Award Ticket Success - Post It Here
Aug 7, 2008, 5:27 am
#841
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
Search for just one or two tickets at a time.
Search on continental.com for saverpass awards
Search on nwa.com for PerkSaver awards
Call Delta, as the online Delta search engine doesn't search on partner airlines as well as it should.
Consider travel from LEX, CVG, DAY, IND...
Contemplate some very indirect routings: Fly into Maui (OGG) and connect on Hawaiian; fly Alaska through SEA...
Aug 7, 2008, 8:02 am
#843
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
For two seats in May 2009, right now continental.com shows 11 days available for seats in First but just one in coach SDF-HNL. IAH has about ten days out and ten days back. It's not as if one can travel every day, but that's not the promise of SkySaver/PerkSaver/SaverPass awards.
Last edited by 3Cforme; Aug 7, 2008 at 8:42 am
Aug 7, 2008, 10:35 am
#844
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS
Posts: 15,027
Aug 7, 2008, 1:58 pm
#845
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Kea'au, Hawaii
Programs: Recovering Delta SkyMiles Addict--Now Gold with AAdvantage
Posts: 586
And this is bad because . . .??? CO offers more amenities in both Y and F than DL, and I have happily booked my last five SkySaver awards from HNL to the US mainland on CO. I am trying to burn through my SkyMiles before CO leaves SkyTeam, and have already switched my paid travel out of HNL to CO.
Aug 7, 2008, 2:16 pm
#846
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 320
ok here it goes....
Tlv-fco overnight in Rome spend a day touring then Fco-Vce spend 2 days in lovely Venice then direct VCE-JFK.
Return is JFK-FCO-TLV (no stopover just connection).
Both transatlantics are on Delta 120,000 skymiles business $88.00 taxes.
Funny thing is that when i was trying to book an infant they first quoted me $1000.00 (10 percent of $10,000
) then i called back and they quoted me $750.00. I called Continental (i got the exact same ticket using onepass miles) and got an infant ticket for $450.00 all in ^^. It was 10 percent of a delta return fare from TLV-JFK which allowed the stops in Italy.
Anyways all in all very happy to have used 240,000 airline miles on premium seats on the exact route and dates we wanted.
Now we just have to hope Alitalia sticks around untill March.
Tlv-fco overnight in Rome spend a day touring then Fco-Vce spend 2 days in lovely Venice then direct VCE-JFK.
Return is JFK-FCO-TLV (no stopover just connection).
Both transatlantics are on Delta 120,000 skymiles business $88.00 taxes.
Funny thing is that when i was trying to book an infant they first quoted me $1000.00 (10 percent of $10,000
) then i called back and they quoted me $750.00. I called Continental (i got the exact same ticket using onepass miles) and got an infant ticket for $450.00 all in ^^. It was 10 percent of a delta return fare from TLV-JFK which allowed the stops in Italy.Anyways all in all very happy to have used 240,000 airline miles on premium seats on the exact route and dates we wanted.
Now we just have to hope Alitalia sticks around untill March.
Aug 8, 2008, 1:35 am
#847
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BOS, MHT
Programs: AA ltg, B6, DL, UA, AS, SPG/Marriott Plt, HH, Hyatt
Posts: 10,052
booking tix that need to also satisfy the needs of an infant are sometimes difficult and I hope it works out for you. I just wish that since they make us pay 10% of the full fare, they gave us 10% of miles earned on that ticket too!
Anyway, I have an update and it aint so pretty. On rare occasions, this being one, the airline godz of mile issues DO win against the MM.
I was freed of my earlier posted Delta trips only to decide to use my brother's miles to book a direct, non stop trip that would get me there earlier. This ticket would also allow me to leave utah later and be able to ski that morning as well with my friend on the same flight.
DL wanted 47k for this, whereas the return leg was actually in FC!
cool. I would put the itin on hold.
My brother's acct was short 2k miles.
I checked that this flight was available the other morning...
