I have been seeing this more and more as of late, that when I use my phone APP it shows me much higher on the upgrade list than Delta.com. That is, when I can get it going since it takes so long to start up as I blogged about and uploaded a video to YouTube of just how much time it takes HERE.

When I do check at the gate, the upgrade list with my phone app does match the gate display compared to when I log on to Delta.com with my laptop and compare the same list. Have you all been seeing the same thing on the I-Phone app vs. Delta.com or any other strange goings on at Delta.com? Let us know please.

Or maybe it is just something you don’t like about the updated Delta.com. For example, another thing that I wish they would change is the uber-tiny scroll bar on Delta.com (does it make you crazy too?)!

On a plus side, I can tell you with my first mileage run on the way as a Diamond Medallion, all 10 of my flights with 1st class have cleared (2 are CRJ200′s grrrrr) compared to my mileage run last year as a Silver Medallion (FO)  when just 1 of the 8 cleared pre-flight! So I guess now all I need is an FO to carry my bags (hello! MJ?) and is it wrong to tease and have my old FO tag on my backpack? – René

PS – Don’t forget about SWAG Saturday
starting at 3:PM!

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I had a very detailed rookie post about what will have the biggest impact on if you ultimately will score a Delta upgrade or not. Unfortunately I missed a major minor component in that post and will update it after this goes live. What is that item?

THE TIME YOU
✈  CHECK-IN  ✈
for your flight!

This, confirmed on Delta.com with your “time of request“, is the final tie break that can mean the difference between you getting the upgrade and someone else sitting in your seat! You can check-in for an itinerary up to 24hrs before the first flight and thus, depending on how many legs you have and the time between them, you may end up well ahead of the rest of the pack on a trip.

I always try to check-in ASAP on Delta.com and try not to wait for the e-mail from Delta reminding me that it is time to do so. Next, I print my boarding pass to a PDF to get my digital HOOU coupon sent to my phone and then also confirm the check-in on my phone so I have my digital boarding pass as well. I really have no idea if “re-checking-in” will reset your upgrade clock so from now on I will leave that alone to be safe! – René

EDIT: If you look at the comments in this post many have either gate agents as friends etc. and have challenged the accuracy of this post. I have again today confirmed that “time of check-in”  IS  a component of upgrades. I chose poorly in using the word MAJOR factor as this truly is a MINOR factor (I updated the title of the post also to reflect this). The ONLY time this would have an impact is, when all things being EXACTLY equal (and from the last post you know it is a LONG list), then the time of check-in will be yet another factor as to who gets the upgrade.

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I have had a few complaints that my “rookie” topics have been a bit too non-rookie as of late. A fair complaint, but you would be surprised how many Diamond Medallions thank me for some little tip they did not know that they read about on rookie Wednesday (well then again I guess that does make their point ).

So today, back to basics on upgrades. After all, to move up to that cushy, wide, first class seat is what it is all about right? To get the free drinks, better free snacks or food. Or even a full-flat seat to sleep well on a long flight. Ah, that is the life and why we spend so much of our time chasing points and miles!

Just what does it take to score an upgrade? There are many factors that go into it. The first step, that you can read more about HERE, is getting status. Now MUST you have status to get an upgrade? No, but I will touch more on that in a bit.

Complementary upgrades from coach to first class, domestically and some other markets, are extended to all medallions on most tickets. There are exceptions I will cover as well. But in general, if you are even the lowest of all medallion, Silver Medallion, you have a small shot at the upgraded seat.

I did a detailed post HERE on just what makes the biggest difference to get the upgrade so reviewing that post at this point may be a good idea before we go on.

What are the few things that will prevent you from an upgrade? First, internationally Delta does not offer free upgrades to anyone; this applies even to the very top Diamond Medallion flyers. There are exceptions, like when a flight is oversold, then you could move up but this is the exception not the rule so don’t expect it. An “OP-UP” as it is called, or an operational upgrade, is a gift and you say thank you and move on. Other things that can prevent you from an upgrade. Skymiles free tickets can score an upgrade, but you must be at least Gold Medallion to qualify for this or the second level up the medallion chain; Silver Medallions had better book first with Skymiles if they want to fly in first. Also the AMEX buy-one-get-one-free certs that come along with both the Platinum Delta AMEX and the Reserve Delta AMEX (in year two), these, when booked in coach, are NOT ever upgrade eligible. The Reserve card cert does let you pick either coach or first as your reward so keep that in mind.

So what other ways are there to upgrade? One is spend extra miles, but not ALL tickets qualify. Here is where the confusing “alphabet soup” of fare class codes comes into play. You can read in detail an outstanding breakdown of each fare class code and rule HERE at CWSI.net’s page all about Delta fare codes. But in a nutshell, K class or higher for Domestic is needed to spend points to get the big seat if it is available for upgrade with points. Internationally you need to be M class or higher. There are also for Platinum & Diamond Medallions something called a SWU or System Wide Upgrade. As a rookie you will not have access to these and PM & DM know how to use them (not impossible domestically but very hard and costly internationally)!

That just about sums it up. Status, points, certs. That is about it. Other than one more you may see now and then. If there are NO medallions left who qualify with all the above, AND, you have a K+ class fare, you may notice Delta offer an upgrade for a fee at the gate. This would be one reason to purchase a fare class higher than the deeply discounted normal coach class of “LUTXVE”. However, this is vary rare to see and you should not, IMO, just spend for the higher fare class with hopes of seeing this happen.

Any other questions about upgrades? Please, if you are reading this via e-mail, go to the blog and look down to the bottom of the post where it says “comments”, click that, then go to the bottom box and fill in your question. Please do this rather than e-mail me so others can also learn from your question! Thanks – René
 

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About one year ago I put up a post on how to improve your upgrade chance with Delta. When you look at the seat choice photos I picked to use, you can see it is time for an update and this topic should be part of the “rookie” block of posts even though it only applies to medallions (can a medallion be a rookie?)!

Yesterday’s post spurred this on with some questions and feedback from readers (the post I had planned for today will now go next week). There really is a lot of work that goes into making sure you get the best shot at an upgrade, but even then things may not work out as planned. Either way, the logic is sound and can help you. So let’s get started.

First I will have a list to make it clear and clean to see the points then break them down more. What you need to look at is:

1) Route
2) Day & Time
3) Aircraft type
4) Fare class
5) AMEX Reserve
6) Your status
7) When you buy
8 ) When you check-in
9 ) Bumps

So there is the block of data that will make a difference to your upgrade. Now let’s expand on them one by one.

