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Now that I have dropped, for the first time in as long as I can remember, from Diamond Medallion to Platinum Medallion status with Delta (I admit it feels very strange and weird) I am making adjustments to when I fly Delta.
Up until now I have been able to, with even some surprising help from Delta IT, book either coach tickets and move to First Class or outright book either cheap or acceptably low First Class tickets for every flight. But Delta prices have been way higher over the past for many of the routes I want to fly.
Sure, I could just blow a bunch of SkyPennies and follow what an old school points nut I met at Chicago Seminars years ago who always just expressed that he “gave them whatever they want” to be able to book what he wanted (because there are always more points). I am not a fan of this and the gross “family card rule” spreading within Amex limits us being able to jump around cards and keep scoring new card bonus offers as regularly as in the past. No, I need more ideas.
The other reason I am being much more conservative with my Delta points is that I am now seriously looking to win one of the SkyMiles Experiences auctions for a cruise. Some of these have gone for crazy low numbers that resulted in 4-8 cents in value for each point, and that is mind-blowing when I personally value a Delta point right around 1 cent.
Don’t get me wrong: I am still happy to simply book a cheap Delta First Class ticket, often for flight times I do not want way out, and wait for the mighty schedule change to “come a-calling” and result in changing to the exact flights I want that would have cost me thousands of extra points if I had booked them to start with (#ProTip) and you should be doing this too if you want to eke out real value for your Delta points. But this is not always possible. So what else?
I currently hold the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card and recently received my annual Companion Certificate (which I commonly refer to as a “BOGO,” for “Buy One, Get One.”
As Chris posted recently, the BOGO certs have GREATLY expanded where you can use them and have made them way more valuable (yes – when you can find space – not always easy). But if I use them to book a flight for my wife and I then we are still stuck with someone next to us for the trip (we tend to book aisle seats across from each other). So what is the fix?
We book ourselves European-style business class with these certs (the Delta Amex Business Platinum Card BOGOs do not allow First Class bookings like the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card card certs, FYI). Once I do find open space for the flights I want, I call Delta and have them book one of the seats for me in my name and the second seat also for me in my name plus EXTA meaning extra seat. I have done this before, that is, buying two seats for myself when my great friend Dave and I flew to Japan so that we could have an empty seat between us on a three-seat side of the jet – basically yielding what you most times get when flying domestic business class in Europe, that is, a “blocked” middle seat open. I will also, as part of this, book a ticket for my wife and then have Delta link this separate reservation to my 2 seat one so if things get weird Delta will see they are “joined” if you will.
There are some unique aspects to doing this (again, see this post – one of my favorites ever), but having done it before, I know the routine. This, to me, will be so worth it because three seats do give you every bit as much space as having booked in 1st class and even an extra under-seat space to store stuff if overhead space is limited. Beverages are not a problem as Delta has already issued me a number of free drink chits that I have almost never ever used due to years as a top elite.
The other really big perk of this is having an extra tray table between us and this is something you don’t get even in 1st class. Being able to set down drinks or snacks and such and still have all your space free is a real treat.
Is it worth burning a BOGO cert this way? For me it is and since I can not reliably count anymore on a Delta Medallion upgrade (that used to be all but guaranteed) I want to be proactive to make my Delta travel plans as pleasant an experience as possible – still at a reasonable cost.
If you have never considered using your BOGO certs in this creative fashion I encourage you to at least consider it and mention the idea to your plus one if they would be willing to try Euro business class for your next Delta flight! – Rene
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Were you high when you wrote this article? Booking an empty middle seat????
As in “high up in the sky without a troll sitting next to him because he booked an empty middle seat”?
@Bobo – Space for Grogu?
Wow. This is a great idea!
I’ve let so many companion certs expire from the Plat Amexes held in my family over the years because I despise flying coach. It’s even worse with a companion as you know one of you will get jammed in the middle.
Now with the expanded availability, this could be really great. Transfer the cert to the flyer with the lowest status. Book the single seat itinerary for the highest status flyer. If they pull an upgrade, then one companion is in first, and the other has a three seat mini-first class experience.
Very creative!
Well for us flyers who are not well know bloggers, the companion certificate means absolutely nothing any longer. I held a Delta AX Platinum card and the last few times not only couldn’t I find a flight they’d accept just about anywhere in the United States, I could beat the rates on Delta without using the companion certificate! This has changed (along with less service, on our international flight to St. Lucia last year we couldn’t even BUY food or champagne on the 4 hour flight – they claimed they couldn’t get restocked). Delta is no longer the superior airline for service. And we cancelled our AX since it has become worthless. We still have an unused certificate we can’t even book.