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Links&Tips
══════ Delta related links ═════
Delta Air Lines home page HERE
Join Skymiles HERE
Check Delta fees HERE
Skymiles Award Travel Chart HERE
Delta Air Lines Blog HERE
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Blog HERE
SkyTeam Members HERE
Sky Magazine online HERE
Skymiles calculator HERE
Exit EU compensation request HERE
══════ Flight info links ═════
Check info, status updates with FlightAware HERE
Find the best seats with Seatguru HERE
Find the best seats with SeatMaestro HERE
Great Circle Mapper show distance & trips HERE
Info on fare price codes and charts is HERE
══════ Track points links ═════
Track everything with AwardWallet HERE
Another tracker is Tripit HERE
══════ Airline & other blog links ═════
Subscribe to Delta Points HERE
Milepoint Delta info HERE
══════ Social Media & Contact links ═════
Follow @deltagoldflyer @Delta @DeltaAssist on Twitter HERE
Use ONLY when ALL ELSE fails please – contact Delta corp. HERE
Delta Airlines Youtube site HERE
══════ Useful travel info links ═════
Check the weather at intelecast HERE
Check time zones at TimeandDate HERE
Find travel advisories & warnings from the US State Dept. HERE
Read reviews about hotels & more at tripadvisor HERE
Find discount off-site airport parking HERE
Aviation consumer protection division HERE
Find US airport codes HERE
Find worldwide airport codes HERE
Quick & free trip calculator HERE
Learn the phonetic alphabet correctly HERE
══════ Get better prices for stuff links ═════
Get CASH back ($5 to start) at eBates HERE
Search for AIR prices with Tripadvisor HERE
Search for AIR prices with Hipmonk HERE
Search for AIR prices with Kayak HERE
Bid on rooms & more with Priceline HERE
Bid on rooms & more with Hotwire HERE
Before you bid check at betterbidding HERE
Get deals and %-off at EVrewards HERE
Support Delta Points thru Amazon.com shopping HERE
══════ Free Points Links ═════
e-Rewards survey site for many free points is HERE
eMiles survey site for 500 miles HERE
FedEx 500 free points HERE
FF credit cards gets you lots o’ points, naturally! HERE
If you know of any place readers can get 100% FREE points please e-mail me so I can add them here.
Thanks rene @ deltapoints.com
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Deltapoints.com & Readers Top Tips for travel!
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Here are DeltaPoints.com Top Travel Tips. They are both from me and readers. Each month more will be added. Take the time to read these and your trip will be better I assure you!
1) The day before when I check in for my flight I also e-mail or fax the hotel I will stay at and ask very nicely for an upgrade since I am whatever status, or my wife is whatever status, with that chain. It often works and you jump ahead of EVERYONE checking in the next day!
2) I bring my Magellan GPS
3) Bring your “i-zoom” or “EZ pass” or “I-pass” – or whatever your state calls it – toll road transponder. Right now 13 states share this system. This can save you TONS of time and cost!
4) Air/Hotel/Car cards. What to do with all your cards? I have most of my programs on my Award Wallet card that for $10 has like 20 on it. But also I punch a hole in them and use 3 key rings and that works great and can just be tossed in my carry-on bag!
5) While I have never got one of these I have a jacket with 8 pockets and I can pack a TON if I want in it. It would shock you just how much. This guy has the same idea and then some.
6) To increase my odds for “bumportunities” I try to go carry-on. Also keep size restrictions in mind. For DELTA the official fit in the little metal tester box is: 22″ x 14″ x 9″.
7) I always keep the essential items with me like glasses if you wear contacts & a lens case filled with solution (but put it in a zip bag as at altitude it will leak!), medications (even my favorite OTC cold meds just in case), identification & extra cash. I bring a clean shirt and socks & under garments expecting to get bumped!
8 ) I try to pre-adjust for jet-lag. My wife and I try to do this before our trips to Sweden by going to bed and getting up earlier for a few days before we go and have found it really helps.
9) I always take photos of ALL my luggage. Then, I do it again with my phone. Also I print 2 copies in color so if your luggage is lost I simply hand one copy to the baggage claim agent when filing the report. I have had the wrong bag handed to me before and the guy walk off! Another thing I also do is place identification tags on the inside as well as outside all my luggage. Lastly take photos with phone of your baggage claim tags – checked & plane-side – so you have those numbers handy if you need them. Takes 2 seconds right?
