beachmouse

Alas I’m the keeper of both useful DL status and 95% of the frequent flyer miles in my household.

Though with eventual plans for business/Delta One for that pot of miles, it seems like that kind of ticket should get me most of the useful STE+ stuff anyways.

WillBarrett_68

For Platinum card access, you have to be on a DL-operated flight.

Zorak

I don't believe the responses have touched on this part of your question -- yes, if you upgrade to business class you will have lounge access at both AUS and AMS.

Points Scrounger

​​​​​​

Bumping this to report that chat rep kept me on hold for a long time to report that nothing can be done because of name mismatch.

Goodoldflyer

They always do say to make sure the name is right. And I can understand their position, as there is much room for malfeasance if they allow variance.

FullTimeFlyer

I've typically been told there's a 3-day advance cancel requirement for Delta award tickets, but I had an agent who I called yesterday on another issue tell me that was no longer true - abolished due to COVID - and you just had to tell them before the flight. Any experience - is that true? Thanks.

FTF
EDIT: I waded through the full SkyMiles T&C and found the answer. But I'll leave the Q&A in case it helps anyone else. It's true - no more 72-hour advance cancel requirement for either domestic or international travel, clearly stated.

CycloneSteve

How does this work?

I've been doing research on the best, cheapest way to get MQM's next year. I've looked at a number of starting points and airlines & I have a specific question.
I searched for flights on DL & Korean Airlines from LAX. I looked at flights on KE to ICN then onto BKK.
When not logged into my account on DL it says the flights are operated by KE & I would earn 5,740 miles & 16,530 MQM.
On the KE site, the same flights show as 8,260 miles but, of course, they're not going to show the MQM's on a different airline.
(These are U & Q flights)

KE is a little cheaper, but I'm concerned that I would earn fewer MQM. The DL website says you get 100% but is that 100% of the 8,260 or the same 16.530 listed on the DL site? Thanks

MSPeconomist

The KE website shows how many miles the flights would earn in their own program, not DL miles.

If you're not logged into your DL account, it would show earnings for a nonelite. The MQMs should be correct (since status doesn't matter and moreover I guestimate 6,000 miles distance TPAC and 2,000 more for the ICN-BKK segment). As a PM, you would earn IIRC 9 RDM per dollar of the fare and carrier imposed fees, not 5, so you should actually get about 10,000 DL RDMs.

To calculate earnings on partner tickets, you need to look at the charts by carrier and fareclass on the DL website. Not all coach fares earn 100% as they do if you purchase from DL. It looks to me like you're looking at a KE discounted coach fare that only earns 50%, but this is just a guess because it seems to earn 50% in KE's own program.

CycloneSteve

The DL site (Partners link) it says 50% for miles, but 100% for MQM on those classes of tickets on KE. In my dream world I would get 50% of miles (16,520/2 = 8,260) but still get approximately 16,520 MQM if I booked on KE but put in my DL SkyMiles number.

I would hate to get half the MQM's because I was trying to save $80!

Pidge

What snacks do they have on Delta domestic flights?

jjl468

Does anyone know why Delta hasn't expanded the A320 overhead control panels (picture included in the spoiler below) to cover more of the fleet? I think they look incredibly sleek and modern, and while I wouldn't expect them to retrofit it to the entire fleet, I would at least expect them to include them for new planes. However, Delta did not include them on the A220 or even the A321neo, which is incredibly disappointing to me as it seems to point to Delta not intending to expand it further in the fleet at all.

Pocatello

MQMs?

I find it hardest to earn MQDs. You are from Iowa? Thus you do not have a waiver for the MQDs.

Delta flights can get you a bunch of miles but you cannot get a bunch of MQDs unless you (a) fly on a partner or (b) spend big money. I had some good Delta mileage runs on cheap main cabin fares earlier this year. Cheap domestic fares may return again next winter.

Flying on a partner can get you both MQDs and MQMs. The sweet spot is discounted partner business class with 150% MQMs and 40% MQDs.

MSPeconomist

Even residents of Iowa (as well as the rest of the USA) can get a MQD waiver for spend on certain DL AmEx credit cards: $25,000 for FO/GM/PM but $250,000 for DM.

planes&trains

First time trying status on SkyTeam, so please don't mind an elementary question. If I read the terms correctly, MQD is calculated as a fraction of the miles, correct? Say 0.4. Not percentage of the fare paid. Am I right?

MSPeconomist

It's a fraction of the actual miles (distance) for *partner* flights. For DL flights, it's the actual fare (excluding taxes) plus carrier-imposed fees, measured in dollars.

BTW, 0.4 (40%) would be the factor used for certain discounted business class fares on carriers like AF/KLM , VS, AM, or KE. You need to check the tables on DL's website to see what MQDs a particular carrier and fare class combination will earn. Some fare classes earn little or nothing.