[CONFIRMED] 1/6/09 NW E-mail: Plats to Pay $100 for Award Ticket Redeposits Beg 3/1
Jan 22, 2009, 5:04 pm
#391
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Just make sure to get a souvenir coffee mug before you leave the WC. 
I don't see how you'd do it on the plane... If you're walking up and down the aisles distributing leaflets, they're going to boot you (and rightfully -- nobody wants leaflet solicitations in-flight from strangers). I would recommend that you stand halfway down the jetway after arrival and hand them out to passengers as they deplane. At that point, you are where you're going anyway.
peace,
~Ben~
I don't see how you'd do it on the plane... If you're walking up and down the aisles distributing leaflets, they're going to boot you (and rightfully -- nobody wants leaflet solicitations in-flight from strangers). I would recommend that you stand halfway down the jetway after arrival and hand them out to passengers as they deplane. At that point, you are where you're going anyway.
peace,
~Ben~
And I think I will leave a couple inside the magazine in the seat pocket.
I might also leave some in the WC men's room.
I am only doing a two-sided sheet with 2 of the 5 pages. Don't want to overwhelm people.
John
Jan 22, 2009, 5:25 pm
#392
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<Raises hand>
That would be me. In an average year, I earn 400k miles. Two other family members earn 50-150k per year. I primarily use my miles for family members. Since awards are rarely a perfect fit, I book a trip if one way of the trip is acceptable. This in particular is valid when you're booking at the limit (330 days for many partners, or 352 days for NW metal).
So, I want a flight for my daughter to come for Thanksgiving. I book the outbound trip at 329 or 330, and book the next day return (International trip). There is no way to ensure that the outbound trip will still be there, unless I lock it in. So, a few days later when the return open up, I then change it to the correct return date.
Have you tried booking a complicated award somewhere? If you have, then you know that it's so hard to find FC/Biz class to many parts of Europe and Asia. You grab what's available at saver levels, and then tweak it later.
I'd love not to have to keep an eye on all my awards, and call up NW once or twice a month to see if something has opened up. I think only about 20% of all the awards that I book are "good to go".
Also, if a revenue ticket opens up on the right date at a reasonable rate, I'll book that. That's bringing the airline even more income. That won't be happening with NW this year.
I would accept a rationing of redeposit or change fees if it was logical (say 8-10 for plats, 4-6 Gold, 2-4 Silver, 1-2 for base members), and they released awards further out, and not 3 days-2 months like they sometime do. Changing/redepositing awards months in advance does not cost them any lost passenger flights.
That would be me. In an average year, I earn 400k miles. Two other family members earn 50-150k per year. I primarily use my miles for family members. Since awards are rarely a perfect fit, I book a trip if one way of the trip is acceptable. This in particular is valid when you're booking at the limit (330 days for many partners, or 352 days for NW metal).
So, I want a flight for my daughter to come for Thanksgiving. I book the outbound trip at 329 or 330, and book the next day return (International trip). There is no way to ensure that the outbound trip will still be there, unless I lock it in. So, a few days later when the return open up, I then change it to the correct return date.
Have you tried booking a complicated award somewhere? If you have, then you know that it's so hard to find FC/Biz class to many parts of Europe and Asia. You grab what's available at saver levels, and then tweak it later.
I'd love not to have to keep an eye on all my awards, and call up NW once or twice a month to see if something has opened up. I think only about 20% of all the awards that I book are "good to go".
Also, if a revenue ticket opens up on the right date at a reasonable rate, I'll book that. That's bringing the airline even more income. That won't be happening with NW this year.
I would accept a rationing of redeposit or change fees if it was logical (say 8-10 for plats, 4-6 Gold, 2-4 Silver, 1-2 for base members), and they released awards further out, and not 3 days-2 months like they sometime do. Changing/redepositing awards months in advance does not cost them any lost passenger flights.
Jan 22, 2009, 5:29 pm
#393
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In the future, I have a choice - book early with circuitous routings or wait to book and hope a more direct routing becomes available. Depending on the route and date, it could be either. But I can assure you, I will not be paying change fees at $100/pop.
Jan 23, 2009, 7:02 pm
#394
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Just off of phone with Plat line. Changing an upcoming award to make it work. I brought up I was done with NW/DL and explained why.
He told me the decision was made because of fraud. Boy what propaganda these guys are told to pass on to us. He is being told that many times people have 10 or 15 awards for similar trips that never get canceled and eventually get the miles re-deposited.
I told him that may be true but the issue with me, and from I'm reading here most of us, is not the redeposit fee but the reissue fee. I explained my feelings, proven by what I was doing to this award to find a missing leg for an upcoming trip that was not available before.
After listening he started to look at from my side and took it into his own efforts to write a note for internal use. He surely isn't going to say "thepla you are correct", how can he? But I can tell he clearly agreed that the propaganda being told to us is not matching the fix they are proposing.
This guy was so great he spent a ton of time researching options and solutions and did a much better job than I surely could have done. All in all my award is really taking great shape and if I get a positive reply from Alitalia it will be perfect.
Too bad I will be losing this kind of assistance due to Delta's nickle and dime attitude.
I think DL is throwing out all this at once because either (1) I'm actually sleeping and this is a nightmare, can't wait to wake up, or (2) they are doing all of this at once so they can reverse a few and make us feel like we won the battle, where they end up keeping most of the changes and they win the war.
He told me the decision was made because of fraud. Boy what propaganda these guys are told to pass on to us. He is being told that many times people have 10 or 15 awards for similar trips that never get canceled and eventually get the miles re-deposited.
I told him that may be true but the issue with me, and from I'm reading here most of us, is not the redeposit fee but the reissue fee. I explained my feelings, proven by what I was doing to this award to find a missing leg for an upcoming trip that was not available before.