10) WIPE! FA’s always commend me for this. Go totally “Monk” when you sit down on the plane! Bring along some antibacterial wipes and go over everything – tray table, vid-screen, controller, armrests, window shade, buttons & air vent. Trust me, you don’t want to know what I’ve seen contaminating these surfaces! I also do this in hotels with phone, remote, light switches. Maybe overkill, but you should do this! “You’ll thank me later!”
11) Tripit (I have never tried it and use awardwallet) allows you to keep track of your itineraries automatically, available thru Gmail with iphone & android apps also available.
HT to – @iflycoach & Andre & Daniel
12) Making copies of identification, credit cards, and checking expiration dates had some additional refinement ideas. Email copies via gmail to yourself or a relative for later secure retrieval from any interface in case phone/laptop/tablet gets lost or stolen. My wife and I also organize our wallets so that we each take different credit cards in case one of us has a wallet or purse stolen, we’re not totally stuck waiting for replacement cards.
HT to – Nancy & Andre & JosephMay & Jim H
13) Check restaurants.com ( see this post to save $$$ btw ) for dining options at your destination Also mentioned were Groupon/Living Social. You can also check for Gogo in-flight coupon codes prior to departure.
HT to – Jim H & Larry
14) GPS app for smartphone – why not if you don’t have a GPS
HT to – Andre
15) Ensure all electronic devices are fully charged before departure and pack charging cords in carry-on along with a power strip to use to “share” outlets at airport if need be. This seems like a no-brainier but I have to admit I have forgotten to charge my camera battery before a trip! Power strips also come in handy in hotel rooms when outlets are all behind the bed or dresser!
HT to – Kevin & Jim H
16) Call your credit card company prior to travel to inform them of your travel plans in order to avoid having your account frozen under suspicion of fraudulent foreign activity. I do this with just my main card but maybe should for others too.
HT to – Ozzie
17) Print out alternate travel route options in case of bumps, delays or problems with scheduled flights as well as 2 copies of your boarding passes so you can leave one with the gate agent for upgrade or bumportunity!
HT to – Darren & Jim H
18) Look up twitter accounts for hotels / airlines / and other services you will or might be using.
HT to – Jim H
19) Pack an extra lightweight collapsible bag in case of an overweight bag or shopping overflow! Ladies, a large purse counts the same as a small one, so make the most of it! Your small purse can go inside along with other things.
HT to – Jim H
20) Text yourself or take a photo of the sign where you parked your car! Great idea I will do from now on.
HT to – Jim H
21) Should you spend money or points for a trip? Frequent Miler has some good ideas about when is an award ticket a good deal
22) Save all relevant prescriptions information (just take a photo of each label) This can be particularly helpful to be able to get in touch directly with the pharmacy to see what they recommend in case you forget and pack these items in a checked bag, or lose them in some other way.
HT to – Danny
23) Whenever possible try to fit everything in a carry-on. Many methods can be used here – rolling clothes, packing light, coordinating clothes to minimize how much you need to take, etc. When you can manage it, this saves time and stress of checking bags.
HT to – Angelina
24) Program all credit card, bank numbers, & mileage account numbers into your cell phone. This is often easier to access when you are flying internationally and can’t quickly pull up the Awardwallet site for your complicated AA Advantage number.
HT to – Noah
25) If your bags are lost, check with your credit card’s bag loss warranty protections for additional coverage if your loss exceeds the airline’s provision.
HT to – Noah
26) Sit near the agent desk, so you can be first in line for rebooking when they announce a delay.
HT to – Jon
27) If you must travel coach, try the travel neck pillow put on backwards, so that it wraps around the FRONT of your neck, you get a nice pillow to rest your head on (to the side) and the front keeps your head from falling forward. Also always helpful are the eyeshade, earplugs, and if you have time, a nice carb-rich dinner in the airport prior to departing, then skip the meal in favor of more time to sleep.
HT to – David
28) Bring a protein snack. Delays are unpredictable.
HT to – Joel
29) Try to exchange only as much money for foreign currency as you expect to use. If you have any leftover money, instead of paying to change it back (or having it sit in a drawer at home) use it for the hotel bill or taxi, even the change, and then pay the balance with a credit card. Another option is to look for a Forex exchange as they do not charge to convert leftover currency back to USD, or whatever you started with.
