TrojanTraveler

Don’t know if they are flying now, but pre-virus had been looking at flights on China Eastern. They flew to PVG to MLE.

Often1

If there are options on EK, EY or QR and they are reasonable, I would book a new ticket and then cancel the DL ticket for a refund. I would not purchase separate tickets this far out and run the risk of either being stuck for some number of days where you don't want to be or forfeiting your onwards ticket due to a reroute or delay.

LoganFlyer

DL isn't going to put you on an airline that they're not a close partner with when a flight gets cancelled this far in advance. Instead, they'll refund your miles & taxes.

MSPeconomist

Look for award space on DL partners SU and MU. Other obvious partners that might possibly resume flights in the future would be KE and KLM. If another routing is needed, it will be easier if you can use DL flights (to AMS or ICN, for example) because DL can release award seats if needed on flights it operates but cannot force a partner to open award space for you.

ADDED: IMO SU through SVO is unlikely and might require a visa (or expensive draconian airside transit hotel if there's an overnight connection) plus some health requirements.

RealHJ

Aren't all awards on SU still blacked out? (Has been so for the last few years, AFAIK.)

OP: for an award ticket, DL is not going to do anything other than book you on other SkyTeam flights with award (X/O) space available. If there are none, you're out of luck. You can either get a refund, or, potentially, change to fly to another nearby destination as an even exchange (if award inventory is available) and then book your own final connecting flight.

If MU still flies to MLE (if nothing shows now, may be wait and check back closer in), that's probably the only realistic option here.

Often1

Just as an example, here are the current requirements for a USN traveling US-MV with a RU transit. You are stuck in a transit hotel and also are required to produce medical documentation including a within 72-hour PCR Covic-19 negative test result. These could all change for better or for worse or the flights you book could be suspended or changed.National USA (US) /Embarkation USA (US)
Transit Russian Fed. (RU) /Destination Maldives (MV)
ALSO CHECK DESTINATION INFORMATION BELOW
Russian Fed. (RU)


TWOV (Transit Without Visa):
Visa required, except for Passengers with a confirmed onward
ticket for a flight to a third country within 24 hours. They
must stay in the international transit area of the airport and
have documents required for the next destination.
....
- Warning:
Passengers must have a medical certificate with a negative
Coronavirus (COVID-19) PCR test result issued at most 72
hours before arrival.
Warning:

MSPeconomist

I don't know, but it doesn't matter whether SU award space is blocked or whether SU just fails to release award space to DL on the flights that work for the OP.

DL will rebook using award space on partners, but DL can create award space on its own flights, such as USA-AMS or USA-ICN to connect to partner award flights. Since this is an involuntary rebooking, married segment inventory shouldn't apply.

MU would require a connection through PVG and it seems difficult for USA citizens to get into mainland China now (TWOV is at least suspended) plus there are so few flights to/from China, on random days of the week, with such high prices that I wouldn't expect this to be a good alternative now, although perhaps USA-ICN/HND-China-destination connections could be considered.

RealHJ

This is for travel next year, as per the OP. For travel this year I don't think that it'd be even possible to find any rebooking options.

As for the SU award blockage (total AFAIK, not just some specific routes), curious if anyone has any news or updates on it (I know, a bit OT here).

bennos

And answering my own question... apparently the "miles" merge into the e-credit, so a ticket for (eg) $250 cash + 10k miles becomes a single $350 e-credit.

Often1

Leave this alone until 30-45 days prior to scheduled travel. No idea if OP will be admissible to MLE then anyway.

cmd320

I disagree. With regards to this being an award ticket I would work to figure it out as soon as possible.

moondog

I'm with Often1 on this one unless DL can rebook the OP on one of the ME3 or maybe Sri Lankan
-SU seems like a bad option, assuming the layover is more than a few hours
-MU is probably even worse because, even if the 5-ones are relaxed by next year, the current schedule will still only show one flight per week for both CDG-PVG and PVG-MLE
-I would hold out for the possibility of the AF flight being reinstated

RealHJ

Those are not SkyTeam airlines, so that is a certain no go. This is an award, not a revenue, ticket. DL will just offer a refund, period.

Waiting until closer in there are likely to be more options. In addition to its own flights, DL can possibly get AF/KL/AZ and VS flights award space opened up (they will fight it, of course, tooth and nail, but if the OP is persistent and willing to invest several hours, or even 10s of hours into this over several days to weeks, it may be doable with relentless persistence). If there is an AF option even with no award availability, with constant HUACA and pleading, it may be possible to get DL to call AF and open up the award space. (At least, so would be possible for revenue tickets, which leads one to believe it also should be doable on award tickets. Or otherwise adding a revenue fare class but forcing a manual even exchange reissue on an award ticket.)

Personally though, if I was the OP, I'd go to PPT instead of MLE. Closer and nicer. Very sensible covid-19 entry regulations also. But that's just me.

fly747first

This has been my experience as well and it seems that SU isn't giving any award inventory to DL, not even in Y

cmd320

Right, zero chance on ME3, especially as an award.

Even amongst its own partners, I don’t think KL, VS, or AZ served MLE, AF would be the only one other than maybe MU or SV that I can think of. With that said, DL does interline with UL so it may be worth trying to see if that’s an option to preserve the award at its current pricing. I don’t know what the OP paid for the award but it may not be possible to replicate it at the same pricing level should it be canceled and refunded later on.