Only 4 left at this price - phantom partner award availability
Mar 24, 2019, 6:49 pm
#17
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: SEA
Programs: UA Silver, BA Gold, DL Gold
Posts: 9,779
Mar 24, 2019, 6:52 pm
#18
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Olde Dominion
Programs: DL Silver - uh huh!
Posts: 948
Mar 24, 2019, 7:01 pm
#19
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: SEA
Programs: UA Silver, BA Gold, DL Gold
Posts: 9,779
Here you go:
https://www.jdpower.com/business/rat...l-Carrier/1269
https://www.theacsi.org/index.php?op...212&i=Airlines
https://www.travelandleisure.com/air...a-most-admired
Put simply, the statement that Delta’s reputation is “in the gutter” is patently false.
And for the record, I didn’t attack anyone I pointed out a false statement.
https://www.jdpower.com/business/rat...l-Carrier/1269
https://www.theacsi.org/index.php?op...212&i=Airlines
https://www.travelandleisure.com/air...a-most-admired
Put simply, the statement that Delta’s reputation is “in the gutter” is patently false.
And for the record, I didn’t attack anyone I pointed out a false statement.
Mar 24, 2019, 8:08 pm
#20
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: IHG Platinum
Posts: 629
Perception is reality.
Mar 26, 2019, 12:56 pm
#21
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: Delta Diamond, Bonvoy something good; sometimes other things too
Posts: 5,050
I guess the other question is, is there a definitive authority on whether space is truly phantom or not? In my case Delta.com is showing it but won't book, EF is showing it, but Airfrance.us isn't showing it.
Mar 31, 2019, 12:47 am
#22
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 77
Unfortunately, I'm having the same issue with China Eastern awards on Delta, for HKG-PVG-HNL. I've typed the pax name so many times now!! Also tried calling and was told they see the same 4 seats available but then after you click to submit, it craps out and says it just sold out. 
Mar 31, 2019, 6:19 am
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
Have you tried ticketing 3, 2, or 1 award for that itinerary? I can understand the value of having the entire party travel together - but this might be helpful as a diagnostic.
Apr 1, 2019, 8:40 pm
#24
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: HNL
Programs: DL PM/1MM, BW DE (lifetime), HH DE, Marriott PE (lifetime), National Emerald Executive
Posts: 7,204
Unfortunately, I'm having the same issue with China Eastern awards on Delta, for HKG-PVG-HNL. I've typed the pax name so many times now!! Also tried calling and was told they see the same 4 seats available but then after you click to submit, it craps out and says it just sold out.
It happens from time to time, and a good agent will work around it (via longsell or something else, not sure exactly how). The issue is getting a competent agent who knows what is going behind their dumbed down and extremely buggy and cares enough to get it to ticket for you.
Apr 1, 2019, 8:41 pm
#25
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: HNL
Programs: DL PM/1MM, BW DE (lifetime), HH DE, Marriott PE (lifetime), National Emerald Executive
Posts: 7,204
No 100% certain definitive authority on what is really available to DL customers (that DL itself is not blocking, or other airline isn't blocking to DL), I'm afraid. The only real way to see that is the command line (non-GUI) DL res system, that few if anyone has access to now, as DL is working very hard to restrict award availability as much as possible.
Apr 2, 2019, 1:19 pm
#26
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: Delta platinum, Hilton diamond mts
Posts: 1
I too have been searching LAX -BNE-PER, found several options at 200k , got all the way to payment and received the error message of sold out. Tired many other options, same result. Called Delta 2 hours ago, agent could see the same thing, but she couldn’t book it either. She couldn’t book main for 40k. So over this award calendar!
Apr 2, 2019, 1:46 pm
#27
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: ATL
Programs: DL
Posts: 47
Have had mixed success booking the VA awards via Skymiles at these low rates going on 3 years now. It's blatant revenue management / protection when the DL metal equivalents are 2-6x the miles. VA has the award ticket available, the search engine works as intended but can't book via online / phone until usually somewhere around a week out once most of the availability has dried up. Really disappointing to watch these fares disappear.
Can anyone book at all on VA using Skymiles right now? I can't...
Can anyone book at all on VA using Skymiles right now? I can't...
Last edited by No Smoking; Apr 2, 2019 at 1:59 pm
Apr 7, 2019, 1:19 am
#28
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Have had mixed success booking the VA awards via Skymiles at these low rates going on 3 years now. It's blatant revenue management / protection when the DL metal equivalents are 2-6x the miles. VA has the award ticket available, the search engine works as intended but can't book via online / phone until usually somewhere around a week out once most of the availability has dried up. Really disappointing to watch these fares disappear.
Can anyone book at all on VA using Skymiles right now? I can't...
Can anyone book at all on VA using Skymiles right now? I can't...
Apr 7, 2019, 12:16 pm
#29
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 319
So I have sworn off wasting my time with phantom availability (the tip-off is there are always four seats available -- at least in the case of flights from Australia to the US).
So I called the AAdvantage desk yesterday (I have no status) and within ten minutes had two one-way tickets on JL in J (SYD-NRT and NRT-JFK with a two hour connection for 100K miles for each of us).
So I called the AAdvantage desk yesterday (I have no status) and within ten minutes had two one-way tickets on JL in J (SYD-NRT and NRT-JFK with a two hour connection for 100K miles for each of us).
Apr 25, 2019, 4:15 pm
#30
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,450
Any luck with booking VA J awards using DL miles in the last few months? I did see the 100K awards (4 on each flight) from HBA/ADL-LAX for May/June 2019 and it matched ExpertFlyer availability. Never had a chance to even try to book them, but it sounds like I didn't miss out on much, since it didn't exist in the first place. Wondering what recent Virgin Australia success stories are like- if they even exist that is?