HT to – SEE
30) If you’re not renting a car, scan the taxis at the airport prior to hopping in one and program a few numbers into your cell phone. Once you have their number, you can always call in advance and arrange for a pickup.
HT to – SEE
31) Prior to international travel, call your cell carrier and see what options they offer. For example, Verizon charges about $1.49/min for calls placed on a euro network, but if you sign up in advance for their $3.99 Global Value plan, that per minute rate gets knocked down to .99/min. Also, if you have a smartphone, sign up for the Global Data Package. At $30/50mb or $75/150mb, it’s steep, but way better than what it would cost to use data without these plans. Both options by the way (Global Value and Global Data) will be pro-rated when you return, so if you’re in Euroland for only a week or two, you’d get some of that $3.99 back, as well as any money on your data plan. Verizon will even let you set a start and end date for these plans in advance. You can also check with the various mobile services when you arrive on purchasing a SIM card for simple phone/text usage while in your international destination.
HT to – G. David
32) Check on the number of mobile phone scanners for mobile boarding passes each airport has before security. Some airports only have one or two scanners, which means you have to get in a specific line when going through security. Thus adding rather than saving time.
HT to – Mark
33) I always pack a blanket with me so I can use it in the airplane when I get cold without having to worry about catching germs from airplane blankets (or not getting a blanket at all).
Or always fly in front of the curtain as these blankets are super nice & fluffy & clean! Check the Best Points tab at the top of the blog to see how!
HT to Anna
34) Does anyone still send postcards anymore?! Print a sheet of small Avery mailing labels with recipients names & addresses so all I have to do is write my postcards – peel and stick address labels – and hand my stack of finished postcards to the hotel desk clerk to put in the mail for me. Simple!
HT to Ozzie
35) Even better than the AwardWallet card is to get the CardStar app for your smart phone. Not only will it store your airline/hotel/rental car loyalty program numbers, but it will generate and display the bar codes associated with the number. So when traveling on Delta, you can have the gate agent or SkyClub agent scan your Delta SkyMiles bar code from your phone (e.g. to get a seat assignment). And it generates bar codes for fitness club memberships, drugstore and grocery store loyalty programs, and many others, so you never have to be without those discounts on the road.
HT to Eric
36) For families, if you’re checking in a car seat (we have a car seat bag that’s black), stuff some clothes in there to keep your carry on and/or check-in a little lighter. They never check inside.
HT to goheerow
37) If you have at least one Visa Infinite or World Mastercard, save the 1800 number to their complimentary concierge service. They will help you with almost anything you throw at them. Reportedly, they can help you with the simplest things like finding nearby gas stations and directions, to planning whole travel itineraries (although we probably know a few more tricks).
Had my car towed in a foreign place once and used them to patch me through to he local compound to figure out where my car was.
HT to Jackson
38) be sure you go to the lavatory before you board.
…and wouldn’t it be nice if they located the toilet paper holder out of “splash” range?! Ladies – use paper towels but put them in the trash rather than flushing them!
HT to sean
39) When you’re using the safe at a hotel, put everything in a shoe the night before. That way, you won’t walk off without your passport.
HT to dwh
40) travelling with kids? Love early morning flights because everyone crashes as soon as u take off
HT to Tracy
41) If, like me, you have trouble sleeping in a hotel room when it’s not totally dark (think city lights), bring along a couple binder clips to fasten the curtains to each other, avoiding the inevitable slit and light beam that lights up your room. You can also use the hotel hangers with the clips. Another benefit of this is no peepers!
HT to thrashsoundly
42) Since my first night on the road, i ALWAYS have trouble sleeping – get some Ambien/Lunesta. For me, the trip to the Dr’s office to get the prescription is 100x better than taking Advil PM or the like, which always leave me waking up completely groggy.
HT to G. David
43) If you know you’ll have more than a 2hr layover at the time of your ticket booking, and don’t already have a club membership, pay the $25 right then for a day pass, rather than putting it off and spending $50 if you decide you want a respite on the day you fly. You’ll get that $25 back in free internet and beer anyhow. And even if you decide to not use it that day, they’re still usually good for a year from the date of purchase.