I did the deed of transferring in 2k miles from another acct in the family.
These would take several days to get in.
When i went back to DL's web site, they upped the ticket to 50k and now the return was coach.
I needed to transfer in MORE miles and pay the transfer fee of $30 again!
That's $20 for 2k + $30 transfer fee PLUS $30 for 3k more and another $30 processing fee.
OUCH!
Chit!
It is on hold til fri at 11:59pm.
The miles wont be in on time. If this changes or the flight goes away (my old ones actually have now!) then I am screwed and will have paid to be screwed.
Being on the direct non stop is worth it for me to use extra miles but I hate the fees. I would have used someone else's miles too but could not reach those who I know who had them.
I know other friends may actually be the reason why some seats got gobbled up here, but I have not heard any of them chime in on our group emails saying they booked anything yet, and again, some would come from other cities anyway.
All of this makes me wonder how the websites of airline awards systems work:
Could it possibly be that my own mucking around with the bookings systems somehow triggered some metrics within the booking engine to alter the very flights I am concentrating on? Could this be what triggered the airline to change the mileage requirements for a flight so far out in advance like this and significantly change what else is available in all other itinieraries going to SLC even on the connecting flights on those days?
Who knows.
Oh well. Wish me luck that I at least can use my new 50k to book this.
DL was of course unable to help with any of it. CS basically told me, "Sorry mate... yes, you paid us to screw yourself out of the flight you just saw we had open, so you could pay us more to not even be guaranteed the newer, more expensive one will even be available for you the way you want it. Thanks... NEXT!"
Anyway, I have an update and it aint so pretty. On rare occasions, this being one, the airline godz of mile issues DO win against the MM.
I was freed of my earlier posted Delta trips only to decide to use my brother's miles to book a direct, non stop trip that would get me there earlier. This ticket would also allow me to leave utah later and be able to ski that morning as well with my friend on the same flight.
DL wanted 47k for this, whereas the return leg was actually in FC!
cool. I would put the itin on hold.
My brother's acct was short 2k miles.
I checked that this flight was available the other morning...
I did the deed of transferring in 2k miles from another acct in the family.
These would take several days to get in.
When i went back to DL's web site, they upped the ticket to 50k and now the return was coach.
I needed to transfer in MORE miles and pay the transfer fee of $30 again!
That's $20 for 2k + $30 transfer fee PLUS $30 for 3k more and another $30 processing fee.
OUCH!
Chit!
It is on hold til fri at 11:59pm.
The miles wont be in on time. If this changes or the flight goes away (my old ones actually have now!) then I am screwed and will have paid to be screwed.
Being on the direct non stop is worth it for me to use extra miles but I hate the fees. I would have used someone else's miles too but could not reach those who I know who had them.
I know other friends may actually be the reason why some seats got gobbled up here, but I have not heard any of them chime in on our group emails saying they booked anything yet, and again, some would come from other cities anyway.
All of this makes me wonder how the websites of airline awards systems work:
Could it possibly be that my own mucking around with the bookings systems somehow triggered some metrics within the booking engine to alter the very flights I am concentrating on? Could this be what triggered the airline to change the mileage requirements for a flight so far out in advance like this and significantly change what else is available in all other itinieraries going to SLC even on the connecting flights on those days?
Who knows.
Oh well. Wish me luck that I at least can use my new 50k to book this.
DL was of course unable to help with any of it. CS basically told me, "Sorry mate... yes, you paid us to screw yourself out of the flight you just saw we had open, so you could pay us more to not even be guaranteed the newer, more expensive one will even be available for you the way you want it. Thanks... NEXT!"
Aug 10, 2008, 1:18 am
#848
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: BOS, MHT
Programs: AA ltg, B6, DL, UA, AS, SPG/Marriott Plt, HH, Hyatt
Posts: 10,052
update
transferred miles to DL went thru in 2 days and I was able to finally book my flight for 50k. It cost me $110, some frustration and extra miles, but I hate connections for trips like the one I am on so I have to be ok with it.
