How many days before departure should you look to find a free AMEX companion ticket
Jun 12, 2019, 5:37 pm
#1
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Join Date: Sep 2000
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How many days before departure should you look to find a free AMEX companion ticket
I was wondering if there was a window that opens up and flights are added at a certain date before your intended departure date when you want to use the free companion ticket benefit from the AMEX Platinum credit card?
I was thinking of flying around the first weekend of August FLL-SFO, have been checking daily for 2 months and cannot find anything. Are there tricks to grab these free companion seats?
I was thinking of flying around the first weekend of August FLL-SFO, have been checking daily for 2 months and cannot find anything. Are there tricks to grab these free companion seats?
Jun 12, 2019, 6:13 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL PM, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 8,414
I was wondering if there was a window that opens up and flights are added at a certain date before your intended departure date when you want to use the free companion ticket benefit from the AMEX Platinum credit card?
I was thinking of flying around the first weekend of August FLL-SFO, have been checking daily for 2 months and cannot find anything. Are there tricks to grab these free companion seats?
I was thinking of flying around the first weekend of August FLL-SFO, have been checking daily for 2 months and cannot find anything. Are there tricks to grab these free companion seats?
Jun 12, 2019, 6:18 pm
#3
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Katy, TX
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Posts: 1,718
I don't think that there's any "magic" window. You just have to find flights that have the appropriate inventory, L or lower, I believe.
Jun 12, 2019, 6:40 pm
#4
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: Delta PM, Delta Reserve, Amex Plat, Bonvoy Gold, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold ;)
Posts: 1,775
Also keep in mind I think you must book at least 14 days in advance. I seem to recall this being an issue when I looked close in.
Jun 12, 2019, 7:02 pm
#5
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Yeah, no real trick to it other than it must be booked in one of the lower fare classes. Sometimes only a subset of those buckets is available, but I've never had an issue booking a month or more out.
Just checking, but you're not trying to do anything wonky like an open jaw or something, right? Cert only works on boring vanilla RT tickets in the US48.
If you have specific dates I'm happy to search using mine and at least tell you if maybe there's a website bug with your account/cert somehow. (I don't know why there would be, but DL IT is filled with creative minds these days.)
Just checking, but you're not trying to do anything wonky like an open jaw or something, right? Cert only works on boring vanilla RT tickets in the US48.
If you have specific dates I'm happy to search using mine and at least tell you if maybe there's a website bug with your account/cert somehow. (I don't know why there would be, but DL IT is filled with creative minds these days.)
Jun 12, 2019, 9:22 pm
#7
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Join Date: Jul 2003
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It's LUTXV for the Plat (and Reserve if used for main cabin). For the Reserve card, It's the two lowest discount F classes (I and Z). I would first check if there is LUTXV on the flights you are looking at and, if not, see if there are other dates with availability if you have flexibility. If you find dates with LUTXV availability and the flights don't show when you try to use the cert, you might want to give Delta a call.
Jun 12, 2019, 10:38 pm
#8
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It's LUTXV for the Plat (and Reserve if used for main cabin). For the Reserve card, It's the two lowest discount F classes (I and Z). I would first check if there is LUTXV on the flights you are looking at and, if not, see if there are other dates with availability if you have flexibility. If you find dates with LUTXV availability and the flights don't show when you try to use the cert, you might want to give Delta a call.
And indeed the T&Cs seem to indicate "AIWLUTXV" fare classes. https://www.delta.com/us/en/booking-information/companion-certificates
Tickets are only available in A and I classes of service for First Class travel, only available in W class of service for Delta Comfort+ travel, and only available in L, U, T, X, V classes of service for Main Cabin travel and may not be available on all flights or markets.
Jun 12, 2019, 11:05 pm
#9
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Can the Reserve be used for Z fares? It seems that every time I try it is bumping up to I (or previously A, from G), despite Z being readily available for sale. ISTR this was a point of contention that for FC you were pushed up from the lowest fare classes, vs. coach where the lowest of the low was what you were aiming for.
And indeed the T&Cs seem to indicate "AIWLUTXV" fare classes. https://www.delta.com/us/en/booking-...n-certificates
And indeed the T&Cs seem to indicate "AIWLUTXV" fare classes. https://www.delta.com/us/en/booking-...n-certificates
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...0/#offer-terms
"Tickets are only available in I and Z classes of service for First Class travel, only available in W class for Delta Comfort+ travel, and only available in L, U, T, X, V classes of service for Main Cabin travel and may not be available on all flights or markets."
Left hand / rigiht hand
Jun 13, 2019, 7:53 am
#11
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: LAX ⇄ JFK
Programs: DL Diamond, HH Diamond
Posts: 217
For me, it's usually only one leg of an RT itinerary that lacks availability in LUTXV. When that happens, I just set an alert in ExpertFlyer for L availability for that flight. We haven't had any trouble using our 3 companion certs every year.
Jun 13, 2019, 9:15 am
#12
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
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(ie I don't doubt the policy change, but the website has wrong info)
Jun 13, 2019, 9:20 am
#13
Join Date: Sep 2011
Programs: Delta DM, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,495
Do the T&C on your cert actually say Z or are you calling in so the Delta agent can override the A&I restriction to book in Z?
Jun 13, 2019, 10:19 am
#15
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: LAX ⇄ JFK
Programs: DL Diamond, HH Diamond
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The only data point I've seen where someone confirmed booking a Z-fare with a companion ticket was from someone who claimed that they made the booking over the phone on the Diamond Medallion line.