In case you have not seen it on other BoardingArea blogs, or on FlyerTalk or my friend @laptoptravel ‘s blog there is a real fare war going with flights to Japan. Good for us. If you want to find a trip / run of your own you can do it by using THIS Google Flights link and then just tinker around with dates. It will then send you over to Delta to buy the ticket! For just over $400 this is an amazing deal and attack fare.
I have never flown a Delta 747 before and they are soon to go away as the massive “D Checks” that is, maintenance checks that are very costly and the fact that they are not as fuel efficient means Delta is parking them in the Arizona “bone yard” soon for good (going there in a week). I have so wanted to fly this bird and now I have a chance.
Not just that, as we land in DTW on the way back I will, shortly before landing, cross the 1 million miler mark with Delta. For me this is a HUGE deal. You only become a Delta million miler once in your life. Sure you can fly many more million but the 1st million is something special.
Also, being an x-NWA fan and constant DTW flyer, this will mean even more. Oh and I get to spend a day in Japan as well. I would love to stay longer but that will have to wait for another trip. This one is for the experience and the record books for me. I am stoked! – René
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Wow! That TPAC trip happened a lot sooner than I thought. Congratulations in advance on 1 million delta miles! I look forward to some awesome trip reports.
On a somber note, it is a shame that a 14-hour flight gets you as many miles as a short hop to Cleveland.
@John – Don’t care about the SkyRubles. It is about the MQMs. They are still distance based. Picking up well over 13k 🙂
We’re you able to use a GU ? Every time I call abouthe a Japan flight there are none available but I can take a chance with with a waitlist. Just don’t know th as the I want to spend that long on an economy seat – I’m getting spoiled 🙂
@Carol – Wait listed. Only 2 seats on a 747 in biz sold and wait listed! That is DL REV MGT for ya. If I fly my 1MM flight in coach, it will say much about Delta 😉
@René –
Congratulations on the 1MM! I hope you get cleared for the flight. I just got back (from my Mileage Run to Bangkok) and took the 747 from ICN to DTW. Retirement flight for Captain Reggie (of NWA fame) and a lot of NWA crew on-board. I did that as my farewell to the “Queen of the Skies”
I have not posted my article or trip review (yet) for that flight, but I did count five names waiting at the gate for their GUC’s to clear; 3 YES, 2 NO
I hope you get yours…
It is my hope to take the wife this fall on her again, before she goes to sleep in the desert….
Awesome! Look forward to reading all about it.
Delta is disgusting. That simple. If you use your link above it shows that non stop flights DTW-NRT are $440 almost everyday in March and April. If you change DTW to MSP (440 miles closer to NRT than DTW) the cheapest flight to NRT is $1700.
Nice to reach the milestone and hopefully Delta will recognize it. I became MM last year on a miles run to Tokyo. I had no expectations about being recognized during the flight and those expectations were 100 % met. No upgraded seat, no extra drink , no confetti. Did get a nice Tumi suitcase a few weeks later. And the annual silver status that came with MM status will maybe be worth something someday ( when all Delta elites have jumped ship).
Congratulations! Hoping for a trip report. Was pleasantly surprised when there were Tagalog announcements on NRT-DTW sector. Love the NRT-MNL-NRT daily 747.
Congrats on achieving your goal! The marching band will be a while in coming. By the time you make the mark Delta will change the MM benefits into the 1.5 MM club. The Tumi case will then be the Bus Class amenity case …
@TexasYankee – Will pick the most expensive one and sell it in a day on Ebay or Amazon ;-0 #LearningLoyatyFromMotherShipPresidentMrHamSandwich
Congrats on getting 1MM (even if a little early). Flying the 747 is awesome and I really hope you can you use a GU so you can sit “upstairs”.
I hope you get the upgrade! First and only 747 trip was ATL-HNL upstairs in Row 1 with my wife in 2009. That’s when a you could find a biz class award seat at 35K each way!
Upon reading and viewing photos, what do you mean by you will have a day to spend in Japan? You arrive 2:00 and depart 3:30… Same day, right?
@James – Notice the screen shot says not my flights. I will stay one day!
