425,000 miles or $10295.00 ATL-LHR
Mar 15, 2019, 10:53 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Atlanta GA
Programs: DL Diamond BA Life Gold AA Emerald HH DIamond MAR
Posts: 11
425,000 miles or $10295.00 ATL-LHR
Can anybody throw a light on the insanity of Delta One pricing in particular, to Europe.The above example is for a flight that has only one seat taken and is 8 months out!!
I have seen prices as high as 750,000 miles and $13,750 to ATL-MXP (Milan Malpensa)
I'm a multi year Diamond and travel worldwide so I know quite a bit about pricing, but this year Delta are simply off the charts !!
I have seen prices as high as 750,000 miles and $13,750 to ATL-MXP (Milan Malpensa)
I'm a multi year Diamond and travel worldwide so I know quite a bit about pricing, but this year Delta are simply off the charts !!
Mar 15, 2019, 10:57 am
#2
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 41,967
Can anybody throw a light on the insanity of Delta One pricing in particular, to Europe.The above example is for a flight that has only one seat taken and is 8 months out!!
I have seen prices as high as 750,000 miles and $13,750 to ATL-MXP (Milan Malpensa)
I'm a multi year Diamond and travel worldwide so I know quite a bit about pricing, but this year Delta are simply off the charts !!
I have seen prices as high as 750,000 miles and $13,750 to ATL-MXP (Milan Malpensa)
I'm a multi year Diamond and travel worldwide so I know quite a bit about pricing, but this year Delta are simply off the charts !!
Mar 15, 2019, 11:19 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
You don't give your airport of origin but there are certainly lower D1 fares (paid or miles) to London depending on adv purchase and length of stay.
Mar 15, 2019, 11:48 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,013
And what are the dates? The cheapest Z fares (ZN1XU6D4) are $3750 roundtrip have a 60-day advance purchase and Saturday night stay requirement (from point of arrival) and outbound must be Mon-Wed and return Tue-Thu. There are some even cheaper seasonal fares around Easter (around $2900 roundtrip) and latter part of summer. More than likely, you are not meeting min-stay or day of departure requirements (or some combination thereof). Load factor is irrelevant if you don't meet the basic fare requirements for the cheaper I and Z fares.
A trip from Nov 23 - 27 will be $9700 D fare, but simply moving departure back a day to 22nd will meet Sat night stay requirement and yield an I and Z fare for $4300.
A trip from Nov 23 - 27 will be $9700 D fare, but simply moving departure back a day to 22nd will meet Sat night stay requirement and yield an I and Z fare for $4300.
Last edited by xliioper; Mar 15, 2019 at 12:09 pm
Mar 15, 2019, 11:48 am
#8
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: New York
Programs: SPG LT Gold, DL PM 1MM
Posts: 692
OP I'm with you. D1 pricing has been going up and up for the past few years. I blame the TATL JVs across all airlines and the reduction in % of D1 seats / total seats, a trend that is only getting worse.
To those who say "be flexible and look at other airlines"; yes but; you have to be WAY more flexible than you used to in terms of dates, and each airline has its pros and cons, and the reason why one comes to DL is because one likes DL for whatever reason. E.g., I rarely fly VS on an overnight flight TATL since their beds need to be "made" and that takes out precious sleep time.
To those who say "be flexible and look at other airlines"; yes but; you have to be WAY more flexible than you used to in terms of dates, and each airline has its pros and cons, and the reason why one comes to DL is because one likes DL for whatever reason. E.g., I rarely fly VS on an overnight flight TATL since their beds need to be "made" and that takes out precious sleep time.
Mar 15, 2019, 11:56 am
#9
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Treasure Coast, FL
Programs: DL Diamond, Marriott LT Plat, HH Diamond, Avis Preferred Plus, National Executive
Posts: 4,578
Unless you’re in a rush to purchase I’d wait.
