Is this really the new norm?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2018
Location: ATL
Programs: DL - Diamond; Marriott - Titanium; National - Executive; DL Reserve - AMEX
Posts: 14
Is this really the new norm?
ATL based, looking to burn some RUC's and/or Amex companion certificates to LAX in November. Virtually no availability for Thursday out and Sunday returns with companion cert (outside of red eye). Only RUC availability is a red eye. RUC's are truly worthless (couldn't even use them to confirm first on my flights to Detroit this week).
Man it feels good to have my "Hometown Airline" always looking out for my Delta Diamond self (earned 6 consecutive years and counting).
I sincerely hope at some point these perceived perks that you get with status drive enough loyalists away to make a difference.
Super frustrating....
Man it feels good to have my "Hometown Airline" always looking out for my Delta Diamond self (earned 6 consecutive years and counting).
I sincerely hope at some point these perceived perks that you get with status drive enough loyalists away to make a difference.
Super frustrating....
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,057
It's fairly straightforward to find dates with advance RUC availability these days as you can now just search for flights with Z bucket availability. Th/Fr/Su/Mo are more popular travel days than than Tu/We/Sa and you are less likely to find flights with Z bucket open for those days. November is now less that two months out which also generally means fewer flights with Z open. There's some flights with Z open for first weekend of December.
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K
Posts: 21,371
to directly answer the question in the title … no, it’s not really “new” at all that the requisite (and limited) inventory for RUCs and AmEx companion certs isn’t available ~60 days out
and it’s also not really new that, fairly regularly, reasonably-high-status FTers feel the need to complain about how they’re personally impacted by this situation
and it’s also not really new that, fairly regularly, reasonably-high-status FTers feel the need to complain about how they’re personally impacted by this situation
#4
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Indianapolis
Programs: DL Gold, Marriott Titanium, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 625
It's fairly straightforward to find dates with advance RUC availability these days as you can now just search for flights with Z bucket availability. Th/Fr/Su/Mo are more popular travel days than than Tu/We/Sa and you are less likely to find flights with Z bucket open for those days. November is now less that two months out which also generally means fewer flights with Z open. There's some flights with Z open for first weekend of December.
#5
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: New York, NY
Programs: AA ExPl, DL PM, UA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium, probably some others
Posts: 4,099
ATL based, looking to burn some RUC's and/or Amex companion certificates to LAX in November. Virtually no availability for Thursday out and Sunday returns with companion cert (outside of red eye). Only RUC availability is a red eye. RUC's are truly worthless (couldn't even use them to confirm first on my flights to Detroit this week).
Man it feels good to have my "Hometown Airline" always looking out for my Delta Diamond self (earned 6 consecutive years and counting).
I sincerely hope at some point these perceived perks that you get with status drive enough loyalists away to make a difference.
Super frustrating....
Man it feels good to have my "Hometown Airline" always looking out for my Delta Diamond self (earned 6 consecutive years and counting).
I sincerely hope at some point these perceived perks that you get with status drive enough loyalists away to make a difference.
Super frustrating....
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,057
But you can also use ITA Matrix with advanced mode options to search for availability for Z fares for sale (which will generally work for flights further out). Or you can just check on Z fare prices and then use Google Flights calendar view to check for availability based on pricing. For example, if there are Z fares available in both directions, pricing on ATL-LAX will be $1578 or less roundtrip. The 3-day roundtrip options below showing on Google Flights that are $1578 or less have Z fares available in both directions. Wed-Sat and Sat-Tue trips are generally pretty reliable for availability. But there are also some Thu-Sun and Fri-Mon options showing below.
Last edited by xliioper; Sep 13, 2022 at 10:54 pm
#7
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Tokyo
Programs: Bonvoy LT Titanium ANA Diamond
Posts: 763
ATL based, looking to burn some RUC's and/or Amex companion certificates to LAX in November. Virtually no availability for Thursday out and Sunday returns with companion cert (outside of red eye). Only RUC availability is a red eye. RUC's are truly worthless (couldn't even use them to confirm first on my flights to Detroit this week).
Man it feels good to have my "Hometown Airline" always looking out for my Delta Diamond self (earned 6 consecutive years and counting).
I sincerely hope at some point these perceived perks that you get with status drive enough loyalists away to make a difference.
Super frustrating....
Man it feels good to have my "Hometown Airline" always looking out for my Delta Diamond self (earned 6 consecutive years and counting).
I sincerely hope at some point these perceived perks that you get with status drive enough loyalists away to make a difference.
Super frustrating....
