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I hope you enjoy and benefit from my Blog!
So why am I blogging? I feel there is a need, and I hope I can help you, my reader. My focus will be mostly on Delta Air Lines tips and hints but I will post anything that I feel you will like that is travel related.
So what motivated me to blog? Like most of us who collect points, a few of our friends “get” how we do what we do. On my recent trip from AMS-DTW, my wife & I sat in business class on a Delta 767 and watched all the folks in coach stream by as we sipped champagne with seats reclined & footrests out (yes, sigh, they loaded from the front door). One of the people walked by and said:
“Before I die I want to take a trip like that!”
I just smiled and said,
“Read the frugaltravelguy.com website and you can.” (thanks, Rick, for all you do!)
Our friends, family & others just don’t get it but I want them to understand. I don’t travel for business. I mostly fly to see family in Sweden and for such a long trip I want to fly “in front of the curtain” and I want to do it for free. Guess what? If you are reading this, you can too, and as the Frugal Travel Guy says, “at prices we can afford”!
So why should you read my blog? What credentials do I have to make reading my words worth your time?
For 10+ years I have flown NWA / Delta. I know a few tips to make your life with Delta better and smoother. Also, right now, my wife’s & my total “points” accounts are more than 2 million.
Both of us currently hold Platinum Medallion status with Delta and have booked six trips for 2012 in addition to our current point totals. One of them is in Lufthansa 1st class (270,000 miles – 2x 135,000) and one is in Delta business (200,000 miles 2x -100,000) to Sweden.
Also, two ski trips to Salt Lake and two trips to Florida for my wife and some good friends (fun to spend points on those you love and care about). All these trips are either free on points or ETVs (electronic travel vouchers).
Flight, hotels, cars & more can all be free (or at least almost free) for you too! Read my blog each day and I will help to guide you to enjoy the same ride.
Yours – René
PS – I will end with the most important tip you MUST never – ever – forget. When communicating with an airline, hotel or whatever, but especially DELTA, if you don’t like the answer, HANG UP, call back, and ask again (or tweet again and again). Delta people don’t know their jobs today. They don’t know the rules. They don’t know their partners’ rules. Call back and the next rep might know the rules or may even waive the rules if you ask nice. (OK you get 2 tips today – always be super nice and thank the reps for what they do! It helps.)
Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Welcome to BoardingArea and as a fellow Platinum Medallion, (and i’m not dead yet), I too have taken a trip like that—though I’m not that big on the foot rest thing!!!
Thank you Randy for all you do for us all! – Rene
Congrats on the new blog, looking forward to reading your Delta perspective!
Thank you Nathan. I hope I don’t disappoint!
Welcome. I fly Delta from time to time and manage to collect my share of SkyMiles each year. I look forward to following your blog and learning how to make the most of them!
Thanks! Wife and me are up to 360,000k of your AA miles and working for 2 first class rides over to Sweden in 2013!
Looking forward to great stuff! Loved the first post!
Txs Alan, I hope to make you smile tomorrow!
Nice to see someone focusing on Delta…. Not alot of love for the Skymiles program… but I based in MSP and a Delta Diamond.
Thanks Chilurn! I agree, if you get to know DELTA, there is a lot to love.
I am based out of SLC and for most flights Delta just works best for us. I get a little frustrated with all the bashing on Delta because although they do have their drawbacks, for me it means either a non stop flight or one connection as opposed to flying to Dallas in order to get to Seattle – not helpful. I am looking forward to your blog so I can maximize our Delta travel. Thanks!
Congratulations on your new blog. I’m looking forward to more posts from you!
Looking forward to reading your blog! I am a Delta Gold based out of NYC and have been pretty happy with my experience. It would be interesting if you could cover any insights/experiences with the Skyteam alliance too.
Thanks David. I will and I have some links for Skyteam in my favorites list:
http://deltapoints.boardingarea.com/links/
Welcome to Boarding Area. I’m a Delta PM (about to be a Diamond after the next flight) and look forward to your insights, especially since I’ve always found your perspective on FT interesting as well.
Welcome to BoardingArea… and happy blogging!
I’m glad you’re here. You’ve been so active commenting on BoardingArea, it’s fantastic you’ve started blogging!
Looking forward to learning more about the carrier I haven’t flown since 1995 (gasp).
Thanks Darren. Come on in, the water is fine over here at DL!
Welcome! Great to see you here!
Welcome to the BoardingArea. I used to be an NWA frequent flyer during 199-2005, so look forward to your postings.
Delta repainted all your old planes nice and white and put in leather seats – a “rich Corinthian leather”….. come check it out!
Thanks for the post. I’ll definitely return.
Thanks! Please do I appreciate the support.
Sorry I am a day late in my welcome, but welcome to BoardingArea! You are going to do great.
Congrats deltagoldflyer! I recognized your name when you were handing out the waiver form at the ORD DO. I made PM this year for the first time via Delta’s promo. Looking forward to your tips on Delta.
Yep – wife and I were happy to help out. What a great DO this year!
Can’t wait to learn more things from deltagoldflyer! congrats!
awww you say the sweetest things…..txs – rene
Welcome! Looking forward to your blog!! Any tips/hints for Delta miles usage is a good thing!!
Just found this site on google. Great job! I found your site very informative.
Been coming back to your website often now, like what you are doing.
Hi there, You have done a fantastic job. I will certainly digg it and personally recommend to my friends. I am confident they’ll be benefited from this web site.
Hey Rene – looks like you are doing a great job! Looking forward to learning all things Delta!
Thanks! It has been fun so far!
Thanks for any Delta news. We need to fly from Sioux Falls or MSP, so Delta is our main option.
Kevin