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Welcome to a weekly feature on the Renés Points blog. Each week this series covers in a “rookie” way either a Delta or travel related theme and attempts to break down to a basic level each topic. You can read up on all the previous posts HERE. Now on to this week’s feature.
Let’s face it – there are two kinds of points. One type is super easy to spend and find flights – that is, points like Barclays Arrival+ card that you just buy whatever ticket you want and then pay yourself back (inside 90 days). Or ones like AMEX Membership Rewards from your non-Delta AMEX business Platinum card that can pay you points back and you just pick whatever flight you want. Just super simple. But the issue is what about other points?
When it comes to Delta points it can be just as simple. You can, if you have a co-branded Delta AMEX card, just use PWM or Pay With Miles and just buy any ticket to anywhere you want and spend points at a flat 1 cent each and you even earn elite MQMs (not SkyMiles however). This is simple, but under most conditions not anywhere near the best value you can get.
Thus you dive into the simply horrid Delta.com (or as some call it Delta.dumb) award booking page where the most simple bookings can result in an error when you search. If you call to get a rep to help you often you just are told no no no or sorry that will be 1 billion points for the round trip (I am kidding, but not by that much).
So how do you find real value out of your Delta points (and others)? Reach out to my good friend ADAM and his team to help you. They can help you max out value with:
- Complex bookings
- Booking with partners
- With the existing rules i.e. stopovers
- Considering one-way vs. round trips or open jaw
- Avoid the frustration factor for you
- Help you when you need changes
- Alert you to not just the product but also the seat
- Extract max value from your points
- Lastly, use them again for your next trip
This is what ADAM and his team can help you with. When it comes to all the Skyteam partners and the complexity that can be involved it can be a real pain to piece them all together into one seamless trip (don’t you dream Delta.dumb will help you do this btw). But there is more.
While stopover rules have all but ended you can still, on an international trip, “stop over” for 23 hours and 59 minutes so you could maybe enjoy a day along the way. Have you thought of this? Or have you considered if a one-way or a round-trip or even an open jaw trip is what you should be looking for (if you even know what an open jaw is).
The key part of working with the pro’s like ADAM is you avoid the frustration factor of making you dream vacation a nightmare before you even start.
Once you are booked what if you need help due to a schedule change? The team can help you as well as all the other little bits like what product is better than the other or what seat is best.
Bottom line is ADAM can help you to get max value out of your points and that really is the goal. If you are flushing thousands of dollars in point value vs. getting the help you need you are only hurting yourself. So try them out and see if you don’t end up booking with a “PRO” again and again! – René
PS – Did you know they can even help you find a custom Elite Mileage Run from your home town airport? Yep, give it a try!
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.
Who do you recommend for United?
@Paul – Adam has a team of pros. They can 100% help you with United as well. Give them a try!
What about Etihad? Tranferred a bunch of points there when closing Citi cards.
@Bad Bubba – Again, Adam and his team works with all the airlines all the programs all the alliances. That is the point use a PRO!
@Rene Thank you! Will reach out this week!!
I will never do an international ticket myself again!! There are not enough hours in the year for me to learn the tricks, know the routes and airlines, and then spend hours searching. As I tell all my colleagues, go with the professionals or pay in points later!
100% agree. After 2 weeks of looking myself for an International trip, into Rome and out of Barcelona I contacted Adam and it less than 12 hours, while I slept they found a deal using United miles for half the miles I was finding. I have lots of points and miles to choose from and they found the best deal, recommended planes and seats and booked it all for me. The ONLY way to book a trip!
I just had John in Adam’s team hook me up with a great mileage run that fit my multiple requirements to a tee. Already booked the tickets and will make a vacation out of it. Now I’m curious about how they can help me with award miles. I’m looking at a simple biz class flight from Asia to Europe on Delta, on Delta’s website I’m getting pretty clear options and they are coming out to roughly 2 cents per SkyMile in value which I think is not bad. Would be interested to see if Adam’s team can top that for a simple itinerary or is the service more for complex award travel?
My hats off to adams team…thank you for recommending them!!! I finally contacted them two years ago and work with John now for any and all bookings!!! They are personal and enjoy what they are doing…making great deals i could not do!! I basically prefer Delta but he has now placed me with china eastern business soon to be four times and it is a fine experience!!! Thanks Renee for finding them and helping us…they really do eveything you say!!
Steve please share china eastern experience soup to nuts
Thanks