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[FARE GONE] DL: SFO-ATL/JFK-NRT-SIN $1,232.30 ai RT (25,318 mi; 4.9 cpm)

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Old Oct 24, 2015, 5:28 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: Zorak
Wiki/How-To/FAQ: Start here if this is your first time visiting this thread
If you have done this trip please help improve the wiki!

Why would a DL SkyPesos member do this now that RDMs are earned on ticket cost?

Either for the MQMs, or to actually visit SIN FWIW there are posts in the thread about similar itineraries on AA.

How do I search for dates/prices?

One way is to use ITA Matrix. Click on "Advanced routing codes" and enter something along the lines of:
  • outbound: dl+ dtw nrt
  • inbound: dl+ nrt dtw

NOTE: Basic Economy (E) fares have been spotted on this route and come with heavy restrictions. If you want to exclude E fares from your search you can add f ~bc=e in the separate "extension codes" box

See post 1329 for some screenshots (which are now out of date, the routing codes and extension code have been split into two separate input boxes)

You may wish to experiment with things like dtw,atl or x or even x+. Read the advanced routing codes help for more ideas. (DL no longer flies JFK-NRT nonstop)

I found an itinerary that works for me, how do I book it?
  • you can try a multi-city booking on Kayak or Google Flights and click through to Delta (you can save some effort by omitting the implicit/forced connection through NRT for example)
  • if you are comfortable installing add-ons etc. you can use the ITA userscript (see the wiki at the top of that thread)
  • for the less technically-inclined there is also the Book with Matrix helper site (and its related FT thread)
  • call in if none of the above methods work or e.g. you want to add a stopover

Do I need a visa?

No visa is needed for transits (or in fact for visiting up to 90 days, subject to qualifications)
You can get your boarding passes for your Delta return flight at Transit Lounge D, which opens 3 hours before departure.

What are the best seats?

Assuming you're stuck in Y (no GUCs etc.)
Picking a seat (Delta One, Boeing 777)
Master A330-300 (A333) Best Seats Thread

Will there be wifi on the international legs?

DL now touts International Wi-Fi is available on 100% of all wide body, long-haul aircraft providing near global coverage. Given "long-haul" this may not apply to NRT-SIN.

777s should all have wifi: thread #1, thread #2; although it is still subject to coverage/availability, seems to drop out in the far northern parts of the route, and coming down the Russian coast it seemed like http was slow but working and anything else like https took forever and/or was blocked

Delta doesn't seem to sell the Gogo global day pass on their web site but you can buy it directly from Gogo. You can use the same pass on both domestic and international flights in any order as long as it is within 24 hours.

FlexPerks VISA single-flight passes can NOT be used on international flights (they do not appear as a redemption choice when you sign in to Gogo in flight)

Other related threads:

Delta 763 International Wifi Installation Progress (especially posts #7 and #9)

Delta to add Gogo WiFi to international fleet

SIN airport facilities

If you are doing a quick turn, you can remain airside the whole time. There are a number of 24-hour food outlets in the transit mall areas (center of each terminal)

Each of the 3 terminals has their Transit Hotel on Level 3. Prices are similar for all:
-Terminal 1 - Plaza Premium Lounge recently opened Aerotel. Book at: Aerotel Terminal 1
-Terminal 2 and 3 - Harilela Hospitality runs an Ambassador Transit Hotel in each Terminal, above the Orchid Garden and Movie Theater, respectively. Book at: Ambassador Transit Hotels

Note that you can actually stay in either of the 3, regardless of which Terminal you arrive in. However, when leaving the airport, you need to exit through the same Terminal as that you arrived in.

FT thread on Singapore Airport Lounges

Airport website links:
NOTE: even though the DNATA Sky View lounge lists "Delta Airlines" on the airport web page and appears on a skyteam.com lounge search, it is considered by Delta to be third-party-operated, thus if you are STE+ in Y you will not have access. People have reported gaining access on an upgrade to J but YMMV.

There is free wifi either by receiving a text message code, or by scanning your passport. Previous posts mention just giving an email address, maybe try at the info desks. There are also free Internet stations.

NOTE for U.S. and other ~110V travelers: Singapore uses 230V/50Hz. There are plenty of USB charging ports in the seating areas, and most wall adapters for electronics these days are dual voltage (look for writing on the plug like "Input: 100V-240V") but if not or if you need to plug something else in, bring plug and voltage adapters to be safe.

Things to do in SIN

In descriptions of things to see/do airside, when you see "garden" read "smoking area" especially if you won't be there during daylight, the only other main reason people go there is to smoke.

SkyTrain between terminals runs from 5am-2:30am but you can always walk between any of the terminals as well.

