Welcome to my 1st Delta Points blog post ever!

I hope you enjoy and benefit from my Blog!

So why am I blogging? I feel there is a need, and I hope I can help you, my reader. My focus will be mostly on Delta Air Lines tips and hints but I will post anything that I feel you will like that is travel related.

So what motivated me to blog? Like most of us who collect points, a few of our friends “get” how we do what we do. On my recent trip from AMS-DTW, my wife & I sat in business class on a Delta 767 and watched all the folks in coach stream by as we sipped champagne with seats reclined & footrests out (yes, sigh, they loaded from the front door). One of the people walked by and said:

“Before I die I want to take a trip like that!” 

I just smiled and said,

“Read the  frugaltravelguy.com website and you can.” (thanks, Rick, for all you do!)

Our friends, family & others just don’t get it but I want them to understand. I don’t travel for business. I mostly fly to see family in Sweden and for such a long trip I want to fly “in front of the curtain” and I want to do it for free. Guess what? If you are reading this, you can too, and as the Frugal Travel Guy says, “at prices we can afford”!

So why should you read my blog? What credentials do I have to make reading my words worth your time?

For 10+ years I have flown NWA / Delta. I know a few tips to make your life with Delta better and smoother. Also, right now, my wife’s & my total “points” accounts are more than 2 million.

Both of us currently hold Platinum Medallion status with Delta and have booked six trips for 2012 in addition to our current point totals. One of them is in Lufthansa 1st class (270,000 miles – 2x 135,000) and one is in Delta business (200,000 miles 2x -100,000) to Sweden.

Also, two ski trips to Salt Lake and two trips to Florida for my wife and some good friends (fun to spend points on those you love and care about). All these trips are either free on points or ETVs (electronic travel vouchers).

Flight, hotels, cars & more can all be free (or at least almost free) for you too! Read my blog each day and I will help to guide you to enjoy the same ride.

Yours – René

PS – I will end with the most important tip you MUST never – ever – forget. When communicating with an airline, hotel or whatever, but especially DELTA, if you don’t like the answer, HANG UP, call back, and ask again (or tweet again and again). Delta people don’t know their jobs today. They don’t know the rules. They don’t know their partners’ rules. Call back and the next rep might know the rules or may even waive the rules if you ask nice. (OK you get 2 tips today – always be super nice and thank the reps for what they do! It helps.)