Award Ticket Success - Post It Here
Jun 12, 2008, 5:26 pm
#751
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,298
We booked award tixs for SEA/CVG/YUL for August. This is our first trip thru CVG. My question is about how the checked baggage is handled for the YUL leg. We only have 42 minutes between our arrival from SEA and our departure to YUL. Do we have to recheck bags for the YUL leg or will the bags be checked thru to YUL from SEA? I know we are cutting this way short at CVG but options were limited. Any advice would be welcome.
My two strategies I am considering employing our either go with carry on all the way. Or just check one bag for the two of us and figure it arrives on a later flight and will be sent to our hotel in dt Montreal.
Any advice about this? Thanks all.
J
My two strategies I am considering employing our either go with carry on all the way. Or just check one bag for the two of us and figure it arrives on a later flight and will be sent to our hotel in dt Montreal.
Any advice about this? Thanks all.
J
Canada no longer offers tourists any GST rebates as of April 1, 2008
Jun 13, 2008, 9:42 am
#752
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: NYC
Programs: DL, UA
Posts: 69
CO-DL to SJO
After spending hours on the DL website, playing with dates and times, I was able to score the following for 60,000 miles:
July 17 CO 1159 EWR-ATL First/Business(E)
DL 413 ATL-SJO Business (O)
July 26 SJO-JFK Business (O)
When I first started "pricing" out these flight, it came to 120,000 miles. Once I gave up JFK and the non-stop, I was able to get there for half the miles. Note that I do have a 4 hour layover in ATL, but hopefully I will be admitted to the BE lounge. Anyone have experience there?
Thanks FT!
July 17 CO 1159 EWR-ATL First/Business(E)
DL 413 ATL-SJO Business (O)
July 26 SJO-JFK Business (O)
When I first started "pricing" out these flight, it came to 120,000 miles. Once I gave up JFK and the non-stop, I was able to get there for half the miles. Note that I do have a 4 hour layover in ATL, but hopefully I will be admitted to the BE lounge. Anyone have experience there?
Thanks FT!
Jun 13, 2008, 12:45 pm
#753
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: DL - Plat, Marriott - Plat, Hilton - Diamond, SPG- Plat, National- ES
Posts: 1,857
I just put two FF tickets on hold for next April. One from TYS to MAD and one from ATL to MAD.
On the website ALL of my options for coach were on CO! (I don't have enough miles for two business class!)
On the website ALL of my options for coach were on CO! (I don't have enough miles for two business class!)
Jun 25, 2008, 3:19 pm
#758
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: DCA / WAS
Programs: DL 2+ million/PM, YX, Marriott Plt, *wood gold, HHonors, CO Plt, UA, AA EXP, WN, AGR
Posts: 9,388
DCA-JFK-ATH and return. Thanksgiving week outbound, return first week of Dec. 2 in Biz class (90K miles), even though the ticketing screen said "SkyChoice" for two segments, the 90K is Skysaver level.
BTW, I notice that the award chart no longer lists "Skysaver" and "SkyChoice", it just shows "From 90K" or whatever the appropriate saver amount is. No upper limit.....
BTW, I notice that the award chart no longer lists "Skysaver" and "SkyChoice", it just shows "From 90K" or whatever the appropriate saver amount is. No upper limit.....
Jun 25, 2008, 6:53 pm
#759
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Lawrence, MA USA
Programs: Delta Gold
Posts: 273
BOS-SFO then ANC-BOS in F for 45k. Heading to SF for the Outlands Festival, then buying a seperate ticket to YVR for an Alaska cruise.
And bringing along my uncle, and was able to book ALB-YVR and ANC-ALB for 70k. Not a great bargain, but not too bad given the state of things these days. Outbound is on Northwest, return on Delta.
And bringing along my uncle, and was able to book ALB-YVR and ANC-ALB for 70k. Not a great bargain, but not too bad given the state of things these days. Outbound is on Northwest, return on Delta.
Jun 26, 2008, 1:50 pm
#760
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Western North Carolina
Programs: HH Diamond,Ambassador Club,Delta FF,USAIR FF
Posts: 237
6 tickets to OGG maui
PM Scored 6 tickets for fam clt to ogg. Mixed Skysaver/skychoice 52,500 each. Started by booking skysaver both ways for the same day to get our round trip in. Then was able to use the phone to make changes as the " real days came around" They were a little surprised that we only wanted to stay 1 1/2 hrs in Maui??? 
As no skysavers came available for return- had them change over to skysaver/skychoice - still all in all a great value to get 6 to maui. Per rep, if skysavers come available to return at later time - can always change back over. 