Your Route. There are choice routes that almost always fly full and full of Diamond Medallion flyers. If you pick them, you will have a very low chance for an upgrade if you are a low or mid level medallion such as a Silver or Gold medallion. What are these routes? Ones like Atlanta to Los Angeles or New York to Los Angeles. There are so many others, but if you simply look at how full 1st class is before you even book the ticket, you will get some idea. If 1st class is empty, there is a chance you are looking at a less traveled route. Also think about maybe 2 shorter regional jets with 1st class. Sure it is a hassle to have two 2 hr flights over one 4 hr flight, but, it may be worth it to you if you can sit in 1st twice over coach once.

Day & Time. This is a HUGE one. If you fly almost any time on a Saturday or Tuesday – Thursday mid day, you have a better shot at not seeing a bunch of your fellow high end medallions (i.e. business travelers) on the flights. Some redeye flights can be good, but others just the opposite. You need to be careful. Sunday night, Monday morning or Friday night and you had better expect to do the walk of shame into coach!

Aircraft type. This is one very few think about. Most people just pick the best flight “times” for their trip. They are not thinking about the trip itself. So, in addition to Day & Time, look at what type of aircraft Delta has chosen for that route. If, you can get say, a 757 on a Saturday afternoon, with a bunch of 1st class seats, you are looking really good even at the lowest medallion level Silver medallion.

Fare class. I hope you are starting to “feel” a building “trend” going on here. Can you see each of these points builds from one to the next one? It is the total package, not just one item from the list. Fare class is HUGE. So many flyers just pick what Delta.com spits out for the lowest cost seat. This is almost always LUT & E class. But if you can, for any part of the trip, pay a bit more and go K class or higher, you are moving way up over other medallions (other than Diamonds). Keep in mind you can mix and match flights and fares and only pick K for the flights that matter and pay as little as possible to get the higher fare class one way or the other way of a trip. This can play a big role when it comes to aircraft type. It may well be worth it to you to pay for a higher fare class if the aircraft for the route has less 1st class seats. However, if the route has a TON of them, then risk it with the lower fare class.

AMEX Reserve card. If you are a Diamond, you MUST MUST MUST have this card. As a Diamond, you are top of the “food chain” but so are all your other fellow Diamonds. The AMEX Reserve card is the tie breaker. If you and the flyer next to you both are on a T class fare, and you have the Reserve card, you get the upgrade. Same for lower medallions. If you are GOLD, same fare class, you get the upgrade. If you fly Delta a bunch, you just must have this card.

Your status. As has already been touched on, the higher up you are the better off you are. Diamond is the key if you want to trump everyone. Once MQD’s do really kick in after 01MARCH2015 you are going to see a massive difference. I would not be shocked for many Diamonds, at that point forward, to be almost 100% for upgrades for a full year (yeah I know many are 80%+ now but it will get even better as so many fall down to PM or less). After that, Platinum makes a MASSIVE difference over Gold on so many routes and days & times. Even Gold will impact your success percentage on off-days so if you tinker with all of the above, Gold can have a great upgrade rate.

When you buy. This is one that few know. Another one of the tie breakers, although somewhat tiny, is how long ago you purchased your ticket. If you buy 100 days out you will, all other things being the same, get the upgrade over a flyer who got the ticket 99 days out. Can you use this to help you? Sure, if you KNOW you are going on a vacation for a certain week, the price looks good, then buy as soon as you can to get one more chance at an upgrade. Why not!

When you Check-In. This is one of the final tie-breakers. You are allowed to check-in 24 hours before your first flight on Delta. If you have more than one flight, but less than 4 connections, you can check in for all of them at once. This can be a tiny plus if you “pounce” on check-in time ASAP as you could end up ahead of another flyer who can not check in for the same flight as you because there starting point is one of your connections.

Bumps. This last one is just sweet. If you can offer up your seat, and take a bump, even if the value of the voucher they offer is a joke, you can always ASK to be rebooked into 1st class. If not, when they rebook you, it will be in Y class and you literally SHOOT up the upgrade list for the next flight they put you on. You will not EARN more points or such, but since now your flight fare class is so much higher than most others, your chance, even as a Silver, goes way, way up! I have taken a bump before for FREE, no compensation, just to get rebooked in Y class. But be careful with this one as Delta has said they can reissue your ticket back in the original fare class without notice any time!

There you are. This is the updated list for you to always consider if you want to sit up in 1st class on a Delta jet as a medallion at any level. Are there any other “tricks” you use to improve your chance to sit up front? Please share them with your fellow Delta Points readers! – René

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Today will be a nice post for rookies and every day Delta flyers alike. Free upgrades are always nice, but there is a ton that can affect your ability to score these coveted seats. Some of this is very simple to understand; some of it take a bit to wrap you head around and I will try to make it as simple as possible to follow.

The basic rule is that if you are any level of medallion, on most paid for tickets (will touch more on free tickets later) you are eligible to be on the upgrade list. Once you check-in for a trip, you will be able to see on the phone app, or on Delta.com, or on the screens at the gate, where you are on the upgrade list and how many seats are open in 1st class. Watching where you are on this list can be like seeing a football, after just having kicked the ball, and seeing if the pig skin will just clear the uprights for the game winning points. The worst thing is the ball hitting the upright and just missing the goal wide. Same thing when you are say #5 on the list with 5 seats open when at the last second you move to #6. Grrrr we all hate that.

Then what are the basics that can affect your chance for an upgrade? The biggest trump card is status. Diamonds are top of the heap. Then you work your way down to PM, GM & FO’s. Now it is not JUST status, but what class of service you are in. CWSI.net has a perfect tool HERE you can plug in and see just how much it will affect your move up and over others. To keep this simple, LUT, the lowest and most common discounted coach class tickets, get you the worst chance for an upgrade. Just moving to K, one step above LUT, will have a HUGE impact on your ability to upgrade over those with the same status as you. The higher your fare class the better your chance. Then there is also the ultimate tiebreaker, the DELTA AMEX Reserve card. If you and I both have say an “L” class ticket, both are Platinum Medallion, and I have my Reserve card, I get the upgrade and you get coach! If all else is totally equal, it is whoever purchased the ticket first that gets the upgrade.

What about if you are say a Gold Medallion and you book a ticket for you and your wife on the same itinerary. Can you both get an upgrade? Yes, but the first thing that MUST happen is she must also have a Skymiles number. Never, ever, fly Delta without having a Skymiles number! Period. As a GOLD, normally you could clear 3 days out. With a companion, you drop down to 1 day or at the gate. If you are NOT on the same itinerary, you can ask at the airport for you both to be upgraded (on the same itinerary you can just do it on Delta.com).

