absurd shell game. Why in the wide world of sports would you invest in a currency whose value is concealed until you try to buy something? Would you buy £ or € without knowing the exchange rate, or patronize a London pub not knowing, until you ask, if a pint is £3 or £15?
I like the DL product but the FF program is not worth the trouble.