metalblaze

I have been planning few work/family visit related trips in Spring/Summer of 2021 out of JFK to LAX, SFO, AMS, ICN (via ATL/SEA) and SYD (via LAX). Based on Expert Flyer searches, I see some Delta One award space availability (Z bucket) for both TPAC/TATL flights, but barely anything for the TCONs.

Does Delta's revenue management release the TPACs/TATLs Z bucket fares "early", and hold onto the TCONs until closer to the departure date? Just curious...

MSPeconomist

Z is deep discount business class fare (paid with money) on DL. O is award space, with subsets for various numbers of miles and also for instrument supported upgrades. O and its subclasses cannot be seen on public sources, including EF; one must call DL.

However, on some partners instrument supported upgrades from certain (higher and more expensive) fare classes book into Z inventory.

Duke787

If I was in Delta RM, I would assume domestic travel returns before international travel -- if only because of international travel restrictions, so would be more likely to hold back TCON space vs. TATL and TPAC. Plus as noted above, Z ≠ O. I doubt they are releasing saver J to SYD. I see some saver Y (80k) in there but the lowest J that I'm seeing is 290k/person -- which is definitely not Saver (though better than the 500k+ they usually charge)

metalblaze

My apologies - I meant to say "O bucket", but for some reason typed "Z". Will keep an eye out for Saver J fares, although looks like even Expert Flyer will not work here...?

fly747first

I booked a DL One "O" business award SYD LAX last month for June 2021 travel

metalblaze

Did you use GUC or do a mileage upgrade?

MSPeconomist

I think the he/she meant that it was an award ("free") ticket paid with miles, not an upgrade.

fly747first

Yes, thanks. To confirm, I used my miles or as some call them Skypesos lol.

Duke787

What did you pay though in miles? Just because it says "O" doesn't mean it was Saver space. Virtually every date I'm seeing on DL.com is 290k which books into OZ when you actually click through (and OZ is not a saver award bucket)

xliioper

Not sure what you mean by "Saver" award bucket. Z is the lowest level D1 class, so an OZ award would generally be considered a "Saver" bucket (if DL had such a concept). The 145K D1 OZ awards between US and SYD (290K roundtrip) are almost certainly the current lowest level D1 awards on this route. The fare basis code is CSV1450 and they have a 90-day advance purchase requirement (found in the "Fare Rules" link when pricing awards). The third letter of the award fare basis codes pull from DL coach booking class codes and basically indicate the award level (in addition to the second letter of the award booking class). Aside from OZ booking class, the 'V' in the third place of the fare basis code gives very high confidence to the fact that this is the lowest level DL metal D1 award on this route. There are other levels for partner metal flights. Awards on VA metal have been 100K each way in the past, but have typically been very difficult to find space other than a few days in advance.

Duke787

There's a CSV94 (at least there used to be) that I would consider true "Saver J" for OZ. I believe that booked into O (as opposed to OZ) -- my receipt from booking that award (booked in 2018 for a 2019 trip) only shows O without the additional modifier.

xliioper

DL has gone back and forth with displaying second letter in award booking classes on website (although I believe app has pretty consistently shown them). Just because you didn't see it doesn't mean it didn't have one. 2018 was awhile ago and DL has raised low-level awards to Asia and Australia since then. Low-level to Asia is currently 120K one-way (CSV1200 awards). Low-level to Europe has been pretty consistent at CSV800 awards (80K) for low-level (aside from occasional award sales). These all have a 90-day advance purchase requirement. Your fare basis code on award fare would have been CSV940 (since mileage required is numerical value times 100). The 'V' indicates that was low-level then and now CSV1450 is current low-level.

In additional to CSV1450 awards, there are CSTR1750 awards for 175K each way. These have a 60-day advance purchase requirement (instead of 90-day on the CSV1450's) and also a roundtrip booking requirement as indicated by the 'R' in the middle of the fare basis code. CSUR2050's are 205K each way with 30-day advance purchase required (and again, roundtrip booking required). CSH3050's are 305K one-way with a 14-day advance purchase requirement. The highest award level are currently CSY4650 for 465K each way (notice third letter is 'Y' which indicates the highest award level as it's the highest letter used in DL coach fare classes). There's probably a few more levels, but I haven't rigorously searched with calendar. What I am quite sure about is that 145K is lowest and 465K is highest based on their fare basis codes.

flyerCO

Single letter O is saver. OZ should be the lowest level just above single letter O. (Partners can only book when single letter O is available, not OZ or any other two letter class)

I know if O exists, you can apply a GUC via a travel agent if O is available, as OY and O should be the same. Thus there maybe some correlation between O and OZ. However strictly speaking O by itself is the lowest level.

xliioper

There's no single letter O booking award fare booking class for DL metal showing on delta.com when you have selected the flights (only partner awards book into single letter booking class). Agent was likely interpreting your request for 'O' to be a request for lowest level (as that is what most people are interested in). All DL award levels show as simply 'O' in the initial flight listings. But when you go and choose the flights, you can see the detailed two letter booking class. Lowest levels have CSV fare basis codes and book into OZ class (there can be more than one award level/fare basis that books into OZ just as there can be multiple fares that book into Z class on revenue flights -- and, in fact, both CSV and CST awards book into OZ booking class with the CSV awards being the lowest level).

Initial listing


Details with the actual two letter booking class


Fare basis codes (CST awards, so not lowest level)



I should have re-checked TATL awards as they have now apparently eliminated the CSV800 one-way awards and the new low level are CSVR1050 awards for 105K each way with roundtrip booking required and 90-day advance. Partner metal low-level awards remain at 75K each way with a 60-day advance purchase required (CSMH750 awards). Low-level VS metal to UK remains at 86K one way. Unfortunately, you can't mix and match CSVR1050 and CSMH750 as roundtrip booking requirement of CSVR1050 awards require DL metal in both directions. Checked from multiple gateways to multiple destinations and CSVR1050's are as low as it gets. They can be booked as open jaws (if you want to return from a different city).