VDB in FRA...$10000 and counting
Aug 6, 2008, 9:33 am
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2005
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Aug 6, 2008, 9:44 am
#17
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: ATL
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Aug 6, 2008, 10:23 am
#18
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: SEA
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Congrats man. That is impressive.
Aug 6, 2008, 10:33 am
#19
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Huntsville, AL
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Aug 6, 2008, 10:36 am
#20
Join Date: May 2006
Programs: Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, DeltaMM
Posts: 516
Wow, that is a tremendous thing! My best ever was four VDBs/four free RTs in Atlanta on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. I may just have to fly to FRA to give this a shot!
Well done.
Well done.
Aug 6, 2008, 5:25 pm
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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^
You may not be the only one flying to FRA in hopes of IDB!
You may not be the only one flying to FRA in hopes of IDB!
Aug 6, 2008, 5:34 pm
#22
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 4,677
All those years in Siberia doing the Lord's work are paying off! 
Aug 6, 2008, 5:38 pm
#23
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Tampa
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Aug 6, 2008, 6:19 pm
#24
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: TUL
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Posts: 2,102
I agree with others... OP is my new hero!!!
Aug 6, 2008, 7:30 pm
#25
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Augusta, GA, USA
Programs: DL FC, NW
Posts: 3,522
woody - way to go. I guess I should plan my stategy after I read your book. Hopefully they put you up at the Shearaton.
Aug 6, 2008, 7:32 pm
#26
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Augusta, GA, USA
Programs: DL FC, NW
Posts: 3,522
I meant to say - ka ching!!!!!!
Aug 6, 2008, 8:24 pm
#27
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Indianapolis, IN USA
Posts: 2,066
Wow crying with jealously!
Aug 6, 2008, 8:53 pm
#28
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2003
Location: ATL/MOO (Many Others Often)
Programs: DL GM (2MM), Lifetime Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, IHG Plat
Posts: 2,456
I'm no hero!
Easy fellas. This is no genius at work here I assure you. The family and I spend each summer in Russia so I'm pretty experienced knowing that FRA is a busy station in early August. That is one reason we fly here and then SU it to SVO and OVB instead of flying all the way to SVO from ATL. As for approach, I do a little research the night before on Delta.com and their intranet site and then I lay out my plan for the next morning. The fact that the staff knows me does help. The fact I have 4 kids under 10 also seems to help too.
The ground staff here is nice because, I think, I'm over the top nice to them. My mom fell at the Sheraton here last year on the way home with us from Russia and I spent the better part of 3 days with the Station Manager working out how to a) get my two oldest kids back to ATL so I could focus on mom, 2) reworking my el cheapo ticket to match Mom's ticket, 3) and mom is the DL survivor who was flying on her pass. Somehow, the first day she could fly, she did fly. They put her up front and put me up there beside her to take care of her on the way home. I wrote letters to Delta and Swissport with the names and badge numbers of all who helped me (6 or 7 people total...I'd have to look back). Since then I've been op upped 2x to BE for no apparent reason when flying through here on my own. Yesterday, we were the only ones they gave the bump too and, as noted, I did not even have to go past the ticket counter to get it. Have to be nice? Nah. I think they choose to be nice.
The gravy train could come to an end today though. My early a.m. research (4.47 at the moment local time) has me able to buy 5 tickets on Delta.com on DL27. That sure was not the case the last two days. My in laws, also retired Delta people (it's a family thing), are trying to get home with us. They flew in Sunday to surprise us on Monday when we arrived from Russia. It'd be great to see them get out today.
So, looks like there will be some up and coming travel for my clan. Now, I'm just trying to decide whether to make a sincere run and some odd routings for holiday travel so my 3 boys will make GM this year. Hmmmm.....the quandries that wealth of this sort puts you in!
Also...
$1000 per passenger is the EU standard if you are delayed more than 3 (or is it 4?) hours. The terms and conditions are on the night stand but my wife and 14 month old are asleep. No way I'm risking waking them up to see what the letter of the law is. Anyway, we're 5 tickets plus a lap child so that comes out to $5k a day if my math is right. Nada for the lap child...yet!
Also also....
The 5 tickets I could buy (for $4 plus k each!!!!) an hour ago are no longer available at Delta.com. I can't even buy one now. Hmmmmm......today could be that trip to the zoo we missed out on yesterday. By the way, the Museum of Natural History here in Frankfurt is quite impressive.
More later...
The ground staff here is nice because, I think, I'm over the top nice to them. My mom fell at the Sheraton here last year on the way home with us from Russia and I spent the better part of 3 days with the Station Manager working out how to a) get my two oldest kids back to ATL so I could focus on mom, 2) reworking my el cheapo ticket to match Mom's ticket, 3) and mom is the DL survivor who was flying on her pass. Somehow, the first day she could fly, she did fly. They put her up front and put me up there beside her to take care of her on the way home. I wrote letters to Delta and Swissport with the names and badge numbers of all who helped me (6 or 7 people total...I'd have to look back). Since then I've been op upped 2x to BE for no apparent reason when flying through here on my own. Yesterday, we were the only ones they gave the bump too and, as noted, I did not even have to go past the ticket counter to get it. Have to be nice? Nah. I think they choose to be nice.
The gravy train could come to an end today though. My early a.m. research (4.47 at the moment local time) has me able to buy 5 tickets on Delta.com on DL27. That sure was not the case the last two days. My in laws, also retired Delta people (it's a family thing), are trying to get home with us. They flew in Sunday to surprise us on Monday when we arrived from Russia. It'd be great to see them get out today.
So, looks like there will be some up and coming travel for my clan. Now, I'm just trying to decide whether to make a sincere run and some odd routings for holiday travel so my 3 boys will make GM this year. Hmmmm.....the quandries that wealth of this sort puts you in!
Also...
$1000 per passenger is the EU standard if you are delayed more than 3 (or is it 4?) hours. The terms and conditions are on the night stand but my wife and 14 month old are asleep. No way I'm risking waking them up to see what the letter of the law is. Anyway, we're 5 tickets plus a lap child so that comes out to $5k a day if my math is right. Nada for the lap child...yet!
Also also....
The 5 tickets I could buy (for $4 plus k each!!!!) an hour ago are no longer available at Delta.com. I can't even buy one now. Hmmmmm......today could be that trip to the zoo we missed out on yesterday. By the way, the Museum of Natural History here in Frankfurt is quite impressive.
More later...
Last edited by woody125; Aug 6, 2008 at 9:20 pm Reason: Also and Also also...
Aug 6, 2008, 9:55 pm
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2003
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Dude, you're in Europe, EU 261/2004 applies. They are nice to you because by law if they had to IDB 5 people they have to pay about the same amount in Cash + hotel + phone calls + Ticket Refunds if delay is more than 5 hours + Transport home. They are nice to you because they are getting off CHEAP.
Aug 6, 2008, 10:30 pm
#30
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Gotham City
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Posts: 2,027
and i'm just hoping for one bump on the way home from vegas sunday!
this is very impressive...good work to the OP!
this is very impressive...good work to the OP!