HT to G. David
44) Always have a printed copy of your boarding pass in case the TSA’s or gate agent’s scanner fails to scan your mobile boarding pass. Also great if you have to prove to the airline your travel to earn award miles!
HT to Mark B.
45) I avoid taking the last flight of the day (taking the 2nd or 3rd to last) for business trips in case of delays/cancellations/etc. This depends on your objectives somewhat. If you have obligations to meet then this is a good plan. If you’re seeking bumportunities, last flights of the day are sometimes the best option.
HT to Mark B.
46) When possible route myself through airports that if I had to get stuck at I know a friend or family member nearby that I could stay with rather than sleeping in the airport waiting for the next day’s flight. Again, unless the flight cancellation is weather related, the airline will put you in a hotel. Otherwise, this is what points are for!
HT to Mark B.
47) Check the weather of all airports you are flying to and/or connecting through so that you can be better prepared should a delay in your travel occur. It is better to know a delay is likely and ask to be put on standby for the next flight rather than wait until the delay is announced and be at the back of the line.
HT to Mark B.
48) Recently, Delta seems to have increased their frequency of compensating International BusinessFirst travelers with a 5,000 mile voucher if your meal choice is not available when meal orders are taken. I don’t mind boarding last, so I’ve recently waited to be one of the last to board with the hopes of scoring some miles. I’ve scored 3 vouchers on my last 6 transatlantic flights (twice on flt. 71 AMS-JFK and one on flt 21 CDG-ATL). Worth the wait if you are not picky about what you eat.
HT to B. Ull
49) US Air relaxed change-fee policy in the fine print, it says that this policy only applies to tickets purchased thru US Air, not 3rd party sites (travelocity, orbitz, etc). ALWAYS book travel thru the airline website – if something comes up, they’re much more likely to help you if you bought a ticket from them than from a discount site. Also, once I booked a flight on LH thru Travelocity and put my US Air DM# on the reservation, only to find out after the trip that I was only entitled to HALF my preferred miles because I had booked through a “discount site”.
HT to G. David
50) Don’t be mean and put your jacket in the overhead right when you get on the plane.
Turn on EasyAlerts (United) or whatever similar service other airlines have
HT to Kris Ziel
51) Another idea for shorter trips….When at the cosmetic counters of department stores I ask for samples of products. This way I can bring small-sized lotions and make-up items with me and leave my larger bottles at home. It also serves as a way to try new products.
HT to Newton
52) To save space in your quart 3-1-1 bag, use a solid shampoo Lush: http://www.lushusa.com/shop/products/haircare/solid-shampoos/
HT to AJM
53) Always keep your phone/camera handy when on the plane. That way you can take pictures of any defective features and email it to customer service. You might be able to get some credit for a broken screen
HT to Bitachu
54) Check seatguru before booking to see which seats you want to get. The same price seat might have power outlets or more legroom
HT to Bitachu
55) If you have an smartphone, take a screen shot of your mobile boarding pass and scan that. You might not have service or Internet to connect to get it on your phone at security or when boarding (and if you didn’t print your boarding passes, this could be a problem).
HT to Truthiness
56) Read Delta Points the week before you fly, there might be a targeted promotion or news you need to know.
HT to Truthiness
57) A safety tip: when traveling on flights when you want to take off your shoes and put on slippers in order to be more comfortable, it is better to wait to remove shoes until a good amount of time after take off (and put them back on a good amount of time before landing). Because if there is an emergency / evacuation on take off or landing, you need those shoes on. And likewise, I keep important stuff right with me (not in an overhead bin) on take off and landing because if there is an emergency, there will not be time to grab stuff from overhead bins.
HT to Paul
58) Take along at least two memory cards and two camera batteries. In my purse I always carry a small flashlight and compass. Eddie Bauer has a combination flashlight/compass that works great!
HT to AJM
59) I can’t take credit for this, but one of the single best posts I have ever read from Gary at viewfromthewing is how to get to In n Out Burger for free is extra time at LAX. Here is the post:
http://boardingarea.com/blogs/viewfromthewing/2008/01/16/making-the-most-of-your-lax-layover/
I am guessing many think this is a weird post; they are the ones who have never been there….
HT to Michael Gulseth
60) Save important phone number/prescriptions/passport images etc on your phone as suggested, but also consider using dropbox app or other similar app/service so you can save them to the cloud. Then you can get to these things from any computer in the world, not just your own cell phone in an emergency.
