SkyBonus Incentive Program for Small Businesses
Apr 7, 2008, 6:37 pm
#151
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From what I've heard in the past, yes... maybe someone with more inside info can help, but I believe that E is even lower on the food chain than N skysaver tix.
Apr 11, 2008, 11:22 am
#152
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: (not Montana. Nor is my name really Helena, nor am I female)
Programs: Delta, USAirways, Starwood, Priority Club, Marriott, Amex
Posts: 2,557
How to book a SkyBonus ticket
Please note that most of the discussion below should be moot after about mid-2008.
Delta Skybonus is a program for small businesses, in which the business earns points for flights their employees make, in addition to the Skymiles the employee earns. Points can be redeemed for flights or upgrades or CRC passes or memberships.
The "cheapest" flights are redeemed from booking class E, which is capacity controlled. Word on FT is that E is even more restrictive than Skysaver classes, and that may be the case, but I recently was able to redeem two Skybonus SE1 tickets for a flight that had no Skysaver availability.
The most serious problem I've encountered, though, is that the redemption procedure is positively draconian. The way it's supposed to work is this:
1) select the award type (e.g., domestic coach, domestic first class, international coach, etc.) you want and purchase a code with the appropriate number of points.
2) wait for an email to arrive which contains the code you need to actually book the ticket(s)
3) call an agent (in India, typically, and who doesn't typically know much about how to book the ticket since there's relatively little volume in Skybonus redemptions) who will ask for the code in the email to book the tickets, if there's availability, which, most of the time, there's not.
4) If you find there's no availability for flights that will work for you, now you learn that the points cannot be re-deposited into your account for any price. And they can't be used for any other award type. And the code expires in one year.
In summary, the chance of spending points and getting nothing for them is huge. You can try to call in advance to establish availability prior to spending the points, but I've run into agents that either think they can't look up availability without the code or look up availability in some class other than E (so you spend the points, call back to book, and discover there's actually no availability
).
Based on my recent experience, here's a method that I think should reduce the chance as much as possible of spending the points and then losing them:
1) Log on to your Skybonus account and find the page to redeem the award you want. Select the award, but do not click on the button where it says you will not be able to redeposit the points. Leave your browser open to this page.
2) Call the reservation number. If you can, record the call. Do you live in a state that prohibits recording calls without the other party's permission? Just listen for the recording that says "this call may be recorded for training purposes," and say "thank you, I will." Whether you record the call or not, write down the agent's name.
3) When the agent asks for the code, what s/he probably means is s/he needs the booking class. Tell her/him it's "E." If they need the promotion number, it's G*15273. If s/he insists on asking for the ticket authorization number up front, explain that you merely want to check availability. If s/he still insists, hang up and go back to step 2.
4) If the agent finds no availability that's of use to you, log off your Skybonus account without purchasing the award, and at least you haven't lost the points. If the agent finds availability on flights you can use, ask her/him if s/he can wait for you to get the ticket authorization number and then book the flight(s). If s/he refuses (there shouldn't be any reason to refuse, but as I said, many of the agents you get are lost in this system), hang up and go back to step 2. If s/he agrees, click on the button in your browser and follow through with the purchase of the award. The email is sent essentially instantaneously, so begin checking your email inbox until it arrives. Use the ticket authorization number(s) in the email to book the ticket with the agent you still have on the phone.
5) The above should result in success (if there's availability). But if you give the authorization numbers to the agent and s/he then discovers s/he searched for the wrong class when s/he mistakenly told you there was availability, you at least have the agent's name, and if you recorded the call, you have a recorded documentation of the foul up, which I'd hope you could use in an appeal to have the points redeposited. Whether you record the call or not, if you end up in this predicament, I'd ask the agent to bring in a supervisor and discuss what has just happened rather than hanging up.
6) If you do have to make an appeal for redeposit because the agent got it wrong, I've found that calling the Skybonus reservation number will get you nowhere, but an email to the address found on the Skybonus "Contact Us" page may well get a helpful response.
Well, that's the extent of my thoughts on the subject except to point out that an Expert Flyer account might have helped me out (assuming that Expert Flyer discloses Delta E inventory), because I could've skipped the steps trying to determine availability in advance. Even with Expert Flyer showing E availability, though, I think it makes sense to not pull the trigger on the award until you have an agent on the line with the seat(s) showing ready to book.
As mentioned above, this rigamarole should be rendered obsolete by upcoming changes to the program due about mid-2008, as discussed in this thread.
Delta Skybonus is a program for small businesses, in which the business earns points for flights their employees make, in addition to the Skymiles the employee earns. Points can be redeemed for flights or upgrades or CRC passes or memberships.
The "cheapest" flights are redeemed from booking class E, which is capacity controlled. Word on FT is that E is even more restrictive than Skysaver classes, and that may be the case, but I recently was able to redeem two Skybonus SE1 tickets for a flight that had no Skysaver availability.