Upgrades are also processed differently depending on your status level. DM & PM 5+ days out. GM 3 and FO is 1 day. If you fail to get the upgrade e-mail notice, gosh I love those, you will have to wait and hope to get it at the gate. There is a common myth that you lose your place on the upgrade list if you board the plane. I can tell you from personal experience, a good GA will come onboard to upgrade you if an upgrade clears and you are #1 on the list.

Skymiles upgrades, can you get them, sure but not for companions unless you both are GM+ then you will clear at the lowest level of medallion status. So a DM would clear at the lower level. Also keep in mind FO’s do not get skymiles upgrades so keep that in mind as well (time to work on upgrading your status).

So these are the basics about upgrades. There is more, but these are the questions I get asked the most. You can read a bunch more HERE at the Delta website. – René

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One of the questions I get the most is for advice about how to best go about getting domestic business class upgrades for “lower ranked” medallion members like the SM (Silver) or GM (Gold) flyers (click here to see the real unofficial definition of these members btw).

I have talked about some of these strategies in comments and here and there in other posts but not all in one place so here we go.

Thanks to amazingly easy ways to amass a ton of MQM’s making it to PM has almost been too easy. For example, my wife made PM for the current year and spent less that $1000 TOTAL all-in on air fare with Delta last year. She made it with the 25k AMEX deal with 50k MR transfer, and I sent her 30K from a Delta Reserve card ( so 55k so far of the 75k ) and the rest from her own 10K AMEX reserve card and some flights with ETV’s from bumps. On top of this, she could have taken advantage of the buy up to 10k MQM’s at the end of the year.

So as you can see, there are a TON of PM & DM’s on almost every flight. So how in the world do you go about scoring a FREE upgrade?

The first most important rule you MUST understand is what I have talked about before. If you pick say ATL-LAX any day and almost any flight and you will be #682 on the upgrade list as an SM or GM flyer (ok maybe not that bad but you get the point). The DM’s and PM’s will often be paying a near premium price and most of them will also have the DELTA AMEX RESERVE card as well that moves them to the TOP of the list for their fare class. If the bird is one of the new “upgraded” Airbus 320′s FORGET fighting over one of the 12 first class seats; you are FIGHTING over a Economy comfort seat if you can even get that.

If you are depressed and bummed out over the reality of life on a Delta flight now let me tell you there is hope. And good hope if you do the work much like booking a SKYMILES ticket. One of the kool things about Delta is they fly 757′s with a TON of first class seats. So no matter what, the first thing when looking for flights, look for the birds with a bunch of seats. Now I know they may pull a equipment change along the way but that is the way it is. But if a schedule change happens you should be able to change back to a 757.

Tip number two is look for routes that are not ideal or direct and avoid ATL if you can. Search for connections and leaset wanted routes.

Tip number three is obvious. No matter what fare class you are in, if you have the DELTA AMEX RESERVE card you move to the top of that list. If you want upgrades, it’s simple, you MUST have this card to get an edge in this game. I have it and it helps.

Tip number four is for a few bucks look to buy the higher fare class. If LUT class is only say 10% less than the next one up, K or Q, is a choice for you, you will VAULT over so many in the “chum pool” in the lower end cheapest of cheap fares. With a Delta AMEX card you are now TOPS of the cheap’os for upgrades.

Tip number five is also obvious. Pick the times and days DM & PM don’t want to fly. Red-eye, is great for you and “we” don’t want it. Wednesday eve flights, you go boy! You can go on and on this way and find the times PM & DM just don’t like to fly. Avoid times like Monday AM or Friday PM.

I hope some of these ideas help you score more upgrades! – René

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One of DeltaPoints.com readers asks:

1) Exactly who do I call or e-mail? The hotel directly? or the dedicated Gold [elite] reservation line?

2) What wording should I use when asking for the upgrade? I assume that I won’t need to do some song and dance about how it is a special occasion that merits a Room Upgrade. What if I want a Deluxe Room or Suite with a view? Any special way to schmooze the hotel for that?

3) What if the hotel says they don’t have any Upgrade Rooms available? Should I expect any compensation other than an apology? Should I complain nicely?

Wow great questions. Now I am not a “hotel blogger” and freely admit there are other BoardingArea.com writers so much better than me. So take this as what I do and maybe try some of the ideas that seem to work for me.

Q1) In the past I always faxed my request. You can do that by using FaxZero for free. But sometimes the right person does not get the request and it is just one way communication. So, for my last few stays I e-mail and that has worked. You get two way conversation and can print out what you were promised. I do not work with the elite line as most of the time it is up to the hotel to grant the upgrades.

Q2) I would NOT cut-n-paste this, but here is basically what I say:

“My wife and I are very much looking forward to our stay at your location 01JAN2012 confirmations # 007. As a loyal [insert elite level here] member I would very much appreciate a suite upgrade if one can be extended to us. Thank you for your time and we will see you soon. Sincerely [your name].

So now you get the idea. I never ask about special events so I have no idea if that even helps. It may or may not. Perhaps some readers can give some feedback if they have tried that route. If you want more that what you are given (do get something for free first btw), then ask what the up-charge would be to the presidential suite or whatever you want. If it is outside your budget respectfully decline and thank them for the promised upgrade.

Q3) With some chains you are guaranteed upgrades. With Priority Club you are not when using points but I have found I almost always get them when I do the above. If they say sold out or no dice, you can always try twittering the hotel and saying as an elite you were really hoping for an upgrade but the location does not seem to be very helpful. Is there anything they can do. Many times you get a quick answer back that all of a sudden a room has opened up. Try it! – René

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Now I want to help this reader out. So, how about this – I want you to tell me what you have done (other than fax and e-mail or tweeting) that has WORKED to get you an upgrade for a chance to win these NEW SONY headphones!

Just a comment will not qualify – you need to help the reader out to win!

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1) deltaplat & Aleks asks – If I’m a medallion member and I fly on another Sky Team partner, do I get the bonus miles I would if I were flying on Delta? What other medallion benefits when flying on Delta do or do not apply when flying on the rest of Sky Team? And, how have other ST partners, primarily AF and KL, been so far honoring Elite+ and/or SkyPriority of DL elites?

Bonus miles for Delta are based on the Delta fare class if you book Delta flights or code share flights. Keep this in mind on the web site as if you book KLM / AF code flights it could affect earnings and you can check this chart at the Delta site.   Most of the time the partners are good about honoring Elite+ etc but you sometimes have to remind them of that fact. Also, it was just announced that the skyteam benefits should be aligned soon.

2)Samuel asks – Do you have any idea what’s the Delta policy on operational upgrades (op-ups) – I know status makes a world of difference, but how about time of check-in?

Since an operational upgrade is “controlled” by the airport it is not an official Delta policy. However, I have been told the ground personnel is to follow the policy outlined here. Having said that, there are exceptions as once the boarding door closes the head purser is in charge of the flight ( after flight officers ) and can do as they please.

