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Delta Unfair Points required for World Cup Soccer in South Africa

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Delta Unfair Points required for World Cup Soccer in South Africa

 
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Old Sep 13, 2009, 12:15 pm
  #16  
 
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Originally Posted by SAT Lawyer
Don't get me wrong; DL richly deserves all the scorn it can get for its award redemption shenanigans including a chronically broken award search engine. But complaining about the absence of "low"-level award inventory to and from the host country of the World Cup during the tournament seems to be very low on the list of what's wrong with SkyMiles redemptions.
Especially since the OP points out that at one point they COULD have gotten the low price tickets. In other words someone else took them! That's the way it works. Supply/Demand? (Simple economics anyone?)

I think if the OP keeps watching all those other airlines will go up too. The airlines aren't planning to run "free" flights just to make us happy!
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Old Sep 13, 2009, 12:20 pm
  #17  
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Originally Posted by bharatva
I've booked flights to the Soccer World Cup in South Africa next year using my American and United points, American requires 75 000 points and United 85 000 respectively, Delta initially asked for 85 000 points but have now raised it to an astronomical 190 000 that is 105 000 points more than other carriers, that's really unfair !!!

You made an unfortunate mistake. In my looking for awards I've noticed if you find a low-miles award and do not take it the computer will change from low to med. If you give it a few days it may go back. PLEASE look at awards for the month and if you see it PLEASE all and get the ticket through phone. DO NOT click to see the 85K on screen and not buy it.

I mentioned this to Plat agent and she said if they look it up and go to the point of ticketing it takes it out of inventory. If she does not go through with ticketing it is still gone. She was not sure how it worked on-line.
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Old Sep 13, 2009, 1:17 pm
  #18  
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Originally Posted by bharatva
I've booked flights to the Soccer World Cup in South Africa next year using my American and United points, American requires 75 000 points and United 85 000 respectively, Delta initially asked for 85 000 points but have now raised it to an astronomical 190 000 that is 105 000 points more than other carriers, that's really unfair !!!

I've seen worse. On AC, where you can use miles for any seat that they still have available for sale, I once looked up an ORD-YYZ run, and they were asking for 100,000 miles roundtrip, in coach (normally, on saver type awards, they are 15,000). Granted, this was 2 or 3 days in advance. But comparitively, 190,000 to JNB sounds like a deal.
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Old Sep 13, 2009, 1:17 pm
  #19  
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Originally Posted by CarolDisney1
Especially since the OP points out that at one point they COULD have gotten the low price tickets. In other words someone else took them! That's the way it works. Supply/Demand? (Simple economics anyone?)
Unless the OP has intimated something to you off this thread, your conclusion that DL made seats available at the lower price level for flights to/from South Africa for the weeks of the World Cup would seem to be wishful thinking. Remember what DL did because of the Olympics in China?
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Old Sep 13, 2009, 1:30 pm
  #20  
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Originally Posted by bharatva
I've booked flights to the Soccer World Cup in South Africa next year using my American and United points, American requires 75 000 points and United 85 000 respectively,Delta initially asked for 85 000 points but have now raised it to an astronomical 190 000 that is 105 000 points more than other carriers, that's really unfair !!!
Originally Posted by GUWonder
Unless the OP has intimated something to you off this thread, your conclusion that DL made seats available at the lower price level for flights to/from South Africa for the weeks of the World Cup would seem to be wishful thinking. Remember what DL did because of the Olympics in China?
I took the bolded part (my emphasis) to mean that tickets at 85,000 miles were available by Delta but no longer available.
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Old Sep 13, 2009, 1:31 pm
  #21  
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Originally Posted by AndyTLe
I took the bolded part (my emphasis) to mean that tickets at 85,000 miles were available by Delta but no longer available.
As did I.
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Old Sep 13, 2009, 1:33 pm
  #22  
 
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Originally Posted by bharatva
I've booked flights to the Soccer World Cup in South Africa next year using my American and United points, American requires 75 000 points and United 85 000 respectively, Delta initially asked for 85 000 points but have now raised it to an astronomical 190 000 that is 105 000 points more than other carriers, that's really unfair !!!

