....and you just gave me a great idea! THANKS!

Which airline are you finding EZE avaliability on? I was just checking WAS-EZE (which involves a connection to COPA) and the COPA awards still don't seem to be showing up on NWA.COM .

Delta's ATL-EZE starts in December.

Yes, that's right. And, MH only flys from EZE to CPT/JNB a few days a week. Also, the only way you can check WorldPerks availability or make an award travel reservation on MH is by calling Northwest.

So, I'd find out which days Delta has C class award availability using NWA.COM (you might have to start your search with ATL - EZE and then whereever you want to fly from - ATL) and which days MH flys to CPT/JNB using Expedia - then call Northwest and make your reservations.

Last week we scored 4 tickets to Glasgow next summer on NW -- 2 Business and 2 coach -- from our preferred departure points of LEX and SCE. On the dates we wanted, too.

You can check the annual reports filed with the SEC to see what proportion of seats are used on award tickets for various airlines. Last time I checked, Delta and American led the pack with about 9% of their inventory used on awards.

Otherwise, all we have is anecdotal evidence.

I'm a happy NW customer now that I can earn and burn miles via my WorldPerks account but fly on Delta.

I just booked Biz Class LAX-JFK-AMS/AMS-JFK-LAX on DL for 90K miles on nwa.com. You have to do a few search types (standard, and best avail, etc.)

NWA options were either 2x connections or ghetto DC10 aircraft. And the direct KLM LAX-AMS was 120K. Having the DL flights show up in the search was amazing. The whole thing was done via e-ticket, and nwa.com let me slect seats on the DL flights.

Besides the great routing options to Europe, the best part is the higher level of service on DL. Although NW's A330 is a great plane, it's only on very limited routes. NW can't match DL's 767ER's with the 60" seat pitch, fully adjustable seats, power ports. (Even KL has no seat power on the 747M!)

I wish you could select award travel segments "a la carte", ie: DL outbound, but NWA or CO inbound....maybe that's coming?

Way to go NW!

You can select "a la carte" if you call in. I had this offered to me, somewhat reluctantly, on a recent award booking. First they tell you all they rule is rulebuster, then after you ask them to check other carriers, they will do so. I had NW out and DL back to SFO.

Mrs. TRVLRZ and I are doing IND/MSP/NRT/BKK in March. We were able to get the days we wanted with Standard/Rule Buster in WBC. (Coach was wide open on the same routes in Standard) I just checked and all have gone to Rule Buster, I will keep checking!

Yesterday however, I made award tickets from IND/MSP/ONT this Friday afternoon to return on Monday for my mothers surprise birthday. I was able to get Standard with some nice exit row seats. I was not expecting it but� I checked seating this morning and found to my surprise that I was upgraded on all the legs!

Way to go NW!!! ^

[QUOTE=nroscoe]
Besides the great routing options to Europe, the best part is the higher level of service on DL. Although NW's A330 is a great plane, it's only on very limited routes. NW can't match DL's 767ER's with the 60" seat pitch, fully adjustable seats, power ports. (Even KL has no seat power on the 747M!)
[\QUOTE]

Well, I love the A330 and CO's 777s. Are you telling me I'm likely to enjoy the 767ER just as much? If so, I'm VERY happy. As far as what's important to me, seat comfort is #1.

WBC on the A330, B744 (except for the one or two aircraft that have yet to be updated) and B742 (at least the Upper Deck WBC seats, which were formerly marketed as First Class) can and absolutely does match BE on DL�s B763ER -- most people would probably agree that the WBC seat (even on the DC-10) is a better product, simply because of DL�s anemic seat width on the B763ER. The B777, of course, is a different topic�

As for DL having a higher level of service, that�s an opinion (and one that I disagree with). It all comes down to preferences and taste I suppose� I know of people who think DL is the best airline in the USA simply because they fly a large number of domestic widebody flights. I say that anybody who choses a DL 767 over a 738 in F is nuts.

You can do this know. For example, I purchased a pair of standard award tickets for my parents that read:

DTW-CLE, NW
CLE-LAX, CO
LAX-OGG, DL
OGG-IAH, CO
IAH-DTW, NW

Just scored 2 Business Elite tickets GSO-ATL-AMS for 2/05 ~ 90m each using NW miles on the NW web site. Its a 767-3 which is no problem. Before the Sky Team entrance all NW was offering was Rule Buster tickets for WBC.

Way to go Sky Team & NW!

Based on this thread, I just checked for next weekend ONT-LGW. For 90,000 standard award I can fly business class on DL. I just might go to the London Pen Show.
tom

Looks like the Delta award availability is back to what it used to be.

Yup. I'm back to seeing around 20-30% instead of the 90% we were seeing. Obviously there was some sort of bug in the system.

Typical DL move!