Does DL SMs simply throw a dart into a board to determine the amount of miles needed
Apr 28, 2017, 3:01 pm
#1
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Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
Does DL SMs simply throw a dart into a board to determine the amount of miles needed
I was checking AA,B6,UA from NYC (& PHL) to SAV. When I saw the rates I thought maybe time to use some DL miles in my sock draw and low & behold it was 12k r/t or $197, I grabbed it for 12k
When I checked the next day the rate was up $10 to $207 but now it was 35k if I wanted to use my miles. Just checked again and my flights are now $184 but its still 35k if you want to use your miles.
Happy I locked it in @ 12K but for the next trip Im trying to figure out how DL comes up with the # of miles needed.I would have thought if the fare went down to $184 then for sure it would be back at 12K using miles.
Does someone in DL simply throw a dart and where ever it lands is the amount of miles now needed, is there any formula to DLs pricing of its Miles tkts?
When I checked the next day the rate was up $10 to $207 but now it was 35k if I wanted to use my miles. Just checked again and my flights are now $184 but its still 35k if you want to use your miles.
Happy I locked it in @ 12K but for the next trip Im trying to figure out how DL comes up with the # of miles needed.I would have thought if the fare went down to $184 then for sure it would be back at 12K using miles.
Does someone in DL simply throw a dart and where ever it lands is the amount of miles now needed, is there any formula to DLs pricing of its Miles tkts?
Apr 28, 2017, 3:05 pm
#2
Join Date: Oct 2012
Programs: Previously top-tier everything, now a happy free agent
Posts: 1,003
In my experience, it seems like Delta is trying to peg the value of your Skymiles to approximately 1.0-1.5 cents/piece to redeem them.
However, your specific situation I have seen before and I can't explain it besides it's Delta's revenue management at work -- there was demand for an award ticket so the price went up, while maybe no one has bought a cash ticket so the price went down.
Another possibility is that the $197 fare sold out (and hence displaying $207), but then the next day the $184 came into effect.
While I think Delta tries to aim for that redemption value, still I think they have to try and align the revenue and award fare buckets, which doesn't always work depending on what's being purchased.
^All the above is simply my preliminary and personal theory so feel free to comment.
However, your specific situation I have seen before and I can't explain it besides it's Delta's revenue management at work -- there was demand for an award ticket so the price went up, while maybe no one has bought a cash ticket so the price went down.
Another possibility is that the $197 fare sold out (and hence displaying $207), but then the next day the $184 came into effect.
While I think Delta tries to aim for that redemption value, still I think they have to try and align the revenue and award fare buckets, which doesn't always work depending on what's being purchased.
^All the above is simply my preliminary and personal theory so feel free to comment.
Apr 28, 2017, 3:21 pm
#3
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Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
In my experience, it seems like Delta is trying to peg the value of your Skymiles to approximately 1.0-1.5 cents/piece to redeem them.
However, your specific situation I have seen before and I can't explain it besides it's Delta's revenue management at work -- there was demand for an award ticket so the price went up, while maybe no one has bought a cash ticket so the price went down.
Another possibility is that the $197 fare sold out (and hence displaying $207), but then the next day the $184 came into effect.
While I think Delta tries to aim for that redemption value, still I think they have to try and align the revenue and award fare buckets, which doesn't always work depending on what's being purchased.
^All the above is simply my preliminary and personal theory so feel free to comment.
However, your specific situation I have seen before and I can't explain it besides it's Delta's revenue management at work -- there was demand for an award ticket so the price went up, while maybe no one has bought a cash ticket so the price went down.
Another possibility is that the $197 fare sold out (and hence displaying $207), but then the next day the $184 came into effect.
While I think Delta tries to aim for that redemption value, still I think they have to try and align the revenue and award fare buckets, which doesn't always work depending on what's being purchased.
^All the above is simply my preliminary and personal theory so feel free to comment.
Again my concern is to try and figure it out (if at all possible) for my future trips. Once they up the amount of miles needed do they ever lower it if the fare goes down? Or once its raised it stays there? With the booked trip I jumped at the 12K r/t.
But my concern is say I saw it like it is today $184 or 35k, I wouldnt use my miles, yet since I dont usually fly with DL wouldnt want to blow $184 on the trip So this tells me DL isnt always simply assigning a given figure to the value of each mile, if they did then like Hilton the amount of miles should be going up & down in tandem with the rate ($s)
Apr 28, 2017, 3:32 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 2012
Programs: Previously top-tier everything, now a happy free agent
Posts: 1,003
I understand the fare and # of miles going up.I booked on 4/23 and on 4/24 it was up $10, but the $184 I saw today so the fare seems to be all over the place and I understand it goes up or down with demand but cant understand why the miles stayed up.