HT to Keith
Q) How often can I get a Delta AMEX card?
I get many emails about “Credit card churning” especially regarding Delta AMEX cards. So please look at THIS POST 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 + and part two!
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.
Q41) A good question about Delta Medallion status – do you need it?
I will ask you simply to look at The Travel Abstracts post here as it puts it better than I ever could!
Q42) 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.
Q43)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.
Q44) 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.
Q45) 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.
Q46) 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.
Q47) 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.
Q48) 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.
Q49) 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!
Q50) 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.
Q51) 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 BIZ card gets you 60k FREE with only $1000 spend. That is a trip to Europe in coach for FREE.
Q52) Scott asks – In my experience with some other airlines, notably United, when an in-flight travel disruption occurs (like the overhead seat light not working, or the IFE not working), it definitely pays to contact United HQ directly to complain about these issues. I usually get $200-250 in vouchers back as compensation. I typically write a letter on a piece of paper and physically mail it addressed to Jeff Smisek (their ceo). In your experience with Delta, what is the best way to handle these types of disruptions?
In the past I have followed exactly the same process you described. I tended to keep the letter brief, mostly positive overall with the exception of the one particular problem, and I always received a response along with ETV or miles as compensation. Ironically, it always seemed that any inconvenience – be it a broken seat that didn’t recline, IFE, light, or even food poisoning – it was worth $100 in ETV or 5000 miles. Nowadays I strongly recommend against writing to the CEO in favor of using @DeltaAssist or the online complaint link in these situations as I get immediate attention and the problem can be handled typically within hours rather than days.
Q53) Mike asks – I see that you can sometimes pay for upgrades on delta. But which option holds better value? Paying for a ticket then pay for upgrade or just using miles for the better seat?
Very subjective question which brings up a very important point. Everyone must decide for themselves what their SkyMiles are worth to them, be it 1 CPM or 2 or whatever. Things to consider are how many miles you have overall, the actual cost of ticket & cost of upgrade compared to miles based on your personal valuation of your miles. Also just what is that upgraded seat worth to you for that particular flight, is it a long enough flight that you could really glean the value from the seat that it would cost you. These are all questions I can answer for me, but you must answer for you.
Q54) Alan asks – What do you do if you reserve a preferred seat (e.g. a bulkhead seat) at the time of booking, subsequently get upgraded to first class during the upgrade window, but then there is a last minute equipment change and you are reassigned to an unfavorable seat (e.g. middle seat with no recline)?
Tough spot, and I’ve been there myself many times. Bottom line is you need to be happy to be on the plane at all! Gate dragon’s are most of the time not going to be helpful. After that the best options are to read your FA’s demeanor carefully and select the one you think is having the best day, keeping in mind they’re all dealing with a bunch of people just like you who are also irked by their new found seating circumstances. Ask politely if there is anything they can to do put you in a more comfortable seat and see what you get. It helps to look around and see if there are in fact any empty seats before asking for something that is impossible. If nothing can be done, then handle it through @DeltaAssist or the complaint link in order to seek some compensation for the inconvenience.
Q55) Mike H asks – I live in the Minneapolis area and Delta has essentially a monopoly up here. Do you have any idea if any airlines are looking to expand at MSP? I miss my $250 flights from NWA which are now $400+ on Delta.
It looks like MSP already services 12 other airlines besides Delta so if fare prices are your sole focus then perhaps some more extensive shopping of additional airlines is the answer to your lower fare quest. Another option is checking other nearby airports if you’re hub-captive and think outside the box a little. For you RST is only what 1.5hrs away? You can find US Airport codes on my links page. See if you can find better deals there.
Q56) 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 ).
Q57) 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.
Q58) 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! There is a great post HERE at Flyertalk that explains the all. You make a good point as we do tend to shorten everything in life like it is all a big text or tweet!
Q59) 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!
Q60) 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!
Q61) 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.
Q62) 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! 
Q63) 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!)
Q64) 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.
Q65) Rob asks – Hey, which Atlanta crown room is best?
The one you got into free & the one with the xspress spa one floor down!
Q66) 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 )!
Q67) 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.
Q68) 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!
Q69) 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?!?
Q70) 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!
Q71) 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!
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