Needed to be in CDG for work then on to BCN for a cruise and D1 flights were in the $8000 range (out of TPA and liking starting 6 months out) Was finally able to snag one TPA-ATL-CDG-BCN-JFK-TPA for about $3600 ~80 days out.
Needed to be in CDG for work then on to BCN for a cruise and D1 flights were in the $8000 range (out of TPA and liking starting 6 months out) Was finally able to snag one TPA-ATL-CDG-BCN-JFK-TPA for about $3600 ~80 days out.
Mar 15, 2019, 12:00 pm
#10
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: DL DM, UA Gold, Alaska MVP, Bonvoy (lol) Ambassador
Posts: 2,994
This. There are really only three carriers TATL these days - Delta + KLM/AF/Italia + VA, AA + British Airways, and United + Lufthansa.
Pricing on most of these routes is completely detached from cost to serve.
ATL-LHR is a great example of this. The fact that there are ridiculous and aligned fare rules that result in outrageous pricing on all nonstops - despite three different operating carriers (BA, VA, DL) - shows both direct (DL + VA) and tacit (DL/VA and BA) collusion. $3500 for an economy flight booked months in advance for a short TATL is a joke.
It's very disappointing that regulators in both the EU and the US allowed these ridiculous joint ventures - especially in light of US carrier consolidation over the past fifteen years. Presumably the EU is trying to save their flag carriers, and the US just doesn't care.
Pricing on most of these routes is completely detached from cost to serve.
ATL-LHR is a great example of this. The fact that there are ridiculous and aligned fare rules that result in outrageous pricing on all nonstops - despite three different operating carriers (BA, VA, DL) - shows both direct (DL + VA) and tacit (DL/VA and BA) collusion. $3500 for an economy flight booked months in advance for a short TATL is a joke.
It's very disappointing that regulators in both the EU and the US allowed these ridiculous joint ventures - especially in light of US carrier consolidation over the past fifteen years. Presumably the EU is trying to save their flag carriers, and the US just doesn't care.
Mar 15, 2019, 12:00 pm
#11
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: DL DM, UA Gold, Alaska MVP, Bonvoy (lol) Ambassador
Posts: 2,994
Delta won't change their prices. It's Saturday night stay or bust on their D1 fares to LHR (and most of Europe).
Mar 15, 2019, 12:03 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Back in Reds Country (DAY/CVG). Previously: SEA & SAT.
Programs: DL PM 1MM, AA PLAT, UA Silver, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 10,333
That's ~$0.024/mile (2.4 cents per mile) in redemption value. Actually not a bad value per FT standards. 
Mar 15, 2019, 1:01 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
This. There are really only three carriers TATL these days - Delta + KLM/AF/Italia + VA, AA + British Airways, and United + Lufthansa.
Pricing on most of these routes is completely detached from cost to serve.
ATL-LHR is a great example of this. The fact that there are ridiculous and aligned fare rules that result in outrageous pricing on all nonstops - despite three different operating carriers (BA, VA, DL) - shows both direct (DL + VA) and tacit (DL/VA and BA) collusion. $3500 for an economy flight booked months in advance for a short TATL is a joke.
It's very disappointing that regulators in both the EU and the US allowed these ridiculous joint ventures - especially in light of US carrier consolidation over the past fifteen years. Presumably the EU is trying to save their flag carriers, and the US just doesn't care.
Pricing on most of these routes is completely detached from cost to serve.
ATL-LHR is a great example of this. The fact that there are ridiculous and aligned fare rules that result in outrageous pricing on all nonstops - despite three different operating carriers (BA, VA, DL) - shows both direct (DL + VA) and tacit (DL/VA and BA) collusion. $3500 for an economy flight booked months in advance for a short TATL is a joke.
It's very disappointing that regulators in both the EU and the US allowed these ridiculous joint ventures - especially in light of US carrier consolidation over the past fifteen years. Presumably the EU is trying to save their flag carriers, and the US just doesn't care.