As no skysavers came available for return- had them change over to skysaver/skychoice - still all in all a great value to get 6 to maui. Per rep, if skysavers come available to return at later time - can always change back over.
Jul 3, 2008, 2:30 pm
#763
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
Jul 3, 2008, 5:41 pm
#765
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: SLC
Programs: DL PM,1MM
Posts: 690
Lessons learned . . .
It's been a long journey, but finally have 2 Business Skysavers (90,000 each) for this Fall: SLC-JFK-CDG-IST, FCO-CDG-LAX-SLC, DL is only on the domestic portions, the rest is on Air France.
I've only redeemed TATL once before and that was in coach, so thanks to you all I've learned alot reading the boards. But here are some mistakes I learned along the way.
I started 331 days out, and was initially on a SLC-JFK (DL coach), JFK-MXP-IST (AZ). Waitlisted for BE on the SLC-JFK and nonstop JFK-IST.
STUPID MISTAKE #1: I ticketed it out of each of our own individual SM accounts, forgetting that I was close to being GM while my partner is FO.
331 days from the return found no availability FCO-SLC, but did have CDG-LAX-SLC, so I took that and planned to watch availability on both my original preferred routing and if FCO-CDG opened up (intra Europe wasn't available at the 331 day mark). Used expert flyer daily to watch for AF/AZ availability. Very nervous about a 45 min connect @CDG, so also watched for an eve flight the night prior to CDG.
STUPID MISTAKE #2: Ignoring availability when something comes up, thinking something better will happen.
So yes I didn't take the 2 Business seats that were available on the FCO-CDG and they disappeared, and finally settled on coach the night prior (which I still have on the completed itinerary). Its a short flight, and business is likely not much better, and will get spend a night at a CDG hotel.
So then I start reading all of the AZ mess stuff in mid Dec (which still isn't resolved - gotta love those Italians); keep searching for alternatives.
--4 months pass --
First of May, I clear the waitlist for the JFK-IST - YIPPEE - until I realize just I clear, as I'm GM, he's FO.
STUPID MISTAKE #3: Believing the SMS agent
Call into SMS. Sorry, no seats for your fellow traveller; you need to decide in 24 hrs whether you want the waitlist or not (apparently I learned that the "Contact Delta" can sit there forever, but I didn't know and called). Oh wait, there is availability . . .^ . . .here's the reissue desk. Sorry they are mistaken. But don't worry, I'll just confirm you, but not reissue and then if he clears you can get them both reissued. OK . . . but alittle leary as I'm now booked on 2 different flights at the same time . .maybe the rules were bent alittle? Spoke w/a friend who works for another airline - said they shouldn't have done that, but unless you call about the reservation, nothing would likely happen.
End of May, both of our SLC-JFK waitlists now say "Contact Delta"; Cool . . . should I call? Call re: my partner's reservation and get him confirmed. DL calls me re: my schedule mentioning a schedule change and wanting me to call them. So I call expecting to go back to the AZ flights, but agent doesn't say anything about it, just lets me know there is a AZ flight time change, and then sees that the waitlist cleared and confirms that.
A few days later, check my itinerary, and the double booking is gone; I'm flying nonstop to IST, my partner's on AZ. Apparently those confirms then go automatically to the reissue desk. Now I want to say that my partner is understanding, but 10th Anniversary, cruise of a lifetime, starting off by travelling separately - on possibly a defunct airline?
Options? Rebook the JFK-IST on his ticket as Skychoice and I eat the cost. NO . . .it would first come from his account, and the rebooking is not easy - SMS says it would have to release the seats and "regrab" them to make it a skychoice and they couldn't guarantee the seats would still be there (all those &%$ waitlisters
) Relooked at other options, but that would entail reticketing both w/new itineraries. So I decided to watch for availability/wait for his waitlist to clear.
High fuel prices/routes slashed . . .and I felt it was unlikely his waitlist would clear until immediately prior to our trip (if it would at all), and I just don't have the patience for that.
I then started getting smarter looking for availability; I had originally just looked at SLC-IST and nothing ever popped up. Then I thought, I really just want JFK-IST availability which I actually found yesterday on Air France for both of us - using DL's award search amazingly enough - and confirmed by using expertflyer to see # of seats. Remembering Mistake #2, I thought it well worth the $100 change fee to let us travel together.
I'll probably keep looking for more direct routing on the return to avoid staying a night in Paris, but right now its all doable. It's probably worth the cost of paying another change fee with the price of hotels at CDG.
Regardless, I'm spending per ticket: a $100 change fee, and $104 in taxes for a $5500 flight (though let's not add in an hourly rate for my time!)