3) David AL asks – Question about the DL Reserve. My renewal is in May. Can I then book the companion cert in June, and cancel the card and have the $450 prorated back to me? I’m picking up the Biz version instead.

You ask a great question. The terms and conditions for these type of certs all just say “Tickets must be purchased with your Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express”. Now, I had a gold personal card but no longer. I still have the $99 companion ticket voucher in my account as well as my FREE one from my Reserve card. I am sure I could use them both if I would want and your question spurred me to write a blog coming Monday btw. To be safe I would pay for the ticket with your old card before you cancel as once it is booked it is yours no matter what! Also AMEX does NOT prorate cards so just keep it until year is up.

4) The Deal Mommy asks – I have a RT reward coming up in AF IAD-CDG-MAD-TFN. At the time I only had the 60k miles so booked it in Economy. I have more miles now. Is it worth the 40k miles, plus $150, to fly in a business class seat? It’s really only the IAD-CDG leg that will be upgraded since intra-Europe biz is so bad. I’m a lowly silver so will have to pay the fee, but do have lounge access via plat AMEX. I know we’re supposed to get best value by booking business, but am having trouble deciding on this one. Your thoughts, please?

OK I am going to boil down your question to is business class worth $150 change fee. YES! Why are you still reading this? Call DELTA and burn the miles and the cash! Also try for as much biz in Europe. I agree it is not that great but it is better that nothing for no extra charge! BTW before you spend the money try to see if there have been any schedule changes that will allow you to do it for free.

5) SF asks – Having made PM for the first time in a while, can you offer advise on how i can use my (SWU was PMU) PM Systemwide Upgrade Certs to upgrade a DL marketed/AF operated flight from AF Premium Voyageur to Business class. Reading the T&C it looks like I can do this if my flight is booked in S/W class. What is the best method of determining when the AF flight has Business class upgrade seats available?

I will bundle this with another question about SWU’s. With Delta they stink internationally. In the past you could get good value booking on AF/ KLM but now they have upped the fare code needed and as LUCKY points out in this post it is just not worth it anymore. Now for domestic use the SWU’s can have good value. You many times are paying full coach to get the biz seat. But, depending on the route, a PM or DM may get free upgrades for LUT class if you are willing to risk it.

6) James asks – All things (mainly price/layover time/journey time) being roughly equal, which of Delta’s three main hubs (ATL/DTW/MSP) do you prefer connecting through? And of Delta’s minor hubs, are any to be avoided? Thanks.

This is another one of those subjective ones but also can be quantified somewhat. DTW and MSP in the middle of winter can be hit and miss. ATL in spring storms is bad. EWR seems always to have delays so the expansion makes you humm…. Most of the time I find DTW just works and is not as crazy as ATL. But that is just me.

7) Anna asks – What is the on-time service like for Delta in general? Do their flights usually take off on time/land on time? Are there a lot of cancellations?

I have a blog post on this coming this week. Please check back and I will update. Delta is doing well but I always try to plan for extra time for connections as worst case I have down time to relax in the skyclubs.

8 ) Andrew asks – [I had to edit this shorter sorry Andrew] … how do you know which Delta/American Express card is really best for you and for mileage? I did manage to spend $ 50,000 on the Sky Miles Card in Business/Personal this last year and I did get to Platinum Medallion Level through spending and through travel.

Great question Andrew. For me the Delta Reserve is a no brainier. Why? With that kind of spend you are getting 30k MQM a year. So, with only 20k you are GOLD. 45k you make Platinum Medallion. You get up to 30k bonus RDM’s as well. Skyclub access for up to two. You can add on others with Delta Platinum for free!

9) Ian asks – Is it possible to SDC in the middle of an itinerary and have your luggage arrive with you? I tried this as I had a very long layover in atl. I asked the sky club agent about doing an SDC to an earlier connecting flight and she responded I could change, but that my luggage could not be moved. This struck me as a bit strange.

Great example of how the reps run our airline today. The “rules” are, as a result of passenger bag matching security requirements following Pan-Am flight #103 back in 1988, that the bag must travel with the passenger. The confusion comes into play due to the screening requirements now in place since 9-11, to screen every bag, the idea being that all bags allowed to be checked are safe so who cares which flight you take versus your bag. The big exception that overrides all of these rules seems to be that it’s OK for the airline to separate you from your bag, but not OK for you to separate yourself from your bag. So the answer to your question becomes essentially, it depends on the rep! Ask nice and say I know I am asking for a lot but it would so help me.

10) Danny asks – Mine is more a philosophical question – why Delta? Why did you originally choose Delta as your airline of choice and why do you continue to stick with them? I live in a non-gateway city for any of the major legacy carriers and I’m always curious to know why certain FF are loyal to their airline and why I should consider doing the same.

Why? When I got into the game of miles and points my objective in travel was getting to Sweden to visit my mom annually as inexpensively as possible. The options for reasonably easy travel to Gothenburg were slim and NWA had the best points program to accomplish my objectives. I’ve stayed because I still find that Delta meets my travel needs quite well. And you know they do a TON right for all they do wrong. Plus, what other airline gives away miles as EZ as Delta does? I mean the  GOLD personal  and 

15) Trey asks – Does delta sell drink vouchers on their website or anywhere? My parents will be flying delta this spring and I would like to gift them some drink vouchers but do not have any currently.

You can get them as a SKYbonus redemption but they do not seem to be available officially through Delta. EBay offers abound but be careful as it’s officially against the rules and Delta can  suspend your SkyMiles account  if you buy or sell any of these sorts of perks. Giving them away is perfectly OK, however, so why not check with  Milepoint or Flyertalk and just start a post and ask if anybody has some to spare they’d be willing to put in an SASE you could provide? I bet you get all you need quick ( we are a giving bunch are we not ).

16) Eric S. Asks – Is there a way to search for award availability on Skymiles partner GOL Airlines in Brazil? Have you heard of anyone successfully booking an award using/connecting to GOL?

It doesn’t look like this would work easily through Delta.com, but depending on what kind of travel you want to book – US to Brazil using Delta flights connecting to GOL flights or all GOL flights originating in Brazil on GOL connecting to Delta flights to other destinations – the easiest solution might be to utilize the GOL site to check for availability & flight numbers and then call Delta to see if they can act as liaison to arrange the flights for you.

17) AJM asks – Is there a place on your blog or elsewhere that I can find a dictionary-of-sorts with all of the abbreviations used on travel blogs? I’m relatively new to this and often can’t decipher what’s being said! Help!