Little More than 24 Hours in Singapore especially post #5 in that thread
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/25605453-post1047.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/24452870-post836.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/24064053-post794.html
Best practices for ~5 hour turnaround at SIN
3 perfect days in Singapore
Singapore's MRT (Mass Rapid Transit)
Destinations > Asia > Singapore FT forum
cheap transportation to Marina Bay Sands (or any hotel) for S$9

Things to do on a long connection through NRT:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/24426838-post835.html

Narita Int'l. Airport (NRT) Layover & Hotel Master Thread

There is free wifi in NRT.

Returning to the US

Even if you don't have Global Entry, CBP has a Mobile Passport Control app -- see program info and app website for d/l and list of participating airports which includes ATL (but not DTW)

You will have to pick up checked bags if any, and then everyone has to go through TSA security. International connections usually have their own checkpoint but it may not have PreCheck or CLEAR. If you want to take advantage of either of these, see airport-specific info below.

Through Delta's partnership CLEAR is free for DM, $79 for other Medallions, and $99 for General Members. Click here for more info on the partnership or to sign up.

Relevant FT threads:
Returning via ATL:

Minimum Connection Transfer Time at Atlanta (ATL): The Definitive Thread

CLEAR is now open in ATL but only at the domestic end.

For PreCheck, if you arrive in F, when you exit the hallway from customs there is a ticket desk in front of you. Normally the belt for re-checking bags on the left, and TSA screening beyond that. For PreCheck turn instead to the right (away from the drop-off luggage belt) and exit into the arrivals area, go up the escalators, and then you use the regular F terminal security checkpoint.

(It seems like NRT-ATL usually lands in E though... anyone have info to share?)

Returning via DTW:

Minimum Connection Transfer Time at Detroit (DTW): The Definitive Thread

When you exit customs normally you are directed to the right for rescreening. For PreCheck or CLEAR exit to the left as if you are an local Detroit arriving passenger and you will see some escalators in front of you. Go up 3 sets of escalators (there is a security checkpoint after the 2nd set but it does not have PreCheck). There is also an elevator.

The configuration as of Jan 2017 was, CLEAR without PreCheck was near the top of the escalators. If you have both CLEAR and PreCheck, there is a separate CLEAR lane on the right.

Duty Free Liquids

This post from 2014 says liquor etc must be checked as they cannot pass through screening in NRT/TSA. However this may have changed since then, and duty-free purchases in a Sealed Tamper-Evident Bag (STEB) might be permitted:

http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/secu...ection_ss.html

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-...g/liquids-rule

FT: Bringing Duty-Free Liquids into USA with a Connecting Flight

If you have any experience with this, please share!

IRROPS handling:

Good at least for one DM: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/21923836-post7.html

Trip Reports/Tips:

2016: Dec, Nov, Oct #1, Oct #2, Oct #3, Sep, Apr, Feb

2015: Nov #1, Nov #2, Oct, Sep

2014: Dec, Nov #1, Nov #2, Nov #3, Nov #4, Nov #5, Oct, Sep #1, Sep #2

2013: Oct
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[FARE GONE] DL: SFO-ATL/JFK-NRT-SIN $1,232.30 ai RT (25,318 mi; 4.9 cpm)

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Old Apr 15, 2016, 7:57 pm
  #1321  
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Just grabbed Jan 9-16 for the DO weekend at $864, going through DTW in both directions for the 747

The "usual" routing starting SFO-JFK is coming up at $872 on ITA for Sep. 26, Dec. 4 as well as most Sun/Mon departures in Nov and Jan including Thanksgiving week for those who can plan that far out.
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Old Apr 16, 2016, 11:58 pm
  #1322  
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Smile

Originally Posted by Zorak
Just grabbed Jan 9-16 for the DO weekend at $864, going through DTW in both directions for the 747

The "usual" routing starting SFO-JFK is coming up at $872 on ITA for Sep. 26, Dec. 4 as well as most Sun/Mon departures in Nov and Jan including Thanksgiving week for those who can plan that far out.
Thanks for your posts, are you sure the 744 will still be flying then and if it is it may not be every day as sometimes it is only Wed or Thr thru Sun. When I went out last Dec we missed it. That is a good price for Thanksgiving week for anyone who needs a MR.