it sounds as though you've solved your problem by not booking on Delta. Stop crying.
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Old Sep 13, 2009, 1:36 pm
  #23  
 
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Originally Posted by soitgoes
As did I.
That's how I read it!
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Old Sep 13, 2009, 1:53 pm
  #24  
 
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
Yes, but the OP did manage to book award seats to the World Cup using UA and AA miles at seemingly reasonable levels in the OP's opinion. Apparently DL's idea of supply and demand is basically different than other airlines.
I think that you could go back and forth all day every day ....for one particular route on one particular day you won't get an inexpensive flight on AA but get it on DL and vice versa......

In fact, now that the OP has used up some availability on AA and UA I would not be surprised if the next person that wants that day and routing will pay a significant number of points.

Lastly the OP reported that DL had a lower point requirement earlier but that was no longer available. The lesson learned is you snooze you lose. We've all had that happen on every airline using miles or $.
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Old Sep 13, 2009, 3:46 pm
  #25  
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Originally Posted by EWRBILL
Lastly the OP reported that DL had a lower point requirement earlier but that was no longer available. The lesson learned is you snooze you lose. We've all had that happen on every airline using miles or $.
This was the clincher for me. He had his chance.

There are lots of issues with DL/NW awards these days, but if it's there, in your price range, and you don't buy it .... case closed!
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Old Sep 13, 2009, 4:24 pm
  #26  
 
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Originally Posted by TTT
You may be looking too far in advance. Delta, in general, is more liberal with award tickets closer to departure.
Nice of DL when trying to plan a vacation in advance. Some of us have to plan nearly a year in advance because of our work. Thanks DL.
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Old Sep 13, 2009, 4:47 pm
  #27  
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AA and UA have better deals? Perhaps that is because they DO NOT FLY TO AFRICA. Was the UA deal for flying SAA nonstop (doubt it). Sorry but considering that the seat was first available, and the OP passed it up, shows that there was availability. Someone else then grabbed it, which is not surprising as Delta has the vastly superior product to South Africa. There are many valid complaints about Delta these days, but it would seem that this is not one of them.

Regarding China and the Olympics, almost ALL carriers played the same games, as they ALL do when there is a major sporting event on (Olympics, World Cup, even the superbowl).
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Old Sep 13, 2009, 5:48 pm
  #28  
 
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Originally Posted by hfly
AA and UA have better deals? Perhaps that is because they DO NOT FLY TO AFRICA. Was the UA deal for flying SAA nonstop (doubt it). Sorry but considering that the seat was first available, and the OP passed it up, shows that there was availability. Someone else then grabbed it, which is not surprising as Delta has the vastly superior product to South Africa. There are many valid complaints about Delta these days, but it would seem that this is not one of them.

Regarding China and the Olympics, almost ALL carriers played the same games, as they ALL do when there is a major sporting event on (Olympics, World Cup, even the superbowl).
Heck I couldn't get a Rapid Rewards Ticket on SW to the the NCAA Championship Bowl Game a few years ago......Once again, you snooze you lose (or pay)
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Old Sep 13, 2009, 6:41 pm
  #29  
 
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Originally Posted by MikeMpls
This was the clincher for me. He had his chance.

There are lots of issues with DL/NW awards these days, but if it's there, in your price range, and you don't buy it .... case closed!
When MikeMpls defends DL, it's pretty clear the OP doesn't have much of a case. Poster should be blaming himself, not DL, for not taking the award ticket when it was available.
Open question - is OP a single time hit-and-run rant poster?
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Old Sep 13, 2009, 7:33 pm
  #30  
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Just to play devils advocate, I think the OP could also be read that the website initially offered 85,000 but then in the booking process the required mileage jumped to 190,000, as has been known to happen on DL.com. If that were the case, then I think the OP has a valid complaint, and one that s/he would share with many on the DL board.
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