Yes! We’re working on it! I will find a good place to put it & ask what you all think. This is a great idea as we do tend to shorten everything in life like it is all a big text or tweet!

18) LKM asks – I have an upcoming flight to Kauai in a few weeks with my husband in coach. I have the delta gold credit card, is there any chance that we could at least score exit row seats if using the online check-in 24 hours in advance. We are very infrequent flyers so I don’t know the game well. We are both very tall and it would be nice to have a little more comfort on such long flights….MSP to LAX to LIH. Would have loved to get into the miles game sooner and grabbed first class, but not enough miles or money for that this time around. Any advice for optimum seats would be greatly appreciated.

It’s never too late to get started in the miles game! Welcome to the FF world! You’ve taken a good first step in getting the AmEx Gold SkyMiles card which gives you Zone 2 boarding at least. Your best option here is to check to see if economy comfort seating is available on your flights and see if you can book that for the fee, which according to Delta.com varies from $80-$180 per segment depending on length of the flight. Since full roll out of economy comfort isn’t scheduled for completion until this summer, if it isn’t available you could call and see if a nice rep will give you an exit row since the economy comfort you’d love to book isn’t available on your flight yet. If not, hang up and call back and ask the next rep you get!

19) Dave asks – If I have to call DL to book an award ticket which is UN-BOOKABLE on dl.com, is there any way to get around paying a telephone fee?

Yes. One of the great things about DL is that when a rep works on a ticket it is LIVE on DL.com. So, have them work it up for you, when they ask if you want to ticket, say hang on and let me look over it, and then just ticket it free online and say I think I am good to go thanks for the help and you save the fee!

20) Allen asks ( too many questions – kidding ) I have two questions. 1) Obviously status is important to a frequent biz traveler. But what about the travelers who only take a few family vacations a year? I made to PM this year, but I will have very little biz traveling this year. Wondering if it is worth to pursue any status next year. My Delta AMX plat gives me almost a SM without upgrades. 2) When booking a family trip (2 adults & 2 kids), shall I book all parties on one PNR, or on separate ones so I can score an upgrade on my PNR. Can the latter one be a real pain during IROPS? I always used one PNR to keep the family together, but hated not being able to use my status for upgrade.

There is more to life than status. As pointed out in  Q41 in Q&A  Delta Reserve card gets you so much why do more. Next, I would never ever split a PNR. Forget the upgrade and stay with the family and get a nice free HOOU (have one on us) coupon to drown your sorrows.

21) Eric asks – I have an AMEX gold if I upgrade to plat will I get a $99 companion cert or a free one?

Maybe. But don’t do this – never upgrade. Get the BIZ Plat card and they you will have both. Book with the GOLD then cancel GOLD. Then you have the free one with the Plat card!

22) robe0341 asks – Do you use any tools to help you find Delta award availability or cheap flights? Things like KVS or Expert Flyer or Flyer Talk? If so, do you have any tips for newbies trying to use them?

I have not used these yet. I look forward to this years DO in Chicago to learn more but those who use them email me what you think or what tips to use them! (I will be there – will you be? Fun for all!)

23) gpapadop asks – Can you post a blog on how companion upgrades work?

In a nutshell with status you drop to the lowest level of medallion. For example (and I know this sounds like a joke) a Diamond a Platinum and a Gold all book “L” class tickets on the same PNR. All will drop down on the upgrade list to Gold and clear at that level. You can split the PNR but as already talked about that can be very bad! You can read more at the Delta web site here.

24) Rob asks – Hey, which Atlanta crown room is best?

The one you got into free & the one with the xspress spa one floor down!

25) Richard1148 asks – I know that the award calendar is said to be broken, but recently have I have found that NO low level FC domestic awards price out correctly. Every one I check for any US domestic route prices as a medium award. (International awards seem OK). Do you know if there is a known bug in the system that DL is working on to fix this, or is DL simply not offering any low level domestic FC?

As Delta keeps working on fixing the broken search engine I bet we will see more and more of this. When this happens we can search KLM / AF web site or just call I hate to say. I bet we see more of this until the fix is done ( if it ever gets done )!

26) Ozzie asks – Extra Bag Problem. Why isn’t there better website integration between partner airlines Delta, KLM and Air France – and do you think it will ever improve?

If you have not flown internationally you have not experienced the “toss over” to the KLM system for check-in. Now most of the time it works. I had EC offered free as a Platinum Medallion once and ended up in 1st with an SWU. For now, when things go wrong, keep your receipts if you are forced to pay for a bag and then scan then and tweet them to @DeltaAssist and I bet you get a check or ETV for what you paid. Not cash but better than nothing.

27) Dan asks – I booked a reward flight for two people to Europe – arriving and department at different airports. I received a note from Delta saying that “there has been a change affecting one or more of your flights” and I “may be eligible to change your flights(s) by clicking the Change Flights link.” Can I use this change to cancel one of my reward tickets without penalty? If so, would I also be refunded the Economy Comfort fee?

Yes. Always keep 90 minutes in mind. A change outbound or inbound and you can do just about anything you want for free. A great feature Delta still offers to us all with or without status!

28) dwh asks – Which cities, based on your knowledge, give low level elites the best chance at an upgrade?

It is not as much the city as it is the route. DM & PM heavy routes like ATL-LAX or DTW-ATL not good. So always fly where no one wants to go?!?

29) Jordan asks – Will Delta ever expand the Medallion upgrades program to the Hawaii routes? If not, what’s the best route to try to mileage upgrade to Hawaii? What is the best time to request these upgrades (e.g., 30/60 days before departure)?

I doubt you will ever see this. Or, as many hope will happen, SWU’s will be better for both Hawaii and International use. That is our best hope. If not, look to spend the miles for the seat. It is as far as Europe so I don’t mind spending some more miles!

30) Connie asks – What is the best way to book6(family of 6)low level award tickets SLC to MCO w/o breaking them up into smaller groups and risk not having enough low level awards.

I would just find anything for 6 and as talked about before add a ton of legs so you can then, later when the schedule change happens, get just what you want for all 6!

 ☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺

Thanks all for this round. There were some hard ones here and I bet next month gets even harder. Love it! – Rene

▲Delta▲ SkyMiles® Credit Card
American Express – RESERVE/PLATINUM/GOLD
Click here for more information

Q1) FT’er – When and where should one flash that Delta Skymiles membership card including SM, GM, PM & DM?

I have my card clipped to my computer bag when I travel. Do I ever need it? Not really. Today there will be few times you must show it but there are exceptions. Most of the time your status is printed on your boarding pass. A DM can use their card to enter the SKYCLUBS. You can also use your card to check in at the kiosks or to reprint or even to board (freaks the gate agent out when you scan the bar code and out comes a pass – fun to do – try it some time just for grins). So there you are. If your skymiles number is in the reservation you are set.

