jwhite4

Surprised no one else commented on this yet. In the May 2004 DL AMEX newsletter, it describes the new Platinum Companion Certificate. You still get the 2nd ticket for free (have to pay all taxes/fees on it thought). However, instead of previous arcane ticket rules (first was a minimum ticket price, then was any price, but not (I believe) L/U/T class tickets), now they've adopted a NWA-like zone price structure. Lowest price is $238 for within a zone, to $398 for cross country (with steps at $278 and $318).

What do others think of this? I'd say $400 + taxes for 2 for cross country is not a bad deal (you'd have to work to find a good sale at $200 p/p or less RT). I'm excited because PHL (home airport) to Florida is $278, not necessarily great for destinations like MCO or FLL (got tickets on DL for Sept 04 from PHL-FLL for $127 RT w/ all taxes), but phenominal if I can use the voucher to get tickets to Key West (where on Delta it's often $400 just for one ticket).

Jeff

Diver90

Now you just need to find a flight that they will let you use the cert on. I tried to use it to go to Milwaukee and could not find a flight where they would accept it.



I am not alone on this

Cornered in CVG

This was the final straw that made me cancel my card. I now use the AMEX Platinum card. Higher fee, but benefits you can actually use!

CelticFlyer

Is it still limited to coach tickets ?

Cholula

Yeah and I threw it out with the rest of the junk mail. I'll fly DL coach voluntarily when cows fly.

Pointfreak!

Ahhh Cholula, you should have sent it to me. I fly my Mother In-Law coach all the time!

Marylou

I also have not been able to use them. If you look at the black out dates, in addition to the obvious Thanksgiving, Christmas, July 4, they've also managed to cover every weekend during the spring break periods for different school districts. They also expire in exactly one year.

If you do find a date with availability, the price you will have to pay for the first ticket will be equal to or greater than buying 2 tickets on sale.

RunawayNFly

Yup! You got THAT one right! I did the same thing.

bdschobel

I used my last one (earned in July 2003) this past weekend (Memorial Day). I got pretty good value out of it. But it does get harder every year.

Bruce

gulfcoastdave

I also trashed the certificate & converted to the *wood Amex card - no fee the first year was the clincher!

jerry crump

The one thing I can say for DL is at least this looks more straight forward than the other offer.

You need to add the taxes the value of the ff miles the companion doesn't get and divide by 2. If the result is less than the cheapest fare available its a deal. Often I bet it's not.

CelticFlyer

Maybe you could check something then. If that cert was one where the paid ticket gets /NT409 added to the fare basis (can be seen in the fare calc line) did the fare price as it would have otherwise or did it change? I'm a bit curious as to how they can claim that it can be used with non LUT published fares when they stick the /NT409 on the end and somehow the price comes out different - at least on the route I checked.

bdschobel

I speak airline lingo pretty well, but I just don't understand this question. One of our tickets did indeed have NT409 in the fare basis. I can't recall which one, and I don't have the ticket receipts any more. Maybe if you explain a little better I'll be able to answer your question.

Bruce

CelticFlyer

Well I'm beginning to think that this may have been down to an agent being confused.... but the question was about whether fare basis (say) KBLAH on the same route was being priced at the same fare as the KBLAH/NT409 that appears on the primary ticket of the pair. To my mind the fare should be whatever the KBLAH fare is - sticking the /NT409 on it shouldn't change the price!

bdschobel

I priced my ticket on delta.com before reserving it, along with my companion (10-year-old son) over the phone. The price did not change. I picked up the tickets at the Grand Central CTO, and the price of my ticket was still the same. I paid a few taxes and minor charges for the companion ticket. I was able to get pretty good value from the certificate, but we went to Detroit, not exactly a prime vacation destination (but no offense to people who live there!).

Bruce