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I can hear Delta and “some” bloggers keyboards just burning and saying something like “See, the award charts no longer matter” as they type about the latest Delta award / fare sale we found out about yesterday and then had confirmed that it was in fact a sale. Even notice the wording that it is a “fare” sale that follows the “party line” that award tickets are just like any other ticket (sorta) and thus it is not being called an award sale – but that is just what it is and changes nothing. Don’t believe me? Think the Delta Level 1-5 award charts don’t matter any more? Keep reading!
You see last year Delta offered a “fare” sale to many locations and even I was able to snap up an award from South Bend to Florida to see my dad for just 20k SkyMiles round trip. Due to a number of schedule changes and even an equipment downgrade I had the perfect flights and cleared to 1st class on all the legs (that I could that is).
And going back a little farther in time we saw Delta offered a 25% rebate back on awards booked by a certain time and flown by a certain time and I booked tickets for myself and my buddies to go play golf in Florida during the winter.
So nothing massively new about Delta offering discounted awards during the slower winter travel period. Delta IS still using the charts and will keep doing so and that is why we need to know how to reference them to see if we are getting value or being over charged for an award ticket!
Now don’t get me wrong. I am not trying to find a dark cloud in a clear blue sky. The sale is amazing and a great value and a great way to burn up your SkyMiles. It is just tops to be able to fly to Europe, even in the middle of winter, in DeltaONE luxury for as little 87,500 miles each vs. even LEVEL 1 prices of 125,000 when you can find them. I mean, that price is nearly the same as many pay for a ONE-WAY ticket nowadays, but that sorta makes my point!
For a while yesterday I had my old gleeful Delta enthusiasm back and I thank Delta for that amazing feeling (it had been a long time). I really thought there was a chance Delta was going to “enhance” SkyMiles in a positive way. I should have known better. Back to the grind! – Rene
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I think DL was within one or two negative, mainstream media stories of losing control its image (the thing the public first thinks of when they first hear the words Delta Air Lines). Say USAToday had run a story on how Delta is messing over its SkyMiles customers, that would have been the end of the DL PR team controlling the image. (Think HP or JP Morgan and Jamie Dimon.) So DL had to do something to change the subject and FAST. Voila — an award “fare” sale.
I’m happy for those able to use this. Unfortunately, I’m not one of them.
What I find more than a little strange is no promotion for this “sale”???? Anyone in their right mind would have expected an email to notify them. My husband is only a lowly Gold Medallion now with about 3 million miles on Delta (and we also hold the Delta Platinum card) and we never got any promotional email about this! Makes one wonder about who this is targeted for…….
@Barbra C – As of today targeted to everyone. I am sure we will see more soon from Delta. My guess is someone in IT flipped a switch too soon and they had to do clean-up work once I, and then others, posted about it. 😉
As always, thank you again for your constant updates and information!
My main destination (from NC) is Salt Lake City, to see my kids and grandkids. And—a Delta hub. I was able to fly for my daughter’s college graduation for 25,000 points, non-stop, which was phenomenal, and kept me from looking at AA for the time being. However, I don’t know how long this good deal will last!
Unfortunately for Delta, I am a “fair weather friend.”