Q2) FT’er -If a new Skymiles member is going to make a run at Silver Elite in calendar year 2012 – basically 0 miles to 25K – what happens at the end of the year?

Rollover miles are any miles above one status level yet under the next or over 125,000. So, if you start 2012 at ZERO. Then fly say 25,000 miles in January 2012, and then do not fly again all year, you will be SM until FEB2014. (you earn it and have it 2012, earned it for 2013, it expires in FEB 2014). Now, let’s say you fly 1000 more miles in 2012 and then go home. You will start 2013 with 1000 miles rollover and only need to fly 24,000 to earn SM status until FEB2015.

Q3) ItalyLovers – Can you use Delta miles for hotel stays?

Yes. You can log on to Delta.com and go to use miles and in the marketplace pick hotels or cars. Most of us value our Delta points at 1 cent. I use 2 cents for me. So let’s see about a ski day in SLC. You see below it is much cheaper to pay $49 vs points $86. Now the funny thing(s) is a car rental. Here we are almost at 1 cent per point value. Other readers have said they like this way of burning points. Value is up to you! Also funny in researching this is a convertible in SLC in the middle of winter priced ridiculously low, but that is for another post!

Q4) Steve – So not infrequently I need to make a last minute trip and of course it’s usually pretty expensive. So I want to use miles. And since Delta doesn’t offer a one way award, I book a RT, picking a return date at random (falling on a “low mileage” day). Of course in the event I want to use the return leg, I need to pay a fee to change it to my real desired date. Any strategy for this that I’m missing?

Since Delta does not as of yet offer one way awards, the way to help yourself is the mulit-leg return packing strategy and wait for a schedule change. So, you can fly direct ORD-SLC let’s say. Now you can for the return book SLC-ATL-DTW-ORD. Book them as far out as you can and as tight as you can. Then, when the flights change and don’t work, you can either ask for your miles back or change the date to something better!

Q5) Danielle – which delta credit card is best? (or how would you determine that?)

That depends on what you want. I was just talking to a reader about this and they do not want status. They want Delta points. I suggested he and his wife BOTH get a  personal  and  business  AMEX DELTA GOLD card. Each of them gives you 30k with no 1st year fee. This will earn them after low spend 120,000 points. But, if you want status, then the AMEX PLATINUM or RESERVE cards are good choices as they give you MQM’s for getting the cards and for spending on them each year.

Q6) Mike – I usually cant stand any flights over 2-3 hours. I know this is matter of preference, would you say its worth to spend extra miles/$ to upgrade to better seating when flying over 3 hours? Or should I just save them and drink some hard liquor and pass out during the flight?

Never over drink. It is especially dangerous to over drink on a flight in case of an emergency and your life may depend on being sober. I would work on getting PLATINUM or higher status with DELTA. Start with the DELTA RESERVE card to earn 10k MQM and go from there to earn FREE upgrades on both paid and points tickets.

Q7) Sandy – Which airline/hotels/credit cards can you transfer to using Delta miles? Which airline/hotels/credit cards can transfer to Delta?

The card all of us crazy bloggers just love love love is the SPG AMEX card. Why? If you send 20,000 SPG points to Delta you earn 25,000 ( they give you 5000 bonus each time you send over 20,000). The other is the AMEX Membership Rewards card. In the past they have given as much as 50% bonus miles and MQM’s for first time transfers!

Q8) The Weekly Flyer – What market is Delta targeting for fast track elite marketing promotions (i.e. 2011 2 trips to gold, 3 trips to plat)?

There is no question that Delta is “head hunting” other airlines’ elite flyers. But, the 72hr change rule has also cost them a good number defecting to other airlines. This year they had Silver to Gold and Gold to Platinum promotions with just a few flights. There is a very targeted promotion now for some AMEX holders to get status. My guess is there will be great promotions coming Q2-2012 so stay tuned and I will post them as soon as I hear the news!

Q9) Michael – Since the Delta website can be a ‘little cranky’ at times, what tips do you have for booking Delta awards using other websites(to use Delta miles)? Is there a ‘best’ carrier for Delta awards?

So can you use like AF & KLM or Alaska Air to look for Delta space? Sorta. But the bottom line is you will have to have space showing in the Delta system to get the seats. The one leg at a time search is the only way to be sure low level seats are really available.

Q10) Napolehon- what happens to the miles when i book a round trip award ticket for 100k and i cancel after my first leg?

Under the new 72hr rule you have spent 100k for a one leg trip. ( unless you get a nice rep who can help as any of them can override the rule if they want – crazy way to run a program but that is the “rule” for now)

Q11) Danny – What does Delta charge to cancel/change an award redemption? Is there any way to get those miles back once you’ve booked? Is there a certain level of status necessary?

Platinum and higher get free changes all they want up to 72hrs pre-flight. The only other way is if there is a schedule change then you can ask for them back or change at no cost. A great way to move up, as talked about in other questions, is the DELTA RESERVE card to earn 10k MQM to start and up to 30k more each year.

Q12) Josh – Just made Platinum for the first time (thanks AMEX for the 40k EQMs). Status changed about 10 days ago. Will my Platinum gift options be in my Platinum welcome kit and how long does it usually take to get a welcome kit?

First well done my fellow Platinum Medallion flyer I will see you “in front of the curtain”! Now you can pick your Platinum gift when ever you want. Your kit can take up to 6 weeks and you will get a new one by March next year as well!

Q13) Stephanie – I have about 27,000 miles in my account right now..enough for a free domestic flight..do you think it would be worth it to use some of those miles to upgrade on an international flight?

You touch on a very “touchy” subject for Delta flyers. Here is the deal. Look up the price of an international flight in a fare high enough for upgrade and then same thing for lowest business class fare and you find the price is about the same. So, no. Just save and earn until you have enough miles for a 100,000 point low level trip to Europe!

Q14) Rob – Is Platinum worth it, or should I stay Gold and roll over ~22k MQM’s?

This is a very personal question and answer. Platinum is a must have if you are going to burn a bunch of points and want unlimited changes. Upgrades are better. You can pick a Platinum gift like 20k Skymiles. If you pay for tickets GOLD is maybe good enough for you with 100% bonus on miles and now access to international lounges free on any class ticket! So you make the call. (sorry but it really is a personal choice – I love Plat but never pay for tickets ).

Q15) Alen – If you select a Preferred Seat at booking, then get upgraded to First Class during your upgrade window, but then get bumped from First Class, only to be re-issued a non-preferred seat (or, worse, a bad bulkhead seat), do you have any argument with the GA to give you a better seat? (Presumption: the flight is full.)

