nrr

Today it took 10 tries just to get through on their 800# (busy signal, your call could not be completed..., stutter tone, etc.) then a 2 hour wait to speak with an agent.
There is no callback option.
They do have a "special" number while on a trip--I didn't want to use that number

jrkmsp

I dealt with this back in March. Listened to hold music for the entirety of a 7.5 mile run, plus an hour before and after. It’s bad, and Delta needs to figure something out.

demkr

The hold times on DL Vacations the past 2 weeks have been ridiculous. I had two schedule changes for a July flight. I was nearly on hold for 6 hours (speaker phone while it charges in the other room).

I've had better luck tweeting @DeltaVacations or reaching them on Facebook. They have someone call you back and I was contacted within the hour.

SUPERTRAVEL

I was on hold with them for 2.5 hours midday today and all of a sudden their on-going announcement that repeats every 30 seconds or so went silent. And then I got a recording that asked if I was willing to answer their 1 question survey which you usually get after speaking to a representative.

Orange County Commuter

I wound up booking with an entirely different provider. No way to get a human and their website refused to take my reservation. Sent a complaint... no response.

Guess they don't care if customers use someone else and take the money from them.

nrr

On DL does the package show as DL Vacations?
I have a DL Vacation voucher, I believe I can only redeem it directly with DL Vacations.

SUPERTRAVEL

You should be able to go to Delta.com and click on the Vacation Deals link and redeem a voucher there.
I don't know how much your voucher is worth, but there is an on-going promotion right now using code SMBONUS (to get up to 70,000 bonus Skymiles) or SMDOLLARS (to get up to $350 off). Not sure if that promo could be combined with your voucher.

nrr

Most of the time I can book DL Vacations + bonus promos directly on the internet without DL Vacations agent's assistance. But, I'm planning on booking JFK-LAS package [I don't plan to use their hotels, I get upscale hotel rooms comped via gambling] so I would need an agent's assistance to subtract the hotels to just 2 nights--the minimum required to book a DL Vacation.

GlobeTrttr83

So why not just buy a flight and not a vacation package? Would seem a bit easier...

nrr

DL Vacation count as "exception" MQD computation, it's mileage based not $. There is a complex formula, but (especially with the accelerator) give me nearly double MQDs than $ based tickets. For international (longer distance than domestic) even more.
I've had intl itns (where I did use the hotels) price cheaper than buying just the airfare.
I have over $3000 in DL Vacation vouchers which expire at the end of the year; I could use the voucher for next year travel, but that wouldn't help me maintain DM for next year.

NYC Flyer

DL Vacations air itineraries can count as "exception" fares when bulk airfare is used, but this is not guaranteed (sometimes bulk fares are not available and published fares are used). Generally, a travel agent can circumvent the issues you're having with the phone hold times, but if you already have vouchers from DL Vacations, you will have to deal with them directly to redeem.

nrr

I've booked lots of DL Vacation (hotel + air) over the past few years, they've always counted as "exception" fares.
I recently booked two dl vacation packages, on www.delta.com when I click receipt I see just the aggregate total for the package, there is NO separate airfare listed, would that indicate an "exception" fare or do I have to see how dl actually totals my MQDs after I've flown?

Orange County Commuter

It can be, I have done it in the past.

The vouchers are just a payment method and have no impact on the promotion.

And the math on this comes out better to go for the miles IMHO. For example on a cheap package they give you $100 or or 20,000 miles. But if you use 20,000 miles to pay for the trip that's a $200 credit. So if you really want the "dollar credit" my advice would be take the miles, use your current miles to reduce the trip cost by the bonus miles you will get. You wind up saving more and your mileage balance wont' change overall. Now of course if you don't have any frequent flyer miles the math might be different for you

Another trick is to use your voucher to book a package that's airfare and rental car. We did that a few years ago for a trip to Paris. Delta.com airfare was around $1,000. Airfare and 3 days car was $650. (I originally booked it as 7 days car for a little more, called just before the final payment date and dropped to the minimum. We never picked up the car )

nrr

I didn't realize you could do airfare + car ONLY. For all my previous "packages" I did airfare + hotel since I did want to stay in the hotel in ZRH. I only go to LAS or ZRH, since ZRH has not yet (re)opened to US tourists, I'm doing LAS not as good as ZRH would be with an exception fare for earning MQDs--no matter what you do JFK to LAS will always be 2248 miles.

Orange County Commuter

You have to look for Advanced Search Options. Link below takes you to the booking to the booking page and at the top there are 3 tabs. Default is flight and hotel, other two options are flight/car and hotel/car.




Looking to book Flights and Car? Traveling with children need more than one hotel room? Advanced Search Options