Welcome to a regular feature on the Renés Points blog. This blog 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 featured topic.
Rookie posts are all about breaking down, as simple as possible, a topic that confuses many. If you 100% get today’s math then please do not be hard on those who do not. I have had even very experienced flyers get confused on this topic so “rookie-ing” this is needed. Let’s jump in under the assumption you WANT to credit the flights to Delta!
First off, no matter how much Delta and other media has told you, the price of the ticket does not really matter when it comes to earning miles. Yes, when you are buying a Delta or Delta code share flight ticket it matters when it comes to SkyMiles and MQD (elite qualifying dollars) but after that it matters NOTHING and especially so when it comes to partners. Now that this critical point is out of the way, points two and three.
When it comes to earning with partners it matters how far you are flying and the fare class AT THE TIME YOU FLY. Again, what you paid matters not, just the distance and the fare class. Hold on to this as we move forward.
The next important part is just finding the charts on Delta.com so you can do that math and even have an idea of how much you are going to earn. Let’s sleuth out where those are hidden on Delta.com.
In the above two slides from Delta.com we see where to go and where to click when it comes to partner flights (again, that are NOT code share booked flight). Then when you expand the down arrow for the partner there is a very important box to click.
I really wish Delta had made this box a drop down arrow like the others that are clear but instead they just have a box with text. But when you click that box, and wait a few seconds (or more), notice that a new box pops up (make sure you have pop-up blockers OFF on Delta.com btw).
AH HA! “There you are almost hidden partner earning charts – I have been looking for you forever!” Yeah, I get that a lot when someone finds this the first time! 🙂
Now we are getting somewhere, and with all the above info we can do some math. Sometimes Delta does a very good job at estimating partner earnings but I like to do it on my own. Again, the data points we need, when looking at a ticket, are the distance flown and the fare class FLOWN (that latter part is important due to a Delta rule change that it is NOT the fare class at purchase with the partner). You can use THIS or THIS very helpful tool to find out how far you are going to fly from airport to airport. The tools are both extremely accurate and close to perfect (but not 100%). Lastly, keep in mind some flights may have a stop but are one flight number (two flights) and may credit differently. This is rare but it happens.
Now let’s use my recently AreoMexico runs as an example to understand the math from the charts on Delta.com. My flights were:
- Chicago O’Hare to Mexico City (ORD-MEX)
- Mexico City to Lima Peru (MEX-LIM)
- Lima Peru to Mexico City (LIM-MEX)
- Mexico City to Chicago O’Hare (MEX-ORD)
Now looking at my boarding pass above (that I focused on in another post here) I have pointed out the important factors we have already talked about. So how do the numbers work for this flight in an “I” class fare and me as a Delta Diamond Medallion? Let’s look at the posted numbers (again how much I paid matters not – I could have paid just ONE DOLLAR base fare):
- SkyMiles is 100% of the base miles (distance) plus class of service bonus and elite bonus (1.2x base as Diamond in my case)
- MQMs or elite miles is 200% of distance
- MQDs or elite dollar credit (again, not paid) is 40% of distance in an “I” class flown fare
So this is really not as hard as one would think – you just have to have all the numbers to be able to compare any flight with any partner you are considering. There can be times you want to buy a partner flight on the partner website and there can be times flying Delta will yield a much better result for whatever points you are looking for.
Is it really that simple? Yes. Don’t make this hard. Don’t over think this or confuse this with any kind of other spin.
Before the comments go crazy I will touch on a few exceptions and issues that can come up. I have seen all over the web folks griping they did not get credit and Delta said whatever flight was disallowed or booking at some OTA expressly excluded them from earning (it even says so on Delta.com). Well, maybe but my guess is most times the person was lazy and did NOT follow my directions to make sure you have a hard paper boarding pass with your SkyMiles number printed on it and the fare class (and ticket number) clearly printed on it. With that, getting credit from Delta is most times automatic and if a problem develops can be a real asset to help you. Beyond that yes there can be discounter fares that do not earn on the normal charts above but they are also the exception – not the rule.
There you are. Any other questions on this topic? Fire away! – René
PS – All of this still too much? Just have my friend ADAM help you book MAX earning flights! 😉
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Can you except and on the OTA risk you mentioned? As long as marketing/metal carrier and fare class is known at booking is there still a risk?
Can you expand on the OTA risk you mentioned? As long as marketing/metal carrier and fare class is known at booking is there still a risk?
@Michelle M – On Delta.com they exclude certain OTAs. In reality, most times, all works out fine. Also, if you are booking all partners, Delta will often never know you started at an OTA as the data the partner sends to Delta is just flight and fare class. If you can book direct at the partner site is all I am saying.