Yes – sorta. You can request to be put on a later flight and immediately cleared to 1st class. It should be E-Z for them as the rebook is “Y” class and your upgrade should auto-clear then as well. On the current flight, you are stuck with what they have. One other fix is use Twitter. Go away from the desk and let @DeltaAssist fix it for you !

Q16) Dave – Any idea why DL occasionally runs P fare first tickets for less than coach? I just picked up NYC-MKE over Christmas weekend for less than comparable routed coach seats on CO.

With Delta “IT” who knows but my guess would be price match or mistake etc. Keep in mind agents are inputting price codes all the time. Things happen like the $150 all-in trip NYC to Denmark last year (I was on a cruise ship or would have booked 10 of those trips!)

 an update this far in – some questions are covered by others’ questions

Q17) Rob – Hi, do you know whether- with the Delta Amex Gold offer now for 30k miles-you can get these miles if you already have another delta amex that has given you miles?

You can have any DELTA AMEX “flavor” card and even all at once if you want. If you cancel one you must wait 24 months to get a “new” signup bonus again. So yes you could get GOLD now, then in a few months get PLATINUM, and then in a few months get DELTA RESERVE card if you would want to. Same with the business cards by the way!

Q18) Weston – What are some tips on scoring a bump on a Delta Flight?

I talk about the best way here in this blog post all about bumping.

Q19) Anna – What’s the easiest way to become Delta elite? Is it MRing on Delta flights, credit card spend, etc.?

I will have a great blog post on the way soon about this so stay tuned. But for now yes the best way IMO is the DELTA RESERVE card that can earn you 40,000 MQM’s first year!

▲Delta▲ SkyMiles® Credit Card
American Express – RESERVE/PLATINUM/GOLD
Click here for more information

Q20) Angelina – Does Delta offer any kind of status match with CO/United? I am Gold Elite… If so, how would I go about asking for one?

Yes but be careful about status match with any airline. Most are once in your lifetime! So pick the match very carefully. Here is the link to request the match.

Q21) Frequent Miler – As a new Delta Platinum Medallion, I have a question about the free award changes. I understand that changes have to be made more than 3 days prior to your flight. My question is about the return flight: suppose I start an award trip by flying outbound somewhere and then I want to change the return. Can I still do so if it is more than 3 days before the return?

Flip a coin! I love my Delta airline but this rule is ever changing. Here are the facts from the Delta.com support desk confirmed with a supervisor. The 72hr rule ONLY applies to the outbound part of your trip. Once you start the trip, you can change the return without any risk of loss of miles up to the time of flight. PM & DM pay no change fees. Now does the DL site state this clearly?  No!  Do reps get the rule wrong?  Yes!  So we all hope the verbiage will be made clear soon.

Q22) Lauren – Could you please explain more about how the same-day confirm change ticket benefit works? I am a Delta Gold and I believe I can change my ticket for free but I was wondering if you had specifics.

Yes GOLD and higher can do what you want but your request must be within three hours of the scheduled departure of the new requested flight. You can see about this and all the Medallion benefits at the Delta.com site here.

Q23) Allen – I live in a city within 250 miles from ATL, so I always got connected via ATL. The short hop is great for the min 500 miles, but I can hardly find any good fares for MRs. What’s best strategy for me?

This is talked about a bunch here at Flyer Talk. I would read that post and think about the fact that each way on a trip you can have up to 5 legs and keep it “legal”. So always think not ATL-LAX but ATL-DTW-MSP-SLC-LAX! Reps understand mileage runs and most are happy to help you work a long route to get the most points.

Q24) Mike – Can you speculate about the changes (if any) to the 2012 Skymiles program? And/or tell us what you’d like to see changed?

O’ this one is talked about big time all over. Here at Flyer Talk and even fellow boardingarea bloggers here and here are on this one as well. For me, just make the 72 hr rule go away and I would be a happy flyer again. But that will never happen. It is a point of pride for management now.

Q25) Joel – What’s the recourse if, well in advance of a flight, Delta changes the departure time of your booked flight?

If more than 90 min change outbound or landing you can change free, money back or miles back.

Q26) Ed – Can you please explain how various fare codes can affect your ability for upgrades? For example, if I bought a K fare, under what circumstances am I allowed to upgrade with points/money? Are fare codes important if you are have elite status (silver on Delta in my case).

Another great question but no fair asking more than one question (kidding)! Upgrades are based on the fare class and your medallion level and if you have the DELTA RESERVE card as well. There is a good link here that explains all this. They even have a Medallion Upgrade Priority Calculator to show where you land on the pecking order. Try it out.

 Q27) JP2 – How do you deal with situation where the routing (e.g. LAX-SYD) has no R/T low awards at all?

Well it can be found but not much I know. This is another reason to have the highest status you can with Delta as they release more seats to DM, then PM and so on at low level. Also look outside the box. I know this is crazy but LAX-SYD I show only one seat in business direct on the 20th in low level business class. But, if look SLC-SYD I find the same seats on the 20th and 21st of Feb. Now I hope you see where I am going with this. If not please read the Points Guy post below. Find any dates that will work, load on a bunch of legs, wait for the schedule change and then pick the direct flight as the points no longer matter! Another way is V Austrailia talked about here by The Points Guy at his blog. He also talks about OPEN JAW and STOPOVERS here too.

Q28) Kay – How does Delta organize it’s boarding order for non-elites in economy? Do the people at the very back of the plane board first, or do the window seats board first? I just booked a ticket for Memorial Day travel, and I want to choose a seat that will help me avoid gate checking my bag.

Great question. Delta boards by ZONES. Business and Medallions board zone 1. If you have any DELTA AMEX cards you board zone 2. The rest board according to seats and fare class. You have plenty of time to get the card and will get 30,000 skymiles on top of that.

Q29) Aleks – Any thoughts on Amex Platinum $200 fee reimbursement strategy? I’m DL Gold for next year, and I also have the DL Plat Amex, so I rarely incur any fees on DL, since I get free checked bags, SC access, etc. And I do fly DL 90% of the time. Would you still recommend keeping DL as my selected airline for fee reimbursement? I’ve used it for onboard drink purchases and successfully convinced Amex to reimburse appx $150 in award tix fees (although this seems to be getting more difficult to do).

This one is talked about a bunch here at this Flyer Talk thread. I used mine to buy 2 $100 SW AIR gift cards but I hear that may be no more. I read that most are buying 1 day skyclub passes and giving them away etc.

Q30) John – Is the Delta reserve card worth the $450 fee for a regular delta flyer?