The most serious problem I've encountered, though, is that the redemption procedure is positively draconian. The way it's supposed to work is this:
1) select the award type (e.g., domestic coach, domestic first class, international coach, etc.) you want and purchase a code with the appropriate number of points.
2) wait for an email to arrive which contains the code you need to actually book the ticket(s)
3) call an agent (in India, typically, and who doesn't typically know much about how to book the ticket since there's relatively little volume in Skybonus redemptions) who will ask for the code in the email to book the tickets, if there's availability, which, most of the time, there's not.
4) If you find there's no availability for flights that will work for you, now you learn that the points cannot be re-deposited into your account for any price. And they can't be used for any other award type. And the code expires in one year.
In summary, the chance of spending points and getting nothing for them is huge. You can try to call in advance to establish availability prior to spending the points, but I've run into agents that either think they can't look up availability without the code or look up availability in some class other than E (so you spend the points, call back to book, and discover there's actually no availability
).Based on my recent experience, here's a method that I think should reduce the chance as much as possible of spending the points and then losing them:
1) Log on to your Skybonus account and find the page to redeem the award you want. Select the award, but do not click on the button where it says you will not be able to redeposit the points. Leave your browser open to this page.
2) Call the reservation number. If you can, record the call. Do you live in a state that prohibits recording calls without the other party's permission? Just listen for the recording that says "this call may be recorded for training purposes," and say "thank you, I will." Whether you record the call or not, write down the agent's name.
3) When the agent asks for the code, what s/he probably means is s/he needs the booking class. Tell her/him it's "E." If they need the promotion number, it's G*15273. If s/he insists on asking for the ticket authorization number up front, explain that you merely want to check availability. If s/he still insists, hang up and go back to step 2.
4) If the agent finds no availability that's of use to you, log off your Skybonus account without purchasing the award, and at least you haven't lost the points. If the agent finds availability on flights you can use, ask her/him if s/he can wait for you to get the ticket authorization number and then book the flight(s). If s/he refuses (there shouldn't be any reason to refuse, but as I said, many of the agents you get are lost in this system), hang up and go back to step 2. If s/he agrees, click on the button in your browser and follow through with the purchase of the award. The email is sent essentially instantaneously, so begin checking your email inbox until it arrives. Use the ticket authorization number(s) in the email to book the ticket with the agent you still have on the phone.
5) The above should result in success (if there's availability). But if you give the authorization numbers to the agent and s/he then discovers s/he searched for the wrong class when s/he mistakenly told you there was availability, you at least have the agent's name, and if you recorded the call, you have a recorded documentation of the foul up, which I'd hope you could use in an appeal to have the points redeposited. Whether you record the call or not, if you end up in this predicament, I'd ask the agent to bring in a supervisor and discuss what has just happened rather than hanging up.
6) If you do have to make an appeal for redeposit because the agent got it wrong, I've found that calling the Skybonus reservation number will get you nowhere, but an email to the address found on the Skybonus "Contact Us" page may well get a helpful response.
Well, that's the extent of my thoughts on the subject except to point out that an Expert Flyer account might have helped me out (assuming that Expert Flyer discloses Delta E inventory), because I could've skipped the steps trying to determine availability in advance. Even with Expert Flyer showing E availability, though, I think it makes sense to not pull the trigger on the award until you have an agent on the line with the seat(s) showing ready to book.
As mentioned above, this rigamarole should be rendered obsolete by upcoming changes to the program due about mid-2008, as discussed in this thread.
Last edited by Helena Handbaskets; Apr 11, 2008 at 11:53 am
Apr 11, 2008, 11:36 am
#153
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: (not Montana. Nor is my name really Helena, nor am I female)
Programs: Delta, USAirways, Starwood, Priority Club, Marriott, Amex
Posts: 2,557
Big improvement in Skybonus booking ahead!
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with someone from Delta's Skybonus program who told me that within "about 3 months or less", the award ticket booking for this program will be fully automated. The system as it's currently planned should allow you to enter the destination and date you want and come back with whatever availability exists in all classes and capacity control levels (i.e., there's a "more-restricted" class and a "less-restricted" class; the automated system should show availability in either or both, if it exists). The system should then book the selected itinerary and withdraw the required Skybonus points simultaneously.
No more clueless agents!
No more draconian redemption scheme that causes you to spend the points irretrievably withough getting any award for them!
No more hours on the phone!
No more $25 phone-reservation fee!
If this comes about as it was described to me, it will be a huge improvement over the status quo for this program.
============
Since many have never heard of Skybonus, I'll point out that it is an incentive program for small businesses. The company earns redeemable points for qualifying flights made by company employees, while the employee keeps the Skymiles he or she earns from the same flight.
No more clueless agents!
No more draconian redemption scheme that causes you to spend the points irretrievably withough getting any award for them!
No more hours on the phone!
No more $25 phone-reservation fee!
If this comes about as it was described to me, it will be a huge improvement over the status quo for this program.
