TomMM

If the "public" still have questions after reading the terms on the Hilton's site, they could call for clarification.

bloc0102

Since I booked over the phone, they were read off to me and I didn't care because I have no intention of cancelling. The only thing it says in my travel documents is:Change or cancellation Please contact us or your booking agent to make any pre-departure changes or to cancel your reservation.

FlyinHawaiian320

flyerCO

Depends on hotel. Number have done away with getting elite benefits when not booked direct. It depends on how Delta Vacations books the hotel.

Adam1222

1. Yes, you earn MQMs , RDMs, and MQDs. The amount depends on whether its a published or an exception fare. (When I called and booked, I was informed it was a published fare, so I just did a dummy booking on DL.com to see what the MQD/MQM would be.)
2. You can have the agent add it in the notes section, but it is up to the hotel whether they provide status on third-party bookings. (There are literally dozens of posts asking this same question already.)
3. Probably if a *published* fare, but not if an exception.

I just finalized a trip from DCA to Rio, 3 nights at the Hilton Copacabana, with a package that includes a $50 F&B Credit, early check in and late check out, and a space available upgrade. Will email hotel in advance to share diamond status and ask about the early check-in time. Used the SMLOYAL19 discount, came to 50,000 miles and $229. As a "Preferred Bronze" property, I'll get 1,500 back in addition to my 4480 base + 1792 FO RDMs. (and 640 MQDs, 10566 MQMs). Net mileage cost will be just over 42,000 skypesos. Pretty sweet.

brkandjfk

In addition to the one I posted about earlier in this thread, I booked another one, this one to SEA for this weekend. Tickets issued in "I" and "D" class, so for 29k miles and $12 bucks, it should be a bit over 7800 MQM and $2350 MQD if this is an exception fare... I didn't do a dummy booking to verify, but odds are it is, as 2 nights in a Marriott and RT in first priced out just under $600.

Time will tell how this one posts, I've never earned MQD this way before and always hit it organically in the past (with OPM). Changed employers this year and had about four months of non-travel, so while upgrades to my DL AMEX and the MQM boosts those upgrades provide will sail me past the threshold for re-qualifying as a DM (without "Reclaim"), I have been looking at the travel plans for the remainder of 2019 and seeing an impending shortage of MQD.

I actually hope I'm reading and interpreting things correctly - my only concern is the completely vague information in the T&C for Delta Vacations MQD earning across the three sources of info (e.g. whether it's an exception fare, whether it's one of the "certain exception fares", "certain specialty tickets"). Worst case, and I don't earn MQD at that rate (or at all), I still had two pretty decent weekend getaways on the cheap with no real net impact on re-qual.

cs102

Adam1222

Was your ticket an exception or a published fare?
The terms suggest you can on a published fare, but not an exception fare.
"Certificate may be used to upgrade on Delta Air Lines or certain Delta Connection operated flights on published retail fares booked in P, A, G, W, S, Y, B, M, H, Q, K, L, U, T, X or V class and upgrade into RY/OY class, and may also be used to upgrade on Pay with Miles tickets and Companion Certificates."

THEsocalledfan

Okay, we've all danced around the real question here; why not simply use this to cash out delta skypesos at 2 cpm in exchange for a delta vacations voucher? As for myself, I booked a long weekend in Vegas but I did it a bit speculatively.........not sure if I'll travel or not. Discuss.

josephstern

Something else to track and think about, something with different restrictions, etc.

Even if we knew for sure that this would work, I'm not sure if it would be worth the complexity for a potential good deal down the road.

I don't really need yet another type of currency/voucher in the travel space.

THEsocalledfan

Here is stuff I've found out about my proposed hack, although I very much acknowledge many will not want to deal with another voucher:

1. There is no charge to cancel if done within 24 hours; you will then get a voucher for the cash price.
2. The vouchers expire in a year; they cannot be used on regular delta flights; has to be booked through Delta Vacations. Minimum requirements are a flight with a 2 night hotel domestically, some other locations are 3 nights, or a 5 day car rental. (In other words, some hoops you still need to jump through to use the cert.)

So, tough call for me. I am sitting on 168K plus about another 100K MR. If I could find days with reasonably priced Delta flights say to Hawaii, I could get a rental car for 5 days......not sure I'll do this, but something to ponder.

dominick

Thanks for the intel. Do we have clarity on what "other locations" means? I try to plug in a flight to Paris + car rental, and it doesn't appear that I can use miles on the sidebar.

I can also assume that if I go ahead above and cancel a trip within 24 hours, then that voucher can be used for Air+Car rather than Air+hotel?

THEsocalledfan

I lifted this info of a guy who talked to Delta on Frequent Milers Insiders group on Facebook. Based on his comments, not sure on the "other locations" but think car rental may work. Doubt any way to use for flight only.

I do not know anyone that has seen the T and C of the voucher which is really what we need.

bgriff

Is there any such thing as an exception fare on partner-marketed flights?

I am seeing some marginally tempting offers in the $4-4.5K neighborhood for NYC-BKK on KE-marketed flights or NYC-JNB on VS-marketed flights in discounted business class fare buckets (R and Z respectively). Either one would earn 7K+ roundtrip MQDs, nearly 30K MQMs and nearly 60K RDMs for a DM if they earn according to the regular tables for those partners.

I'm short on MQDs this year so very tempted to burn ~200K SkyMiles for this as a status run; with the RDMs it would be a net cost of ~140K SkyMiles for a bunch of MQDs and MQMs. Given the rapidly diminishing ways to otherwise use SkyMiles in attractive ways I might just value maintaining DM at that price.

But obviously if I somehow failed to earn the miles as anticipated it would be a big waste.

Adam1222

Are you seeing this on Delta Vacations? Just pick up the phone and ask about the specific fares.