Problems and Issues with SkyMiles Award Availability Calendar: The Definitive Thread
Jan 24, 2010, 6:26 pm
#751
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Auckland, NZ/New York, NY/ATL
Programs: DL DM MM, BIS 2.4MM, EK Gold, SQ Gold, Marriott Gold, HH Gold,
Posts: 5,218
And we almost went 4 days without a new thread about award availability. On a pleasant (positive) note, at least the last 2 threads have been mostly positive.
Jan 24, 2010, 6:34 pm
#752
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,397
I've long since given up that the award calendar will be fixed. With the constant chorus of complaints on here + the fact that DL supposedly reads these boards, they must know about it and would have fixed it by now if they had the intention of doing so.
Jan 24, 2010, 6:47 pm
#753
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: MOB / PNS / GPT
Programs: DL Gold Hopefully be DL nothing in 1 more year / Hertz Something / Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 838
Delta opened up a crap load of flights from June to Sept all in low from ATL to HNL yesterday. Today most of them disappeared. Alot still scattered out there. I'm still holding out for specific dates and am staying positive my specific days will open up.
Jan 24, 2010, 6:48 pm
#754
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: Waffle House DM
Posts: 467
Fat chance! It's the usual "screw you and the horse you rode in on" DL.com today. They nearly sucked me in by showing some low Biz ATL-FCO fares yesterday, but today every low or medium you click comes up with:
"there are no flights available on that date"
Same old crapola from DL, set low expectations and consistently fail to achieve them.
"there are no flights available on that date"
Same old crapola from DL, set low expectations and consistently fail to achieve them.
Jan 24, 2010, 7:07 pm
#756
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: LAX/BOS/HKG/AMS/SFO...hmm, I need a life.
Programs: United1K, AA ExPlAAt, DL MM/Gold, Hilton Diamond, Avis First
Posts: 13,316
I search pretty regularly doing all the "tricks" to search for award tickets, but today I'm getting ALOT more flight options, and when I tried the calendar option (which I've given up on) when I clicked on "LOW" availability I actually pulled up flights with LOW miles!
Is this just some cruel trick or did the wknd technology update fix things? I'll keep my fingers crossed that this is the beginning of something better.
Is this just some cruel trick or did the wknd technology update fix things? I'll keep my fingers crossed that this is the beginning of something better.
Jan 24, 2010, 7:14 pm
#757
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: ATL
Programs: Delta PlM, 1M
Posts: 6,363
Jan 24, 2010, 8:05 pm
#758
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: NYC with eyes on the world
Programs: DL-Kryptonium (DM+); HH-Diamond, SPG-Gold
Posts: 529
Technology Tune Up - NW merger
I was looking at award tickets today to plan a vacation in April with my partner.
Wanted to do this:
JFK-NRT-HKG spend some time (7 days)
HKG-NRT spend the balance (8 days)
NRT-JFK fly home
Found JFK-ATL-NRT, NRT-ATL-JFK for 180K in BE
Couldn't find anything that didn't cost almost as much (145K) for
NRT-HKG-NRT
Called SMS (Regina was terrific!) and they said that they were merging the NW availability/flights into the Delta system, hence the online technology tune up.
I told her tha the link on the Delta home page about this said it would be completed by 3p EST. News to her and she verified and thanked me for the info. Suggested I check back after then to see what opens up; she said most of the NW flights (or Delta #'s operated by NW) showed no availability.
Sure enough, called back around 6:30p and they (Jen in TPA) were able to add
NRT - HKG; BE
HKG - NRT: Coach
AND KEPT ME AT THE 180K (per person) A/I!
Metal for this is A330, so I can live in coach for one of 6 flights.
Keep trying and you'll likely find something. Best of luck!
Wanted to do this:
JFK-NRT-HKG spend some time (7 days)
HKG-NRT spend the balance (8 days)
NRT-JFK fly home
Found JFK-ATL-NRT, NRT-ATL-JFK for 180K in BE
Couldn't find anything that didn't cost almost as much (145K) for
NRT-HKG-NRT
Called SMS (Regina was terrific!) and they said that they were merging the NW availability/flights into the Delta system, hence the online technology tune up.
