FF Redemption Experience

[erikthewise]

I'm sure this will come as no surprise to experienced flyers...

I wanted to use Delta FF miles on a ticket Cincinnati-Seattle for next summer. (The lesson applies to Orlando as well.)
Some things I'd read on this board, plus a little experimentation, convinced me I'd better plan so I could get the award ticket exactly 331 days in advance.

So I got up about 1:30 AM Eastern this morning and got the ticket I was looking for from delta.com for 25K miles. The price for the round trip ticket at the time was $474. As of 9:00 PM, the price on delta.com was $520, and the nonstop was no longer available for "Skysaver" award ticket. (You could of course still get it for double miles as a "Skychoice" ticket. You can get just about any ticket that way.) The price may come down at some point, but I doubt these flights will ever again be available for 25K miles.

So you think a lot of demand triggered the change? Delta's web site allows you to check the seating chart before you purchase. My seats were the only ones claimed among the ones not reserved. In all likelihood no one else had bought a ticket on those flights. This just goes to show what kind of games the airlines play.

 

[safetymom]

Yes they adjust the number of seats available at certain levels. There is not much you can do about it. It is right? That is a whole long story about the airline industry. They could make it easier but I don't seem any of them in a rush to change things.

 

[DebbieB]

They probably only alloted 2 FF seats on that flight (or how many you booked). I have seen USAirways have no FF tickets available but then later add them.

 

[erikthewise]

I only booked one seat!
It seems that a raise in prices is triggered by any booking whatsoever.

 

[safetymom]

Have you tried calling Delta? Sometimes for award tickets that is the better way to go.

 

[ncbyrne]

for our 2002 trip, I called exactly 331 days out and still was not able to get skysaver tickets nonstop both ways using FF miles. I had to go to Atlanta and change plans on the way down...did get non stop to Newark (EWR) on the way home.
Our next trip was scheduled for Sept 2004, but just this weekend, DH changed his vacation to May. Yesterday, only 232 days out from our trip, I was able to get nonstop skysaver tickets for non stop both ways! Go figure.

 

[erikthewise]

safetymom,

Just to clarify, I *did* in fact get exactly what I wanted. I was just amazed that my one seat apparently triggered a price increase and loss of Skysaver availability. Or maybe they just do that for fun after 12 hours, regardless?