Happy Travels! Keep posting, all comments welcomed and please post low prices. Anybody going out on Apr 18-21, if so let me know, would enjoy meeting you! Leaving SFO JFK on 11:30 pm red eye. Blessings!
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Old Apr 17, 2016, 5:58 am
  #1323  
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Originally Posted by Csfing1
Thanks for your posts, are you sure the 744 will still be flying then and if it is it may not be every day as sometimes it is only Wed or Thr thru Sun. When I went out last Dec we missed it. That is a good price for Thanksgiving week for anyone who needs a MR.
It's currently listed as 744 DTW-NRT and NRT-DTW but of course this far out anything could happen... GUC waitlisted in both directions.
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Old Apr 20, 2016, 1:07 am
  #1324  
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Smile Report from SC in NRT

Good weather SFO JFK NRT with sun. Just got UG NRT SIN which assures access to DNATA lounge in SIN and am wait listed for SIN NRT and JFK SFO legs with the lowest number of open seats JFK SFO but will have to wait and see. Good service as usual. Being in 1d gets you off the plane first so no line for screening in NRT as there is sometimes if there are any planes arriving just befor your flight arrives. Make your MR before Dec, get them done early and you will get a lower price!

Happy Travels! Please post lower prices and comments! Blessings!
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Old Apr 20, 2016, 6:58 am
  #1325  
 
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Stopover-NRT

Have you ever booked one of these routing and tried to get a stopover in NRT? Yes and keep the pricing reasonable. I have tried and I keep getting a higher price. OK the pricing rules may be stopping me. But I thought I would ask.
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Old Apr 20, 2016, 11:30 am
  #1326  
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Smile From DNATA lounge in SIN halfway point

Have not tried that. How long do you want to stay and how much higher is the price? Did you try pricing on Google.com/flights? Probably won't get any decent prices until Aug for prices in Oct and Nov. Haven't really looked much at prices for next year although Zorak did and has a MR in Jan or Feb of next year thru DTW to get 744. Saw it in NRT yesterday, it was heading for DTW. Let us know if you are able to get a stop at reasonable price.
Currently in DNATA lounge, flight leaves for return in 4.5 hrs. Time to go for a walk and take some pix of airport. Flight NRT SIN was 6:59:04 and was early, usually around 7 hours with 6 hr layover, leaves at 0600 but can't get boarding passes till 0300.

Thanks for your question. Happy Travels! Blessings! Comments and questions welcomed and please post lower fares! Have a great day!
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Old Apr 20, 2016, 12:11 pm
  #1327  
 
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NRT stopover

7-10 days. I saw Zorak's posting on the low fare. Because I do a lot of travel to NRT-always looking for deals. (Who isn't). I just thought to try on Google Flights and got some interesting results. But in some cases the fare would jump $600. I would love to be able to go down to SIN and go shopping at Mustafa's and hang around Singapore for a day or two and then go back up to NRT to get things done. I'll let you know if I come up with anything. Always enjoy reading your thread. Have a safe and enjoyable trip!
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Old Apr 21, 2016, 3:54 pm
  #1328  
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Report from SC JFK

Looks like it will be only 5/6 as now space left and I am number 2. Will be glad to get home. SC crowded at this hour plenty of food but I am not interested. Primary goal is home in SMF sometime after midnight. Have a great weekend and thanks to all for your posts and reading!
Happy Travels! Blessings!
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Old Apr 24, 2016, 7:34 pm
  #1329  
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Still good deals for Thanksgiving week as well as the week before Labor Day and over the weekend, from $858 for Sat/Sun/Mon departures and a few low $900s midweek. Late Aug through early Dec.

I chatted with Csfing1 recently and he asked how I usually search for these -- generally I start with ITA Matrix. Here's a screenshot of sample advanced codes and the results calendar for late Aug/early Sep:

Name:  ITAMatrixAdvanced.png
Views: 1515
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Name:  AugSep.png
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Note that on ITA the length of the stay is effectively the number of midnights between the last outbound flight arrives and the first return flight departs (in contrast to Google Flights which is first outbound departure to first return departure). So if for example you are looking for the immediate ~6-hour turn, it could be 0 or 1 depending on whether the NRT-SIN flight arrives before or after midnight.
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Old Apr 25, 2016, 2:13 am
  #1330  
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Smile Thanks very much this information and MR Summary

Originally Posted by Zorak
Still good deals for Thanksgiving week as well as the week before Labor Day and over the weekend, from $858 for Sat/Sun/Mon departures and a few low $900s midweek. Late Aug through early Dec.

I chatted with Csfing1 recently and he asked how I usually search for these -- generally I start with ITA Matrix. Here's a screenshot of sample advanced codes and the results calendar for late Aug/early Sep:

Attachment 4755

Attachment 4756

Note that on ITA the length of the stay is effectively the number of midnights between the last outbound flight arrives and the first return flight departs (in contrast to Google Flights which is first outbound departure to first return departure). So if for example you are looking for the immediate ~6-hour turn, it could be 0 or 1 depending on whether the NRT-SIN flight arrives before or after midnight.
Thanks very much Zorak for your post and help.
This information should be very useful for those of you searching out prices and flights and dates. One other bit of information is that once you get the flight information - numbers and dates you can call delta and give them the information and that should give you a very similar price and now there is no charge for phoning in too make a reservation. Have had to do this for some of my multi city reservations and delta.com cannot do it correctly.

