Booking skymiles intl flight a few hours before departure allowed?
Dec 13, 2019, 11:16 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 1,610
Booking skymiles intl flight a few hours before departure allowed?
Due to a family emergency there is a chance that I'll need to get a last minute one-way international ticket sometime next month (Argentina to US), depending on when the emergency happens.
Checking delta.com I do see that it is fairly reliable to get EZE - ATL - XXX delta flight on skymiles daily.
Asuuming availability exists online, are there any restrictions otherwise in terms of ticketing times? The EZE - ATL flight leaves around 9pm. Would it be possible for me to use my skymiles to ticket this at say, 6pm (assuming availability exists). Basically, are there any delta fare rules that disallow ticketing an international flight with their miles a few hours before departure? I know for example alaska air has a rule about tickets from China or something like that. Wanted to know if there were such fraud restrictions. The skymiles will be from my own account and the ticket will be for myself.
Checking delta.com I do see that it is fairly reliable to get EZE - ATL - XXX delta flight on skymiles daily.
Asuuming availability exists online, are there any restrictions otherwise in terms of ticketing times? The EZE - ATL flight leaves around 9pm. Would it be possible for me to use my skymiles to ticket this at say, 6pm (assuming availability exists). Basically, are there any delta fare rules that disallow ticketing an international flight with their miles a few hours before departure? I know for example alaska air has a rule about tickets from China or something like that. Wanted to know if there were such fraud restrictions. The skymiles will be from my own account and the ticket will be for myself.
Dec 13, 2019, 12:09 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,021
There are several countries where awards cannot be booked within 72 hours unless you go to a ticket office, but Argentina isn't one of them. -- "Award Tickets purchased for travel within or originating in China, Russia, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Brazil and any country in Africa require a 72-hour advance purchase".
You realize the cheaper DL award levels have advance purchase requirements (60 days for one-way's from Argentina)? Buying with no advance leaves you only very high award levels. It appears it will be anywhere from 88K - 125K miles with a few exceptions (EZE-MIA/DFW are 49K miles). If you get lucky, you might find partner availability for 37.5K miles. It looks like one-way walkup coach revenue fares tend to be around $1000.
You realize the cheaper DL award levels have advance purchase requirements (60 days for one-way's from Argentina)? Buying with no advance leaves you only very high award levels. It appears it will be anywhere from 88K - 125K miles with a few exceptions (EZE-MIA/DFW are 49K miles). If you get lucky, you might find partner availability for 37.5K miles. It looks like one-way walkup coach revenue fares tend to be around $1000.
Last edited by xliioper; Dec 13, 2019 at 12:20 pm
Dec 13, 2019, 12:30 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 1,610