xliioper

Yes, as long as you don't use the Pay with Miles option (available for revenue flights for DL Amex cardholders) and book an actual award ticket, the miles will all go back to your account.

xliioper

Fee waiver applies to all North America origin award redemptions (not just US) and Delta hasn't really provided any information for awards originating outside the region.

ecgz88

so just want to confirm I using Delta miles book westjet (from YVR), since it's partner airlines it doesn't have basic Economy? My booking class show EconomyCabin class (V), it's full refundable right?

jcelio

Have posted this in the LATAM THREAD so not sure if it counts as a double posting but wanted to get opinions from each. Thanks

Have been a OW traveler for a long long time. Last two years just two long distance round trips (will not add why guess is quite obvious). Just grabbed a great fare MVD-GRU-MAD-LIM-MVD. We live 6 months in Barcelona and 6 months in Punta del Este Uruguay. Fare in J was too good to let it pass just have to add the BCN-MAD-BCN which will use AVIOS to cover and the minor hassle of having to do a check in in MAD.

FIND IT HARD TO UNDERSTAND LATAM PASS EARNINGS. Are there any bonus for flying J or it is just the dollars spent? Once in Spain have 2 US trips and an ASIA trip. Should I go for LATAMPASS or SKYTEAM… From what I gather the only airlines to get qualifying points are DELTA, AEROMEXICO and ALASKA (don’t understand this last one so go figure). The aim is to at least achieve the equivalent of EMERALD ON OW.

last option forget about qualifying for EITHER ONE OF THE ABOVE and credit the trip to IBERIA (SILVER WITH IBERIA ) and continue with OW which I know well but not the best prices.

NOTE: I always used to issue my tats in Spain but we got stuck here in 2020 so in 2021 issued RT from MVD AS FARE ON IB WAS ALSO CHEAP.

ANY WORD OF ADVICE. THANKS.

uporito

If I already have 5,000 MQD and 30,000 MQM on Delta before 7/1, and start the 7/1 status match challenge for Plat, do I lose the 5000 MQD and 30,000 MQM or does it just automatically apply to the challenge or does it just rollover instead?

MSPeconomist

It won't apply to the challenge, but can help you to earn a higher status tier by the end of 2022. Some MQMs can rollover, depending on the status tier you earn by the end of the year. (This assumes that DL returns to the preCOVID-19 rules and doesn't rollover *all* MQMs once again.)

BTW at 25,000 MQMs and 3,000 MQDs, you'll automatically get FO status immediately. I'm not sure you can challenge to a higher status tier if you're already an elite.

What status do you currently have? What airline program?

Goodoldflyer

What's the best way to search a range of dates (lets say within 6-8 weeks) for the best value of PS or Delta One flights, if one's dates are flexible?

Is it the Delta.com page or something like Expert Flyer?

Is there some color coding on the monthly calendar on Delta.com? I see some flights in black, and some in green. Also, is there a way to specify one stop?

thanks

Zorak

My thoughts would be:

1. do a Google Search for a specific date/dates, whether one-way or round trip, and pick premium economy/business, and once you have the results
- if you click on the date fields and wait for the calendar to pop up it will usually fill in prices for other dates
- if you were doing a round-trip it will I think show you the price for a same-length trip starting on different dates in that case
- if you click on a new starting date, then click into the return date it will show you the different prices for various return dates
- most powerful if you want to search +/- a few days is to click on Date Grid (although once you're in date grid view there are also arrows you can use to move the range of dates around)

2. use ITA Matrix (you can search +/- two days around specific dates, or do a calendar search for one month at a time). This is probably going to be better if you want to add constraints like specific connection cities or if you want to filter by different criteria on the outbound vs the return etc.

Caveat that in both cases you will end up with anything marketed by DL so could include partner-operated codeshare flights; if you want to restrict (or force) those you'll need to use Matrix and advanced routing codes.

Further details on using these tools isn't exactly DL-specific and out-of-scope for a newbie thread for further reading:

Google Flights - Changes, Updates, Glitches and Help [consolidated thread]

ITA Software Matrix Airfare Search Consolidated Information and Help Thread

TIP: More hidden features of ITA

Zorak

Oh, another caveat is that both Google Flights and Matrix have a "Premium Economy" in the dropdown, but in particular Google Flights lumps both C+ and PS into the same category so you won't know until you pick specific flights which one it is; so the calendar results could be a mix of C+ or PS or PE on a partner. Less sure what happens on Matrix in this situation, but in any case be aware of the potential "gotcha" ...

uporito

Right now I have United Plat, and nothing on Delta. I have a planned trip from LAX - JNB, which gives me the 5,000 MQD, and the MQM in May, so right now no status in Delta. I know with the MQD and MQM after the trip it would qualify me for Silver, but I just see an easier jump to Plat if I status match instead and complete a mileage run or something.

Zorak

The Delta web site has the terms of the challenge at the bottom of the relevant web page:

https://www.delta.com/us/en/skymiles...atch-challenge

specifically for your question, "Offer valid for travel completed within 3 months from time of account upgrade and will not include flights taken prior to enrollment." So if your JNB flight occurs before 7/1 but you don't get signed up for the challenge until after 7/1 (and the relevant date is when DL completes your registration, not when the request is submitted, and they aren't always prompt, unfortunately) then the MQMs/MQDs you earn from the JNB flight will not help you in completing the challenge. (However they will still count towards towards earning in 2022 for the 2023 Medallion Year)

Further discussion and recent data points on how long requests have taken to be processed can be found in the status match FT thread: Delta Air Lines Elite Status Match Challenge : The Definitive Thread

uporito

Thanks, I posted there but the thread looks kinda dead.

Has anyone experienced Delta status matching through 2023 if you complete the challenge before 7/1? Read stories about it but am not sure about the beliveibility.

satellite779

$249 to upgrade from Main Cabin to Premium Select on a 10hr flight (SEA-AMS) is not too bad? Have a buyer's remorse even though it's not too much and I know Premium Select is pretty nice and the flight is long. Can afford it easily.

LadyWrites

Not sure it is comparable, but for my upcoming trip to Paris JFK to CDG, the cost difference between Main and PS is $680.

xliioper

Google Flights has mostly fixed this. The one case where it will still show C+ fares where there are PS fares are for certain DL marketed VS flights such as US-JNB (where it will show C+ fares in VS Economy Delight cabin when searching for Premium Economy). Otherwise, it will show actual PS fares in PS cabin (and not C+) on DL flights on international routes where PS fares exist which is basically all long-haul international flights (which also have D1 fares).