After listening he started to look at from my side and took it into his own efforts to write a note for internal use. He surely isn't going to say "thepla you are correct", how can he? But I can tell he clearly agreed that the propaganda being told to us is not matching the fix they are proposing.
This guy was so great he spent a ton of time researching options and solutions and did a much better job than I surely could have done. All in all my award is really taking great shape and if I get a positive reply from Alitalia it will be perfect.
Too bad I will be losing this kind of assistance due to Delta's nickle and dime attitude.
I think DL is throwing out all this at once because either (1) I'm actually sleeping and this is a nightmare, can't wait to wake up, or (2) they are doing all of this at once so they can reverse a few and make us feel like we won the battle, where they end up keeping most of the changes and they win the war.
Jan 23, 2009, 7:38 pm
#395
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Someone needs to fax the call centers the comparison chart. 
Jan 23, 2009, 7:41 pm
#396
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I will send one to the 800# on my Plat card in a couple minutes.
Later: Faxed to 1-800-xxx-4653. I might resend it daily when I'm in the office. I'd encourage others to do the same with whatever fax # is on the back side of your elite card.
Later: Faxed to 1-800-xxx-4653. I might resend it daily when I'm in the office.
I'd encourage others to do the same with whatever fax # is on the back side of your elite card.
Last edited by MikeMpls; Jan 23, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Jan 24, 2009, 8:11 am
#397
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ROTFLOL The DL management team is feeding all sorts of garbage to everyone they think will swallow it.
The "Department of Justice" won't allow us to announce the change kind of garbage and now this "fraud" garbage.
ROTFLOL What a bunch of clowns are running the show now.
Jan 24, 2009, 7:44 pm
#398
Join Date: Jan 2009
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A One Page Ad in WSJ
I posted it in other thread as well (could link it I guess but dont know how).
I think we should go on offense and be ready to leave if we lose. Ad should be signed by all Plat and Gold with clear message that we will go to AA or CO or other airlines depending on individual situation unless Anderson reverses his "enhancements".
I do not think they will understand any other language. Hopefully Anderson and other "loyality program executives" will run an analysis to conclude that it could be one of the stupidest decisions of their career
I think we should go on offense and be ready to leave if we lose. Ad should be signed by all Plat and Gold with clear message that we will go to AA or CO or other airlines depending on individual situation unless Anderson reverses his "enhancements".
I do not think they will understand any other language. Hopefully Anderson and other "loyality program executives" will run an analysis to conclude that it could be one of the stupidest decisions of their career
Jan 24, 2009, 7:47 pm
#399
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I posted it in other thread as well (could link it I guess but dont know how).
I think we should go on offense and be ready to leave if we lose. Ad should be signed by all Plat and Gold with clear message that we will go to AA or CO or other airlines depending on individual situation unless Anderson reverses his "enhancements".
I do not think they will understand any other language. Hopefully Anderson and other "loyality program executives" will run an analysis to conclude that it could be one of the stupidest decisions of their career
I think we should go on offense and be ready to leave if we lose. Ad should be signed by all Plat and Gold with clear message that we will go to AA or CO or other airlines depending on individual situation unless Anderson reverses his "enhancements".
I do not think they will understand any other language. Hopefully Anderson and other "loyality program executives" will run an analysis to conclude that it could be one of the stupidest decisions of their career
Jan 24, 2009, 7:55 pm
#400
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Cost of an Ad in WSJ
I dont know but I am sure we can afford it. Someone has suggested the Mods to start a new thread on this. I will try to find out the cost but others should do the same. In the mean time, lets start a new thread on this.
Jan 24, 2009, 11:24 pm
#401
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I would start with trying to get the WSJ to cover the story.
Jan 25, 2009, 1:11 am
#402
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Jan 25, 2009, 10:30 am
#403
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difficult to get WSJ to cover this unless a lot of us write to them and if someone knows WSJ travel writer: How do we do that? Should we all individually send email and urge WSJ to cover this?
Jan 25, 2009, 12:30 pm
#404
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Update: Okay, email address found, and short note sent off.
Last edited by Jaimito Cartero; Jan 25, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Jan 25, 2009, 2:40 pm
#405
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But how is that different than revenue tickets?
You may have a best price on an itinerary that isn't ideal. And ticket pricing may change later so that a better itinerary is available at the same price, or the price on your current itinerary goes down. If you want to rebook to the new itinerary or pricing, you're still going to pay the change fee on the ticket.
So, when you pay with cash, you get the ticket you pay for and pay for changes later, and gamble on whether the fare you pay today will be the best fare. Or you buy a refundable fare. Should that change when you're paying with miles? Maybe with top-tier mileage awards (mileage equivalent of a full-Y fare).
Granted, it sucks that airline ticket pricing is so opaque, but I'm not sure it's reasonable to pick up award travel 330 days in advance and then keep looking to switch to something better at no fee when nobody books paid air travel that way.
You may have a best price on an itinerary that isn't ideal. And ticket pricing may change later so that a better itinerary is available at the same price, or the price on your current itinerary goes down. If you want to rebook to the new itinerary or pricing, you're still going to pay the change fee on the ticket.
So, when you pay with cash, you get the ticket you pay for and pay for changes later, and gamble on whether the fare you pay today will be the best fare. Or you buy a refundable fare. Should that change when you're paying with miles? Maybe with top-tier mileage awards (mileage equivalent of a full-Y fare).
Granted, it sucks that airline ticket pricing is so opaque, but I'm not sure it's reasonable to pick up award travel 330 days in advance and then keep looking to switch to something better at no fee when nobody books paid air travel that way.