Again my concern is to try and figure it out (if at all possible) for my future trips. Once they up the amount of miles needed do they ever lower it if the fare goes down? Or once its raised it stays there? With the booked trip I jumped at the 12K r/t.
But my concern is say I saw it like it is today $184 or 35k, I wouldnt use my miles, yet since I dont usually fly with DL wouldnt want to blow $184 on the trip So this tells me DL isnt always simply assigning a given figure to the value of each mile, if they did then like Hilton the amount of miles should be going up & down in tandem with the rate ($s)
Again my concern is to try and figure it out (if at all possible) for my future trips. Once they up the amount of miles needed do they ever lower it if the fare goes down? Or once its raised it stays there? With the booked trip I jumped at the 12K r/t.
But my concern is say I saw it like it is today $184 or 35k, I wouldnt use my miles, yet since I dont usually fly with DL wouldnt want to blow $184 on the trip So this tells me DL isnt always simply assigning a given figure to the value of each mile, if they did then like Hilton the amount of miles should be going up & down in tandem with the rate ($s)
FWIW, 12k miles is a pretty decent price, especially if it's your preferred routing and schedule.
DL is not assigning a given figure to the value of each mile, but it appears, based on anecdotal evidence it appears Delta is trying to raise award prices in conjunction with fare increases. Not sure about decreases though.
Apr 28, 2017, 3:44 pm
#5
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Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 24,153
Someone else may be able to comment on whether the miles go down closer to the departure date (I suspect this happens with partners who release award availability closer to departure, but I'm not sure with Delta).
FWIW, 12k miles is a pretty decent price, especially if it's your preferred routing and schedule.
DL is not assigning a given figure to the value of each mile, but it appears, based on anecdotal evidence it appears Delta is trying to raise award prices in conjunction with fare increases. Not sure about decreases though.
FWIW, 12k miles is a pretty decent price, especially if it's your preferred routing and schedule.
DL is not assigning a given figure to the value of each mile, but it appears, based on anecdotal evidence it appears Delta is trying to raise award prices in conjunction with fare increases. Not sure about decreases though.
Thx for your insight.I dont keep track of DL like I do AA or UA where I have LT status on both. So most of my long haul trips where I take 2 bags are out and basically look to use my DL miles when either UA,AA,B6 arent offering Saver or their fares are thru the roof, thats why I keep some DL miles in my sock draw
And now that AA says Basic = no carry-on for anyone doesnt look like I will be paying for a tkt on them anytime soon, unless its a RJ where my carry-on would be gate checked anyways. The unknown is since I will be in Group2 will they allow my carry-on or will some how the GA know Im in Basic and take it away.
Apr 28, 2017, 8:45 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,051
The sub-25K domestic RT fares pretty much all require a 3 week advance purchase. This becomes pretty obvious when you use the 5 week calendar view to look for awards. You can also look in the fare rules for the tickets and it will tell you if an advance purchase is required. My guess is that you crossed the 3 week threshold which caused those cheap awards to become unavailable. The cheap X/V revenue fares may only require a 14-day or 7-day advance purchase, so they can still be available when the award fares are not. There's no point in trying to come up with some sort correlation between price and miles as it is simply not how the program works.
Last edited by xliioper; Apr 28, 2017 at 9:08 pm
Apr 29, 2017, 4:56 am
#9
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: MIA
Programs: Delta 1 Million Miler, Delta DM, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 241
Yep 12K was heaven thats why I grabbed it and the flight times were exactly what I was looking for to boot.
Thx for your insight.I dont keep track of DL like I do AA or UA where I have LT status on both. So most of my long haul trips where I take 2 bags are out and basically look to use my DL miles when either UA,AA,B6 arent offering Saver or their fares are thru the roof, thats why I keep some DL miles in my sock draw
And now that AA says Basic = no carry-on for anyone doesnt look like I will be paying for a tkt on them anytime soon, unless its a RJ where my carry-on would be gate checked anyways. The unknown is since I will be in Group2 will they allow my carry-on or will some how the GA know Im in Basic and take it away.
Thx for your insight.I dont keep track of DL like I do AA or UA where I have LT status on both. So most of my long haul trips where I take 2 bags are out and basically look to use my DL miles when either UA,AA,B6 arent offering Saver or their fares are thru the roof, thats why I keep some DL miles in my sock draw
And now that AA says Basic = no carry-on for anyone doesnt look like I will be paying for a tkt on them anytime soon, unless its a RJ where my carry-on would be gate checked anyways. The unknown is since I will be in Group2 will they allow my carry-on or will some how the GA know Im in Basic and take it away.
Sorry, spelling and grammar freak.