============
Since many have never heard of Skybonus, I'll point out that it is an incentive program for small businesses. The company earns redeemable points for qualifying flights made by company employees, while the employee keeps the Skymiles he or she earns from the same flight.
Apr 11, 2008, 12:43 pm
#154
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,298
Dont hold your breath waiting for what sounds like a pipedream.
DL has absolutely NO control over partner capacity controls; thus you will still find the same availabilities as you have now -- especially for the longer haul international flights to the more popular destinations.
When the bird is physically in hand, then perhaps we can believe it exist,
otherwise it is nothing but merely a wishful dream.
DL has absolutely NO control over partner capacity controls; thus you will still find the same availabilities as you have now -- especially for the longer haul international flights to the more popular destinations.
When the bird is physically in hand, then perhaps we can believe it exist,
otherwise it is nothing but merely a wishful dream.
Apr 11, 2008, 12:47 pm
#155
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: (not Montana. Nor is my name really Helena, nor am I female)
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Posts: 2,557
I didn't mean to imply that the proposed improvement would affect availability at all - merely an improvement in the booking process.
Apr 11, 2008, 12:54 pm
#156
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Well unfortunately it'll probably end up using the same award calendar booking system that is on the main Delta website... which means it won't work for crap and you'll have to call to find out availability and book anyway.
Apr 11, 2008, 3:12 pm
#158
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: District of Columbia
Programs: AA ExecPl, AT Gold, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Diamond, Hilton Diamond, National
Posts: 2,440
I don't know that anything can be worse than the Skybonus system as it currently works. Those agents are often clueless about the program.
Apr 11, 2008, 4:39 pm
#159
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: OHIO - CVG,DAY
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Plat, DL DM MM. National Exec... and my CC qualified for Plat. Status!
Posts: 469
Yes, Skybonus is for smaller companies that spend between $5,000 and $500,000 a year on tix. It is a FF program for the company that you can get upgrades, CRC memberships, and free flights.
It is also relatively obscure and only a few years old. It is an absolute pain to explain to the agents what the program is because they seem to believe that you made it up. Even better is when the upgrade has been processed and they hit the wrong button in the reservation. No more upgrade and a huge headache at the airport to get it back.
Remember, they used to Mail you the certificates! Now it is all e-mail. A step in the right direction.
I will say that the e-mail support has been pretty good and more agents have at least heard about it in the last few months.
If this ends up being automated, that will be awesome.
It is also relatively obscure and only a few years old. It is an absolute pain to explain to the agents what the program is because they seem to believe that you made it up. Even better is when the upgrade has been processed and they hit the wrong button in the reservation. No more upgrade and a huge headache at the airport to get it back.
Remember, they used to Mail you the certificates! Now it is all e-mail. A step in the right direction.
I will say that the e-mail support has been pretty good and more agents have at least heard about it in the last few months.
If this ends up being automated, that will be awesome.
Apr 12, 2008, 11:01 pm
#161
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: OHIO - CVG,DAY
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Plat, DL DM MM. National Exec... and my CC qualified for Plat. Status!
Posts: 469
Flyertalk or Skybonus?
Not sure about Flyertalk. Maybe Flye R. Talk Esq.
Skybonus is a Delta program so maybe a secret tribe of monks finance it from their hidden fortress, or maybe Delta writes the checks. The world may never know.
Go to www.delta-skybonus.com and you can read all about it.
Not sure about Flyertalk. Maybe Flye R. Talk Esq.
Skybonus is a Delta program so maybe a secret tribe of monks finance it from their hidden fortress, or maybe Delta writes the checks. The world may never know.
Go to www.delta-skybonus.com and you can read all about it.
Apr 13, 2008, 1:08 pm
#162
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The skybonus program is a nice benefit for companies that aren't big enough to get the negotiated special rates. However from what I've heard the 'standard' award ticket availability is worse than skysaver.
Apr 13, 2008, 7:52 pm
#163
Join Date: Sep 2004
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I've also heard availability is more restricted than Skysaver, and my experience seems to supprt this. But the E fare class from which the "cheapest" Skybonus tickets are booked is not exactly a subset of Skysaver availability. I recently booked Skybonus tickets for an itinerary where Skysaver was not available. Previously I had assumed that if Skysaver was not available then it was hopeless for Skybonus, but it turns out that's not the case.
Apr 28, 2008, 6:37 pm
#164
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: DAB
Programs: Delta PM
Posts: 627
SkyBonus Award via SMS?
I am dealing with an Indian at 888-286-5184 to book a SkyBonus ticket. The award certificate email said I had to call that number. This is incredibly painful, as we can't understand each other. Can you just book these via SMS? My god, this is the worst customer service ever.
On the plus side, availability was not a problem.
On the plus side, availability was not a problem.
Apr 28, 2008, 8:08 pm
#165
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: New York City
Programs: AA EXP, DL DM, SPG Plat, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,127
Really? You found seats?? In coach or biz/first? I have heard these are almost impossible to redeem in coach as they book into E class which is, shockingly, below even N.