I told her tha the link on the Delta home page about this said it would be completed by 3p EST. News to her and she verified and thanked me for the info. Suggested I check back after then to see what opens up; she said most of the NW flights (or Delta #'s operated by NW) showed no availability.
Sure enough, called back around 6:30p and they (Jen in TPA) were able to add
NRT - HKG; BE
HKG - NRT: Coach
AND KEPT ME AT THE 180K (per person) A/I!
Metal for this is A330, so I can live in coach for one of 6 flights.
Keep trying and you'll likely find something. Best of luck!
Jan 24, 2010, 8:07 pm
#759
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: SLC
Programs: DL PM,1MM
Posts: 690
I was mainly looking at HNL or Europe. I've also noticed more flight combinations. In the past when I've searched VCE-SLC, I get just flights VCE-JFK-SLC; today I'm getting all sorts of combinations thru CDG,AMS - everythings medium, but more choices.
I'm trying to be positive about things - after all - how could it get any worse?
I'm trying to be positive about things - after all - how could it get any worse?
Jan 24, 2010, 8:48 pm
#761
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: MOB / PNS / GPT
Programs: DL Gold Hopefully be DL nothing in 1 more year / Hertz Something / Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 838
I was mainly looking at HNL or Europe. I've also noticed more flight combinations. In the past when I've searched VCE-SLC, I get just flights VCE-JFK-SLC; today I'm getting all sorts of combinations thru CDG,AMS - everythings medium, but more choices.
I'm trying to be positive about things - after all - how could it get any worse?
I'm trying to be positive about things - after all - how could it get any worse?
Jan 24, 2010, 10:25 pm
#762
FlyerTalk Evangelist & Ambassador: China
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: DL DM/MM, UA 1K, AA Exp, HH Dia, WOH Glob, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold, NA EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 17,419
Jan 24, 2010, 10:40 pm
#763
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: check swarm
Programs: DL DM & 2MM, SPG/Bonvoid LT Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, $tarbucks Titanium
Posts: 14,404
even if they get the calendar working, there are still a lot of things to fix:
- ability to see all/any availability in one search vs having to research for Y or Biz/First
- multi-city bookings
- miles upgrades on paid fares
- ability to see all/any availability in one search vs having to research for Y or Biz/First
- multi-city bookings
- miles upgrades on paid fares
Jan 25, 2010, 12:21 am
#764
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Madison, WI, USA
Posts: 14,162
I tried MSN-NRT in November, got no flights available, clicked on the "View calendar for more options" link and nothing happened. Tried MSN-HKG and did get flights -- for 370,000 miles. It looks like all the flights to NRT that were there a few days ago at 120,000 miles have disappeared. So there is at present no way for me to book my award trip online.
Jan 25, 2010, 5:07 am
#765
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Rehoboth Beach
Posts: 74
SYD-ATL
I have two low BE award tix from ATL-SYD...outbound on DL, return on KE
Would prefer to return on DL but it's not worth the additional 110K miles per pax.
On Saturday, I saw low BE availability from SYD-ATL for almost every date in February with exception of 1st week. Then almost every date in March, with exception of 1st week.
It had to be a fluke since looking at seating charts, say on Feb 28th, there were only 4 BE seats open BUT looking at March 3rd, there were 17 seats open.
The flukes never seem to workout in my favor since March 3rd is my return date.
I even called into SMS and tried to negotiate. Isn't it financially better for DL to retain my redeemed miles rather than "pay" them to KE? No success.
On Sunday around 2p EST, all of those low BEs disappeared.
Would prefer to return on DL but it's not worth the additional 110K miles per pax.
On Saturday, I saw low BE availability from SYD-ATL for almost every date in February with exception of 1st week. Then almost every date in March, with exception of 1st week.
It had to be a fluke since looking at seating charts, say on Feb 28th, there were only 4 BE seats open BUT looking at March 3rd, there were 17 seats open.
The flukes never seem to workout in my favor since March 3rd is my return date.
I even called into SMS and tried to negotiate. Isn't it financially better for DL to retain my redeemed miles rather than "pay" them to KE? No success.
On Sunday around 2p EST, all of those low BEs disappeared.
Last edited by BluEyedFF; Jan 25, 2010 at 6:14 am