GoBob

I did this via the messaging service recently when I needed to add my middle name to five reservations for global traveller/Pre-Check access and it was fairly painless.

cagcag

Hello. New to DL and no elite status in SkyMiles.
Are award bookings cancelable without fees? To be returned to award account?
For a 3 month status match to UA 1K, what benefits are available fir 3 months flying on award tickets using KLM or AF?
Lounge entrance? Extra baggage allowances?
Thanks for any knowledgeable replies.

MSPeconomist

Are you asking about DL status challenges? (DL doesn't normally do status matches.) If so, during the challenge period (usually about three months), you would get the benefits of the status tier from DL, but not from partners. On AF/KLM, there's a chance that a DL lounge would admit you before your flight, if you show a departing boarding pass for the AF/KLM flight and your virtual DL elite card, but SkyPriority/lounge access wouldn't be printed on your boarding pass. Note that in some airports such as JFK, different terminals are used.

cagcag

Thanks for your prompt reply..in fact status challenge is what I should be asking..i am concerned with SkyTeam lounge access while transiting AMS and CDG.
I read that UA ELITE 1K would correspondence to DL platinum status if granted. Is it even worth the trouble for just lounge access in AMS or CDG? On an economy award ticket are two checked bags allowed over the standard 1 bag?
Lastly, if our travel plans need to change are award miles able to be restored without fees back to DL SKYMILES account

flyerfirsts

So, this is weird, but for many days it didn't work at all, always showing me my initial purchase price as the price for all flights. Then suddenly it worked, but instead of getting the difference back as ecredit they refunded it back to my credit card. Anybody know what could have caused that?

kmandrew

Tuesday booked ORD/BOS/AMS Delta One using VS points
Flying to ORD the day before on AA, land at 12:30 - booked airport hotel
Who wouldn’t trade an extra night in Amsterdam for a night at ORD.
I see there is a 4 pm to ORD/AMS Monday , any chance to ask to get on a standby list?
I guess at the very least we could pick up out boarding passes for Tuesday.
We obviously would e trading 2 F seats on 2 flights or does Delta just not allow this?

xliioper

DL does not allow standby on international flights. You can potentially do it on the last domestic leg on return, but not on outbound international as in this case.

MSPeconomist

You seem to misunderstand. During the status challenge period, you get elite benefits ONLY FROM DL and not from partners. This means that you would not get lounge access in CDG (AF) or AMS (KLM) except possibly if flying DL. Before AF/KLM flights, you *might* be able to get DL SC access, but DL only has lounges in the USA. AF/KLM determine baggage allowances on their flights, so you wouldn't get any (additional) free checked bags regardless of whether the ticket is paid with miles or money.

kmandrew

Thanks,
Does Delta ever open award inventory day of travel?
I assume they upgrade their elites to fill the cabin

MSPeconomist

DL can open (and close) award inventory at any time, assuming that the flight isn't sold out. However, why wait to the day of departure to try to change your itinerary to some routing that you think is better?

DL doesn't upgrade elites to fill cabins on most international flights.

cagcag

Excellent concise advice. Thank you kindly

xliioper

I'd say pretty much zero chance for DL opening up seats for partner awards for day-of travel. I'm seeing some partner inventory availability on KL/AF metal in economy with VS points for day-of departures, but nothing in business and nothing at all on DL metal (either in economy or D1).

poisson

Is it possible to cancel part of a round trip booking? For example, if someone is flying DFW-SLC, then two days later SLC-DFW on the same booking, is it possible to cancel the DFW-SLC part of the booking without having to cancel the entire reservation and booking a new one?

xliioper

You will have to do a re-fare of SLC-DFW fare at today's fares. Fares on this route are all one-way fares and the cheapest are $163 one-way X fares with 3-week advance purchase requirement. If you still meet advance purchase requirement for whatever fare you purchased on SLC-DFW and there is still bucket inventory for fare, there may be no fare change for that fare and you would receive an e-Credit for whatever the DFW-SLC fare cost. Otherwise, if SLC-DFW available fares now cost more, they would reduce e-Credit amount from DFW-SLC fare by the additional cost for the new SLC-DFW fare.

On routes like this where all fares are one-way fares, it can make more sense to book one-way flights on two separate tickets if you think you might make a change to one flight or the other so that can keep the existing fare on the flight that isn't changed.

CapybaraAirlines

Apologies for supposedly basic question: my family has accumulated some miles balances for each member (each one having a separate miles account as mandated by Delta). Up until now we haven't really used these miles but now I would like to ideally buy tickets for my family using it.

Question: what is the right way to purchase tickets for multiple family members using multiple miles accounts? It seems to me there is no seamless way to do so and the only approach (apart from costly miles transfers) is to purchase each ticket separately - which might result in flights not being available by the time I get through the process, prices fluctuating and whatnot.

Am I missing something? Is there a better way? Or am I too spoiled by "normal" business services to think this is completely brain-dead?

Thanks in advance.