120k Skysaver Business class Award
Aug 10, 2008, 12:00 pm
#850
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: BNA
Programs: DL PM/MM, Hilton Diamond, *wood plat, UA 1kc
Posts: 921
GOOD. I was starting to believe your handle was in reference to the length of those posts:-)
Aug 10, 2008, 5:53 pm
#851
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Anaheim, CA US
Posts: 251
Booked a 45K saver LAX-JFK rt in F, and also 2 90K saver open jaws LAX-CDG, LHR-LAX in AF J. There was availability to go CDG-LHR in AF J as well for a stopover, but I decided that Eurostar would be more fun. BTW there was plenty of availability next summer for the AF LAX-LHR nonstop, but it was difficult to get the LAX-CDG seats.
150 miles left so I accomplished my mileage burning goal. Thanks Delta for all the travel memories, especially the SQ and VS J flights, they made for great vacations and I feel like I have gotten a good value for my miles every time I have redeemed!
150 miles left so I accomplished my mileage burning goal. Thanks Delta for all the travel memories, especially the SQ and VS J flights, they made for great vacations and I feel like I have gotten a good value for my miles every time I have redeemed!
Aug 10, 2008, 11:00 pm
#852
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: ONT, LAX
Programs: DL GM, UA PREMIER GOLD, AMEX PLT, HYATT Diamond
Posts: 100
Two 120k Skysaver J awards 12Jan- Feb09
I took advantage of Delta’s first-time purchase "100% bonus miles offer" and booked us business class awards to visit our daughter and son-in-law in Dubai next year.
For my husband: ATL-DXB-ATL (nonstop DL) +$28 tax
For me: ATL-DXB (nonstop DL) stopover/open-jaw DEL-CDG-ATL (AF/DL)+$68 tax + $25 partner’s fee.
I was surprised to find a lot of Skysaver availability. I booked these awards at the delta website.
I wanted to redeem ATL-DEL with a DXB stopover, but PA told me I need to purchase a DXB-DEL ticket because there are no ST flights from Dubai.
For my husband: ATL-DXB-ATL (nonstop DL) +$28 tax
For me: ATL-DXB (nonstop DL) stopover/open-jaw DEL-CDG-ATL (AF/DL)+$68 tax + $25 partner’s fee.
I was surprised to find a lot of Skysaver availability. I booked these awards at the delta website.
I wanted to redeem ATL-DEL with a DXB stopover, but PA told me I need to purchase a DXB-DEL ticket because there are no ST flights from Dubai.
Aug 12, 2008, 2:22 pm
#853
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,388
On one week's notice - two BE tickets from MCO-ATL-ZRH, (stopover): ZRH-CDG-CPH, and finally, return from CPH-ATL-MCO. Great one-stop short connection out to Zurich, four hours total time from ZRH-CPH and great one-stop short connection CPH-MCO return. All done online in twenty minutes with only one change in hoped-for schedule and that was just to come back a day later than planned. Very easy! Another example that if you can wait until the last week or two to schedule there are a lot of great BE award seats out there. We've waited until very late several times and always been able to work out BE tickets to Europe in May to August with little flexibility needed. 
Congrats. ^ upgrader, did you book on-line or over the phone?
Aug 12, 2008, 5:17 pm
#855
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Seattle
Programs: AA 2MM
Posts: 260
On one week's notice - two BE tickets from MCO-ATL-ZRH, (stopover): ZRH-CDG-CPH, and finally, return from CPH-ATL-MCO. Great one-stop short connection out to Zurich, four hours total time from ZRH-CPH and great one-stop short connection CPH-MCO return. All done online in twenty minutes with only one change in hoped-for schedule and that was just to come back a day later than planned. Very easy! Another example that if you can wait until the last week or two to schedule there are a lot of great BE award seats out there. We've waited until very late several times and always been able to work out BE tickets to Europe in May to August with little flexibility needed.