Summary of MR if you like numbers and times, if you don't please skip.

MR Apr 18-21, 2016. SFO JFK NRT SIN NRT JFK SFO
SFO JFK 4:57:36.98
JFK NRT 13:31:43.31
NRT SIN 6:59:03.38
SIN NRT 6:23:23.32
NRT JFK. 12:10:56.00
JFK SFO 5:31:40.31
Totals 49:24:24 total flight time take off till touchdown
Average speed 512.1 mph
Good News - 25,318 MQM
"Bad News" - 7,975 RDM but that was expected and known and was not the purpose of the trip.

There is an additional advantage of going thru JFK both ways JFK NRT NRT JFK as the FA on the way back are mostly the ones you had on the way out and are happy for your support of their wages and even more solicitous and helpful. Great FA on all segs as you should expect and usually are. In flight food was not the high point but I don't travel for the food. Security in SIN who question you at the transfer desk before you get your BP for return said hi and remembered an earlier flight we did in Jan. When I got my BP the agent said you just come in last night. He was notified by phone as I was waiting that my UG SIN NRT was approved. Good news but expected as there were more than 10 seats open.

Drive home from SFO SMF was fine and took about 2 hours, home by 1 am Fri so total elapsed time from dep about 7:30 pm Apr 18 to 1 am Apr 22 is about 77.5 hours. All the SC were great with best food choices in SFO and SIN but JFK and NRT were quite good. In SIN walked through all 3 terminals as far as you can walk without going through the boarding gates, good exercise which makes about an 7-8 mile round trip and stops to take any interesting pictures along the way.

Happy Travels to all! Short trip this week SMF LAX using miles got for 11,000 RDM for round trip and $11.20 slightly more than I earned with my run last week. Same run in 2014 would have given 56,965 RDM Have a Great Week! Questions and comments welcomed, please post low fares and dates. Blessings!
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Old Apr 25, 2016, 2:05 pm
  #1331  
 
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Originally Posted by Zorak
Still good deals for Thanksgiving week as well as the week before Labor Day and over the weekend, from $858 for Sat/Sun/Mon departures and a few low $900s midweek. Late Aug through early Dec.

I chatted with Csfing1 recently and he asked how I usually search for these -- generally I start with ITA Matrix. Here's a screenshot of sample advanced codes and the results calendar for late Aug/early Sep:

Attachment 4755

Attachment 4756

Note that on ITA the length of the stay is effectively the number of midnights between the last outbound flight arrives and the first return flight departs (in contrast to Google Flights which is first outbound departure to first return departure). So if for example you are looking for the immediate ~6-hour turn, it could be 0 or 1 depending on whether the NRT-SIN flight arrives before or after midnight.
Seeing as you are more of an expert with ITA routing codes then me, what would you use to search for LAX-JFK-DTW-NRT-SIN turns? Ive tried 'dl+ jfk dtw nrt' but constantly tells me no results found
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Old Apr 25, 2016, 3:57 pm
  #1332  
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Originally Posted by xolinlevh
Seeing as you are more of an expert with ITA routing codes then me, what would you use to search for LAX-JFK-DTW-NRT-SIN turns? Ive tried 'dl+ jfk dtw nrt' but constantly tells me no results found
Weird, I would have expected that to work, and then purely by accident when I was trying to replicate this I accidentally left off the + and that actually worked, i.e. "dl jfk dtw nrt" -- this goes against my understanding of the docs but shrug.
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Old Apr 25, 2016, 5:29 pm
  #1333  
 
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Originally Posted by Zorak
Weird, I would have expected that to work, and then purely by accident when I was trying to replicate this I accidentally left off the + and that actually worked, i.e. "dl jfk dtw nrt" -- this goes against my understanding of the docs but shrug.
EDIT: price is good for LAX, but SFO same query is like $6000 lol

Last edited by tomasdev; Apr 25, 2016 at 5:38 pm
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Old Apr 25, 2016, 7:16 pm
  #1334  
 
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Originally Posted by Zorak
Weird, I would have expected that to work, and then purely by accident when I was trying to replicate this I accidentally left off the + and that actually worked, i.e. "dl jfk dtw nrt" -- this goes against my understanding of the docs but shrug.
Weird, i dropped the + also and it seems to work now.
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Old Apr 25, 2016, 7:45 pm
  #1335  
 
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Originally Posted by tomasdev
EDIT: price is good for LAX, but SFO same query is like $6000 lol
Im seeing similar when using DTW outbound and no DTW on the return, calendar view shows $5-6k, but clicking on dates displays prices which price out in the $800s
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