A very good learning experience that I wanted to share; I'll continue to soak up all the comments and keep playing the game. Love to hear feedback about what I could've done better, but this probably isn't the appropriate thread - though I think that most who look at this are in the market for tickets and I hope my experience helps them.
I've only redeemed TATL once before and that was in coach, so thanks to you all I've learned alot reading the boards. But here are some mistakes I learned along the way.
I started 331 days out, and was initially on a SLC-JFK (DL coach), JFK-MXP-IST (AZ). Waitlisted for BE on the SLC-JFK and nonstop JFK-IST.
STUPID MISTAKE #1: I ticketed it out of each of our own individual SM accounts, forgetting that I was close to being GM while my partner is FO.
331 days from the return found no availability FCO-SLC, but did have CDG-LAX-SLC, so I took that and planned to watch availability on both my original preferred routing and if FCO-CDG opened up (intra Europe wasn't available at the 331 day mark). Used expert flyer daily to watch for AF/AZ availability. Very nervous about a 45 min connect @CDG, so also watched for an eve flight the night prior to CDG.
STUPID MISTAKE #2: Ignoring availability when something comes up, thinking something better will happen.
So yes I didn't take the 2 Business seats that were available on the FCO-CDG and they disappeared, and finally settled on coach the night prior (which I still have on the completed itinerary). Its a short flight, and business is likely not much better, and will get spend a night at a CDG hotel.
So then I start reading all of the AZ mess stuff in mid Dec (which still isn't resolved - gotta love those Italians); keep searching for alternatives.
--4 months pass --
First of May, I clear the waitlist for the JFK-IST - YIPPEE - until I realize just I clear, as I'm GM, he's FO.
STUPID MISTAKE #3: Believing the SMS agent
Call into SMS. Sorry, no seats for your fellow traveller; you need to decide in 24 hrs whether you want the waitlist or not (apparently I learned that the "Contact Delta" can sit there forever, but I didn't know and called). Oh wait, there is availability . . .^ . . .here's the reissue desk. Sorry
they are mistaken. But don't worry, I'll just confirm you, but not reissue and then if he clears you can get them both reissued. OK . . . but alittle leary as I'm now booked on 2 different flights at the same time . .maybe the rules were bent alittle? Spoke w/a friend who works for another airline - said they shouldn't have done that, but unless you call about the reservation, nothing would likely happen.End of May, both of our SLC-JFK waitlists now say "Contact Delta"; Cool . . . should I call? Call re: my partner's reservation and get him confirmed. DL calls me re: my schedule mentioning a schedule change and wanting me to call them. So I call expecting to go back to the AZ flights, but agent doesn't say anything about it, just lets me know there is a AZ flight time change, and then sees that the waitlist cleared and confirms that.
A few days later, check my itinerary, and the double booking is gone; I'm flying nonstop to IST, my partner's on AZ. Apparently those confirms then go automatically to the reissue desk. Now I want to say that my partner is understanding, but 10th Anniversary, cruise of a lifetime, starting off by travelling separately - on possibly a defunct airline?
Options? Rebook the JFK-IST on his ticket as Skychoice and I eat the cost. NO . . .it would first come from his account, and the rebooking is not easy - SMS says it would have to release the seats and "regrab" them to make it a skychoice and they couldn't guarantee the seats would still be there (all those &%$ waitlisters
) Relooked at other options, but that would entail reticketing both w/new itineraries. So I decided to watch for availability/wait for his waitlist to clear. High fuel prices/routes slashed . . .and I felt it was unlikely his waitlist would clear until immediately prior to our trip (if it would at all), and I just don't have the patience for that.
I then started getting smarter looking for availability; I had originally just looked at SLC-IST and nothing ever popped up. Then I thought, I really just want JFK-IST availability which I actually found yesterday on Air France for both of us - using DL's award search amazingly enough - and confirmed by using expertflyer to see # of seats. Remembering Mistake #2, I thought it well worth the $100 change fee to let us travel together.
I'll probably keep looking for more direct routing on the return to avoid staying a night in Paris, but right now its all doable. It's probably worth the cost of paying another change fee with the price of hotels at CDG.
Regardless, I'm spending per ticket: a $100 change fee, and $104 in taxes for a $5500 flight (though let's not add in an hourly rate for my time!)
A very good learning experience that I wanted to share; I'll continue to soak up all the comments and keep playing the game. Love to hear feedback about what I could've done better, but this probably isn't the appropriate thread - though I think that most who look at this are in the market for tickets and I hope my experience helps them.