Maybe. If you spend big on it you can earn 40k MQM 1st year. You get better upgrades and free lounge access. If you like SKYCLUBS, and I do, then about the same price as yearly membership plus you get more perks. Also as a side note, if you use my links to get your  Delta Reserve Card  it does support the blog and I thank you so very much for your support! – René

Q31) JD – What are the benefits of Economy Comfort seats? Secondly, are they worth the extra fee?

You can read all about them here at Delta.com .Extra room and recline very nice on long flights of say 6+ hrs! Service is just as bad as any coach class seat!

Q32) Chris – My question would be is there really a benefit to being a Silver Medallion? I received this status via an AMEX transfer bonus earlier this year and while I already get free checked bags due to my Delta Amex, I don’t really see the 25k MQM’s that came with the offer that beneficial to someone that isn’t shooting for upper elite levels such as myself.

Well you do have the status this year and until FEB2013 so you are set for another 14 months at your current status. There could be time for this challenge if you want to jump on a plane and qualify for it just one international trip and you are GOLD. Try and see . Gold is very nice!

Q33) Ashley – I am delta upgraded by not by miles gold with 33k miles. Will 8k miles roll(33-25) over or will i have to start from 0 next year. Does it pay to get the delta mqm card now and get the 10k mqm or better wait until next year. will those 10k mqm count to gold qualification to make up the qualifying miles i never did or will they roll over as well from the 25k silver threshold.

I think if I understand you were gifted GOLD and now have 33k MQM’s this year. If that is the case yes 8k will rollover. If you can get 17k more by the 31st you keep your GOLD. AMEX card is one way but would have to apply ASAP and hope maybe there is time for you to get points this year! They should credit to this year per AMEX terms but be sure you confirm that with the rep when you activate the card (it should be a recorded line with AMEX). You could do that and buy 7500 MQM with current promotion and make it.

 Q34) Cory – s there any benefit to paying for access to a lounge if you only have a layover of 2 hours or less?

Don’t pay. Either find a meet-n-greet or “lurk” outside a club and ask if you can be guested in please.

Q35) TJ – Do you think the Amex Delta Companion pass is valuable? I’m not sure whether I should upgrade my Amex Delta Gold to Amex Delta Plat. One intriguing benefit is that the Amex Delta Plat’s companion pass is free to use, whereas the Amex Delta Gold charges $99 to use the pass. Depending on how easy this pass is to use, I may be more inclined to upgrade cards. ( another reader ask about if you can transfer the GOLD/PLAT/RESERVE $99/free coupons to someone else )

Yes! I have used these in the past ( the free ones from my  DELTA RESERVE card that is ). For me the 1st class tickets are too much so I use mine coach ( sorry my bride ). Also you get NO upgrades on these but if you ask the reps at the desk why you are not on the upgrade list they will often times upgrade you on these because, like everything Delta, no one knows the rules and you can use that in your favor this time. Also you can transfer them to whoever you want. Two of your friends can use them to fly if you want but you must pay for the tickets with YOUR AMEX and have them pay you back!

Q36) Trey – I see that Delta transfer bonuses seem to come up frequently. Could you please explain how often these bonuses come up and when/how frequently we can expect to see them in 2012?

Who knows with AMEX but they do them each year. Now they have gotten a little worse each year so that unfortunate trend will more than likely continue I hate to say!

Q37) Rikki – I am moving and would consider Delta for my personal travel. How often do elites get upgraded on Delta and what is the breakdown of status levels?

Ah – upgrade roulette. We all play the game. The simple answer is it depends where you fly. If you fly ATL on DIAMOND heavy routes you had better be a DM with the DELTA RESERVE card and have a Y class ticket or better! If you fly other routes like DTW-MYR you can expect 100% upgrades for any level of medallion status. On average, DM 95%, PM 85%, GM 70% and SM 50% from what I have seen from others.

Q38) Brian – Is there any websites that offer free delta miles?

Yes! Here is a link for lots of free Delta points. One of them is e-miles where you can get FREE Delta points many times a year. Depending on how many you do maybe 2000 or more per year!

Q39) goheerow – What do you recommend for families? I’m the only one who plays the miles/points game, so wife and kids have zero miles on delta since we usually fly UA/CO. I’ve got about 25k skymiles that are itching to be used, but not sure how to use them for a potential family trip. Any suggestions before they become worthless?

You are my kind of reader. Start churning credit cards my friend. I just got 170,000 in my last churn. I will pick up another 130,000 when I do my wife’s churn in January. 300,000 in a month. In 90 days I will pick up another 200-300k. This goes on and on. Work at it and look for other deals like the 25,000 point Skymall deal this month!

Q40) kyle – When does Delta release the most low level seats?

Some 331 days out. The rest now and then. Just have to keep checking. Plus others may cancel their seats and then they open up.

Thank you all so much for all these great questions. I hope this has helped you all. I plan to do these once a month and plan to add a tab at the top of the blog where I will post all these Q &A’s for all to read and search. It means so much to me to share what I have learned and to get tips from all of you! – René

▲Delta▲ SkyMiles® Credit Card
American Express – RESERVE/PLATINUM/GOLD
Click here for more information

So this program is not for everyone. Do you own or run a small or medium size business? If you do, you may be missing out on Delta points. Why?

SKYBONUS! Have you ever heard of it? It is the revenue based reward points that gives you points concurrently with Skymiles, that is you can earn both each time you fly.

This is the way it works. Based on how much you spend for your ticket and what class you fly, you get Skybonus points (You earn either 3, 6,10 or 30 points per dollar. The site is very rudimentary but it works. It does  give you the chance to double dip each paid for flight  with Delta).

What do I need to do to be a part of this? You need a federal tax id number for your company. You can also just be a sole proprietor according to many readers but you can click here and read more about what is needed.

What can I get?  A bunch of stuff  like upgrades, free flights and even Skyclub passes ( thus my giveaways as of late btw ).

You can even earn more for car rentals etc with the program and the maybe 2 or 3 or 4 dip each rental!

So if you can join this – there is  a “training” course  on the site where you can quickly earn 2000 points:

And just  like I bogged about  you have to MANUALLY sign up for most Delta bonus offers  here as well . Many times you can earn 2x or 3x Skybonus points on flights.

There is an “official”  Delta Youtube clip  about Skybonus you may enjoy. Have fun and join in the fun if you have your own company and are accepted by Delta. – René

MORE FREE points – with this promo you should have by now earned  2000  free DELTA points in your account now. Follow this link, enter your Skymiles number at Fedex, then login with your existing Fedex ID (if you did this before) and you can then get 500 MORE points. If you have never done this you still can get 500 points. Also be sure to keep in mind the  3 other ways  to earn 500 points!

Æ- American Express Premier Rewards
Gold Card – 25,000 points
Click HERE for more information