What happened to reasonable points flights ?
Jan 25, 23, 9:14 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: North Carolina
Programs: DL UA
Posts: 535
What happened to reasonable points flights ?
I am trying to book J class to Prague this summer. When I look at points and miles I get 300k plus $393. Am I missing something? Is there a better way ? I used to be able to get 75k points, granted, it was 5 years ago.
Jan 25, 23, 9:38 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 22,052
Yes, that was a long time ago. DL added roundtrip booking requirements for cheapest DL metal award levels out of US/Canada several years ago and recently harmonized partner awards with DL metal awards so that those also require roundtrip bookings for cheapest award levels. You won't find anything good if searching for one-way's out of US/Canada. Awards are also now more closely aligned to revenue fares so cheapest award levels will generally be out of more competitive hubs like BOS and JFK. BOS-LHR D1 awards are available from 148K roundtrip (seasonally). There are a number of existing threads on this topic.
Last edited by xliioper; Jan 25, 23 at 9:57 am
Jan 25, 23, 10:09 am
#3
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 4,651
Yes, that was a long time ago. DL added roundtrip booking requirements for cheapest DL metal award levels out of US/Canada several years ago and recently harmonized partner awards with DL metal awards so that those also require roundtrip bookings for cheapest award levels. You won't find anything good if searching for one-way's out of US/Canada. Awards are also now more closely aligned to revenue fares so cheapest award levels will generally be out of more competitive hubs like BOS and JFK. BOS-LHR D1 awards are available from 148K roundtrip (seasonally). There are a number of existing threads on this topic.
Jan 25, 23, 10:26 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 22,052
This is going to be highly dependent on which domestic routes you are booking. On more competitive routes, revenue fares are all one-way fares due to LCC/ULCC competition and therefore most award levels will all be one-way awards too. Out of less competitive hubs (like DTW), most domestic routes have cheaper fares that require a roundtrip booking and thus the cheapest domestic awards out of DTW will generally have a roundtrip booking requirement as well. Even if they don't have roundtrip booking requirements, the cheapest domestic awards will generally have 14 or 21 day advance purchase requirements like cheapest revenue fares.
Jan 25, 23, 10:32 am
#5
Join Date: May 2011
Location: NYC (LGA, JFK), CT
Programs: Delta Diamond, American Gold, JetBlue Mosaic 4, Marriott Platinum, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Diamond,
Posts: 4,648
Xliioper - what is the lowest round trip award in business class you can find now when complying with all the rules (round trip, weekend stay, 30 days in advance, etc). You mentioned BOS to LHR at 148K round trip. What about continental Europe? I thought it was around 240K round trip last year. Am I off base?
When it comes to Delta, I think I have just given up on J awards without a flash sale. I think the best route nowadays may be buying Premium Select, and using a GUC to upgrade to D1, or just buying D1 or partner metal directly. I have no issue using Skymiles domestically, so it may just come to that.
When it comes to Delta, I think I have just given up on J awards without a flash sale. I think the best route nowadays may be buying Premium Select, and using a GUC to upgrade to D1, or just buying D1 or partner metal directly. I have no issue using Skymiles domestically, so it may just come to that.
Jan 25, 23, 10:56 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 22,052
Xliioper - what is the lowest round trip award in business class you can find now when complying with all the rules (round trip, weekend stay, 30 days in advance, etc). You mentioned BOS to LHR at 148K round trip. What about continental Europe? I thought it was around 240K round trip last year. Am I off base?
When it comes to Delta, I think I have just given up on J awards without a flash sale. I think the best route nowadays may be buying Premium Select, and using a GUC to upgrade to D1, or just buying D1 or partner metal directly. I have no issue using Skymiles domestically, so it may just come to that.
When it comes to Delta, I think I have just given up on J awards without a flash sale. I think the best route nowadays may be buying Premium Select, and using a GUC to upgrade to D1, or just buying D1 or partner metal directly. I have no issue using Skymiles domestically, so it may just come to that.
Last edited by xliioper; Jan 25, 23 at 11:13 am
Jan 25, 23, 12:11 pm
#9
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 903
Jan 25, 23, 12:12 pm
#10
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: Formaldehyde Medallion DL DieMiles
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Perhaps we'll see some relief when we are 12 months into the coming recession.
Then, perhaps, we'll hear "Hey, ol' buddy, ol' pal... Remember us? Your bestest friends down here in Atlanta?"
But, right now, it is a sellers' market.
Then, perhaps, we'll hear "Hey, ol' buddy, ol' pal... Remember us? Your bestest friends down here in Atlanta?"
But, right now, it is a sellers' market.
Jan 25, 23, 3:53 pm
#11
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2022
Posts: 853
LOL, not bad out of 195 countries.
So unions are never motivated by greed or envy? Remarkable.
"The company is in a vulnerable position, but we are adequately paid and conditions are good, so we won't press the advantage." said no union ever.
So unions are never motivated by greed or envy? Remarkable.
"The company is in a vulnerable position, but we are adequately paid and conditions are good, so we won't press the advantage." said no union ever.
Jan 25, 23, 4:18 pm
#12
Join Date: Apr 2017
Programs: PM, HHG, MGE
Posts: 6
redemptions are bad out there. I lucked out this past June with a 90k CDG > MNL one-way in biz on KLM metal. I haven't seen any redemptions under 140k for any destinations to europe or asia since, granted my trip was out of europe, but still.
Jan 25, 23, 4:34 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 22,052
Here is an example of biz in one direction and coach on the return.
Last edited by xliioper; Jan 25, 23 at 4:40 pm
Jan 25, 23, 5:45 pm
#14
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Somewhere in the sky or a Marriott
Programs: 7mm DM, FC, Marriott PM (lifetime), HH Diamond
Posts: 749
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: North Carolina
Programs: DL UA
Posts: 533
“What happened to reasonable points flights ?”
They disappeared in the early 2000s.
The 90s……the good ole days
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: North Carolina
Programs: DL UA
Posts: 533
“What happened to reasonable points flights ?”
They disappeared in the early 2000s.
The 90s……the good ole days
Jan 25, 23, 8:50 pm
#15
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: ANC
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 1,679
Just a datapoint:
Back in September I was shopping for 2 tickets ANC-CDG round trip for this coming March. D1 was around $7800 per person or 350,000 miles per person. I went with the miles option thinking it was a decent award redemption.
So glad I did because a few weeks later the award price jumped to 750,000 miles per person and has stayed about that amount ever since. The award price now closely mirrors that of the money-cost which has also stayed around $7800.
Back in September I was shopping for 2 tickets ANC-CDG round trip for this coming March. D1 was around $7800 per person or 350,000 miles per person. I went with the miles option thinking it was a decent award redemption.
So glad I did because a few weeks later the award price jumped to 750,000 miles per person and has stayed about that amount ever since. The award price now closely mirrors that of the money-cost which has also stayed around $7800.