You are right. I read it wrong. Enjoy Tokyo! 747 BED1, one of the best seats is 80K.
A million miles, cool! You’re the first million-miler I’ve met, congrats Rene!
I am _SHOCKED_ that you would have 1MM yet not have ever flown on a 74? How the heck did that ever happen? Will miss the 74. Have a great MR. Its sorta funny that as much railing against the Delta changes, you keep flying ’em. Not that I blame ya.
@rizrizriz – The destinations I fly on Delta are not 747 routes.
Its a trap. All airlines matching the fares now, dates widely available on at least 5 carriers from all over USA. Just saw drop of 1100-1300 for dates I was already considering for vacation/award travel. Unsold PREM seats but no UG availability. They get all status members to jump in on cheap fares and waste their UG certs on short trips that they are only taking for the EQM accrual! Rather have us use them there (and on subprime equipments on many of the carriers) vs on permium routes / equip / transcon US prem routes. AA flyers do this trip and burn certs to earn even fewer certs for 2017 travel. At least they earn redeemable which can get them half of a one way in biz even after MAR 22 deval. Or fly before then and book future ticket before the deval. Planes gonna be 25% full with MRs.
Recently flew similar route to BKK. The 747 (DTW) still had BE and EC seat covers, the A330-200(MSP) had nice new D1 and C+ covers.
お目出度うございます。
Good luck with the GU. I bat about 100% on the waitlist on outbound flights and 0% on inbound flights, even with some seats going empty. Last one was CDG to ATL, on a Y fare and 1 Delta One seat went open for the flight and I was in my complimentary C+ aisle (though the window seat was open).
Congrats on 1MM! Admittedly, I’m a little more jealous of the 744 experience! 😉 It is my earliest wide-body experience (LAX-SIN on SQ when I was flying with my grandparents), and it’s the quintessential wide-body to boot! It’s on my AV-bucketlist, hah. I still remember the awe of going up those stairs as a kid!
Congrats on both the MM and the trip to Japan, I jealous of both. My company sends me to South Korea once or twice a year but Japan has been my long time goal. We do have multiple factories in Japan so I’m hoping that this is my year (just need a reason for my boss to send me)…. 🙂
I so enjoy your blog Rene! Ive been flying the nwa 747 route from detroit to manila for many years now. Ive stuck in with delta thru thick and thin. I think the 777 business class stinks, smaller and harder beds, no privacy, smaller screens. The 747 experience still is the best! Enjoy!
747 upper deck as only pax. That is my coolest flight achievement to date.
Rene, good for you on the MM club! I hit that in Jan 2016 AMS – ATL, but so what? I really don’t see any bump in benefits, except for maybe the lifetime Silver Medallion, which is worth what these days? I thought the Purser might come to my seat and say hi or congrads or something. I was dreaming. KLM flies the 747 daily AMS to Nairobi. KLM’s Economy Comfort has it’s own cabin. Otherwise it feels like an over-sized, crowded bus sitting in the back.
Congrats, Rene’! I hope you are more successful than I was getting DL to acknowledge your MM flight.
Since the first time I saw a 747 I have always wanted to sit in the “pointy-end” of the plance. Last summe my wife and I were able to do that AMS-ATL. It was great – she in 1A and me in 1K! Sorry to see the “Fat Albert” being retried by all the carriers sooner or later.
When I crossed the MM line, I got a ride in a Porsche in ATL. So, I guess there’s that to look forward to.
Welcome to the club René!
Congrats! Just reached the milestone a month ago. Delta offerd a Hartman (really Samsonite) luggage. I was very excited until I saw the lesser quality of the bag. I will get my real Hartman luggage cleaned and reevaluate my choices.
Congratulations 😉 If you have to spend the NRT-DTW in C+ (or – god forbid – Back there): The catering out of NRT is quite okay, and there is even individual bottles of Evian water…and delicious Meiji ice cream as a midflight snack. Quite good for Y. I found the 747 TPAC bearable despite a full house in Y.
Even Silvers OP-Upgraded on HND routing a few days ago…!!! And seeing other seat maps looking favorable for same potential.