So RUC is worthless because you can find availability, just its on a red eye that you don't want to do, like most people, so the book day flights so there is no RUV availability......of course why would Delta sell their seats to people who will pay !! Madness I say.
#8
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 5,185
ATL based, looking to burn some RUC's and/or Amex companion certificates to LAX in November. Virtually no availability for Thursday out and Sunday returns with companion cert (outside of red eye). Only RUC availability is a red eye. RUC's are truly worthless (couldn't even use them to confirm first on my flights to Detroit this week).
Man it feels good to have my "Hometown Airline" always looking out for my Delta Diamond self (earned 6 consecutive years and counting).
I sincerely hope at some point these perceived perks that you get with status drive enough loyalists away to make a difference.
Super frustrating....
Man it feels good to have my "Hometown Airline" always looking out for my Delta Diamond self (earned 6 consecutive years and counting).
I sincerely hope at some point these perceived perks that you get with status drive enough loyalists away to make a difference.
Super frustrating....
#9
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Virginia USA
Posts: 1,232
ATL based, looking to burn some RUC's and/or Amex companion certificates to LAX in November. Virtually no availability for Thursday out and Sunday returns with companion cert (outside of red eye). Only RUC availability is a red eye. RUC's are truly worthless (couldn't even use them to confirm first on my flights to Detroit this week).
Man it feels good to have my "Hometown Airline" always looking out for my Delta Diamond self (earned 6 consecutive years and counting).
I sincerely hope at some point these perceived perks that you get with status drive enough loyalists away to make a difference.
Super frustrating....
Man it feels good to have my "Hometown Airline" always looking out for my Delta Diamond self (earned 6 consecutive years and counting).
I sincerely hope at some point these perceived perks that you get with status drive enough loyalists away to make a difference.
Super frustrating....
#10
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: London/JAX
Programs: DL PM, BA Gold, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Gold, Radisson Premium, Global Entry, CLEAR
Posts: 872
God forbid Delta sells their first class seats, their intended purpose, instead of giving them out for free! Anyway, every time I’ve waitlisted an RUC (knock on wood) it has cleared…
#11
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Virginia USA
Posts: 1,232
#13
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Huntsville, AL
Programs: DL DM 1.929MM, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, IHG Platinum, Avis CHM, Marriott Titanium (lifetime gold)
Posts: 7,860
ATL based, looking to burn some RUC's and/or Amex companion certificates to LAX in November. Virtually no availability for Thursday out and Sunday returns with companion cert (outside of red eye). Only RUC availability is a red eye. RUC's are truly worthless (couldn't even use them to confirm first on my flights to Detroit this week).
But I've had a lot of success with RUCs in the COVID era, where previously I had a lot of them expire unused.
David
Last edited by DiverDave; Sep 14, 2022 at 12:46 pm
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: IND
Programs: DL PM & 2MM™, Lifetime HHonors Diamond
Posts: 20,889
Pretty much ever since forever has ATL-LAX route has been one of the hardest upgrades. It killed my ego to walk on a brand new 777 and bypass the front cabin.
#15
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Indianapolis
Programs: DL Gold, Marriott Titanium, IHG Plat, Hilton Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 625
You'd need to use ExpertFlyer to definitively check for Z since there can be Z bucket open with no Z fares for sale either because of advance purchase requirements and you are looking at flights that are too close-in to meet them, or because of dual-inventory checking and there is limited availability in lower coach classes (domestic Z fares use U/T/X/V fare basis codes and require inventory in them to book in addition to Z inventory).
But you can also use ITA Matrix with advanced mode options to search for availability for Z fares for sale (which will generally work for flights further out). Or you can just check on Z fare prices and then use Google Flights calendar view to check for availability based on pricing. For example, if there are Z fares available in both directions, pricing on ATL-LAX will be $1578 or less roundtrip. The 3-day roundtrip options below showing on Google Flights that are $1578 or less have Z fares available in both directions. Wed-Sat and Sat-Tue trips are generally pretty reliable for availability. But there are also some Thu-Sun and Fri-Mon options showing below.
But you can also use ITA Matrix with advanced mode options to search for availability for Z fares for sale (which will generally work for flights further out). Or you can just check on Z fare prices and then use Google Flights calendar view to check for availability based on pricing. For example, if there are Z fares available in both directions, pricing on ATL-LAX will be $1578 or less roundtrip. The 3-day roundtrip options below showing on Google Flights that are $1578 or less have Z fares available in both directions. Wed-Sat and Sat-Tue trips are generally pretty reliable for availability. But there are also some Thu-Sun and Fri-Mon options showing below.