We had great news back on December 24th when we first learned that as of 1JAN15 not just 1st class PWM or Pay With Miles tickets, a perk of the Delta AMEX cards but ALL PWM tickets would earn points for purchase.
I even followed up with a post about how this really does shake up your choice to pay with cash or pay with points to earn valuable MQMs when the price for the ticket is close to the same amount (or less) than the award price.
However, I have been getting a FLOOD of emails and tweets asking me please to confirm this. Why? Well as you can see from the shot in the opening, the wording on Delta.com is VERY CLEAR and unambiguous. We earn points.
And when you book a ticket, and pay for it with MONEY you can clearly see how many points and such you are going to earn.
However, as you can see when you choose PWM it drops those numbers down to ZEROS and DASHES.
Thus the confusion and so many requests from readers. Delta has assured me we WILL earn miles as stated on Delta.com and the change is in place and the issue with the web site not showing the right numbers is being looked at. So, stay tuned for the fix to happen some time sooner or later (we are talking Delta IT here folks).
Just as an FYI and to put your mind at ease (well sorta anyway), we KNOW and have tested that 1st class PWM tickets have for some time now yielded points. But even today, when you pick PWM with a 1st class ticket on Delta.com – THEY TOO SHOW ZERO for earning – but do pay out after flight.
For now, if you have an issue and don’t get the correct credits, you will have to email Delta to manually post the points for you. – René
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My fears of what could go wrong with PWM Economy tickets have prompted me to book two within each other just to test the Upgrade possibilities.
Of course, I didn’t zero-out my ticket prices and left a few dollars on the base price of both tickets. That way I can reprise my high school play role of Oliver Twist, holding my PWM ticket and look up to DELTA Airlines’ SkyMiles and say “Please sir, can I have some more?” and walk away with maybe enough redeemable SkyMiles for a cup of coffee to wash down my porridge indigestion!
Rene, The terms and conditions seem to indicate that milage will only be earned on the part of the ticket that was paid in “currency”. Is that not the way it works in reality?
There is also not clarity whether Global Certificate Upgrades will work on PWM tickets.
@Deltaflyer – For MQD it is that way. For Skymiles it is that way and the “X” of your status 5,6 etc X. For MQMs it is distance flow. I have not looked but most times you can NOT combine items like this with certs like GUs.
Per Delta.com:
” Tickets purchased with full or partial Pay with Miles redemptions are not eligible for mileage upgrades, Systemwide Upgrades, Global Upgrades or Regional Upgrades.”
@John – that is OLD verbiage. as you can see in the post the NEW verbiage.
@Rene –
It’s there, look two paragraphs above your red arrows.
@John – sigh – it is time for you to trust your Delta Points blogger and let it go.
Do Systemwide Upgrades even exist anymore? Man, do I miss those!!!!!
@Mark – The old SWU are still around but will be all gone by 1MARCH15. You can not pick them anymore.
Thanks! Will contact Delta for correction…