If, for example, the flight is booked on Aeromexico.com, but is actually flown in Delta metal (code share) do the partner (Aeromexico) rules apply or the regular Delta rules? Vice versa, if you book through Delta.com, do Delta rules apply even if you end up on an Aeromexico operated flight (AM metal)? Do you have to book with and fly on partner operated metal only for the partner rules to apply? Thanks very much,
@MQ’D – If you book a AM operated and AM code flight on Delta.com you should still earn on partner charts (and Delta estimator should show this as well). Other way should work the same.
Just to clear this up once and for all, because I’m still a little confused on terminology:
-If I book a flight on delta.com and it has a ticket number that begins with “006” (I think that’s what you mean by “delta medal”), I earn miles, MQMs, and MQDs as I normally would on any Delta flight, even if some of the segments are on partner carriers. Correct?
-Therefore the only way the partner redemption amounts apply are if I book on the partner’s website but enter my SkyMiles number. Correct?
@KSF – Even a 006 ticketed number can earn on partner chart if it is, as an example, an AM flight number and run. Even the Delta estimator will try to show you those partner earnings. Do a dummy booking and see.
Thanks – so only if it was booked on delta.com and has a DL### flight number (even if “operated by” a partner) will it automatically earn standard Delta miles/MQM/MQD?
It looks like Delta changed partner earning from AM sometime within the last two days – there’s a new earning chart posted that starts April 1st.
Maybe too many of these runs to LIM and SCL..
@Someone – Dirty dogs! Yep. Purchase date should still come into play (I would hope)!
@rene: It’s interesting – they have a disclaimer at the bottom of the post Jan 1 changes that say
> In cases where these changes result in a loss of redeemable miles for tickets booked prior to 10/26/17 and flown after 1/1/18, customers may request mileage credit through the Mileage Request Form after all travel on a given ticket is completed.
That is not written below the April changes, but it seems like purchase date would still come into play? I’m flying MCO-MEX-SCL on Friday and returning a week later, so it could be the difference of a few thousand MQMs for me..
@Someone – Yes. I am sure we can request credit for charts when we paid for the ticket. They will fix. But good to know for other bookings.
So, two scenarios here.
1) If I book a AM flight on AM metal, I then put in for retroactive credit with Delta, and I’ll earn MQM’s like we used to for medallion members, so as a GM I’d get 2x MQM based on flown miles?
2) If I book an AM ticket but is a flight partially on AM and DL metal, will I still earn 2x MQM, or only 2x MQM on the flights on AM metal?
@Erik – 1) Always good, as shown, to make sure DL FF number in record before you fly. 2) Mixed flights mixed earnings.
Thanks Rene! This is good info.
Concerning “In cases where these changes result in a loss of redeemable miles for tickets booked prior to 10/26/17 and flown after 1/1/18, customers may request mileage credit through the Mileage Request Form after all travel on a given ticket is completed.”,
I have asked the miles according to the previous table and my request has been denied.
What a shame!
I have written them several time and it was always useless.
So the customer care of Delta is absolutely imcompetent!
@Rosario – Tweet @Delta private. They will fix!
I can book LAX-TNR on Delta as a code share with AF; the flight is AF metal. Understand I revert to standard DL award policy. What if I book the trip on the AF web site and submit my DL account number? Will Delta know this COULD HAVE BEEN a code share and revert to the lower award?
@Peter Heller: To the best of my knowledge, you should be fine booking on AF and crediting to your SkyMiles account.
Hi Rene! Thanks for this post. I’m having a heck of a time getting my MQMs from Delta on one leg of a three legged flight that was booked as an exception fare (through an online travel agency, trip.com). Delta is insisting that the second leg (which should be for about 6K miles!!) is not eligible for MQMs. Delta is saying that it is class T. However, on my boarding pass, the fare class clearly says Y. When I pointed this out to the fourth agent I spoke to on the phone yesterday (had a lot of back and forth with them, all of which was incredibly unproductive – and I got hung up on by one of them, even though I’m a Diamond with Delta…), they insisted that my boarding pass was wrong! Is there any way to get them to credit me the correct MQMs based on the boarding pass? Why would my boarding pass display something other than the correct class?
@Mariela – Ouch. You will have to get something from the travel agency that shows the book / paid fair class. BTW I very much doubt it was a “Y” fare as that is a full coach fare and likely you did fly a T fare (that may not earn any points depending on the partner). Start with that and once you have that you can reach out to Delta for credit if it was in fact a full Y fare.
Also, see this post for a few more ideas (or for next time): https://renespoints.boardingarea.com/2019/02/06/rookie-wednesday-what-in-an-up-fare-or-y-up-what-points-do-skyteam-partner-y-up-fares-earn-when-you-credit-them-to-delta-what-if-i-am-missing-delta-skymiles-or-mqms-or-mqds/