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I am so pleased with the idea of the Rookie Wednesdays and readers warm and positive comments about this new feature of the blog. I am really trying to keep it at a basic level and yet included information even a Medallion flyer may not have known about. But I need some help. One of my biggest problems in this regard is having readers tell me “I never knew that” when in my thick skull I think: “everyone must know that”.
I have, in the past, got a TON of great tips from readers when flying and have a Tips tab at the top of the blog with all your top ideas.
Now I want help with ideas for me to cover for the next year of Rookie Wednesdays. So let’s do this; give me a suggestion of a Delta topic you want me to break down and cover and you will have chance* to win an AMEX $25 gift card.
The *T&C of this are simple. Your topic must be DELTA AIR LINES related. You can not pick one of the two topics I have already covered. You can not use a topic another reader has suggested and if two readers have the same idea, the one who by time stamp suggested it first gets the chance to win. You can offer more than one idea, but if you want more than one chance to win you must comment with only ONE idea per comment. You MUST comment on the blog so if you are reading this via email subscription please pop over to the blog and comment there. I will use random.org & hold the drawing late Friday so you have some time to think about ideas you want me to cover.
Thanks for the input and I hope you win! – Rene
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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.
You must cover SkyBonus!
I have flown DL for years (I’m double Diamond and 2MM) and I didn’t know about this until last year. I just cashed my first SkyBonus miles for a round trip business class ticket to Australia,
What about making a mileage run (or even getting low level miles tickets) from an airport that has few flights and is far distant from a hub like DTW or MSP
#1. Do like the answer/result from a phone call to DL, hang up and call back and usually by the 3rd time you get what you want. Ie: Irregular SDC rountings, Seat Assignments blocked online, very slight schdule changes(less then hour)and use it to create perfect rounting
The “bang for your buck” of using miles to buy magazines — I received a letter from Delta yesterday urging me use miles for that purpose.
Which of the several delta credit cArds provides best value for a delta rookie
Delta topic for Rookie Wednesday – how to effectively search for a Delta award ticket, including use of miles for each class of service.
(Many times I read about an award for business class – but what about using miles for economy class travel?)
How about status matching with Delta? How often can you do it?
How do upgrades work? Do you need to buy a certain type of ticket? On line? On phone? how many points?
How about explaining which of the gifts you should go with should you be lucky enough to hit PM or GM?
I’d prefer the humorous approach. how to deal with people who torment you for being a delta person? top ten reasons to fly delta? top ten uses for a delta blanket? what not to say to a flight attendant? biskoff – yay or nay? what’s up with deltalina, anyway? why do they keep moving the “flush” button on plane toilets? etc…
Same Day Confirm — this seems to garner a lot of questions on FlyerTalk and Milepoint, especially from newly-minted Golds who haven’t used it before, but now have the benefit for free.
Seat Selection (esp on international flights..when Biz class is not an option)..Exit,Aisle,Buckhead,Econ Comfort etc..
You could write about what to do if your miles don’t post as you think they should.
How about breaking down delta’s policy and criteria for how upgrades are prioritized and awarded?
Upgrade strategies? Folks usually expect to be upgraded (newly minted GMs, PMs usually) and are very disappointed when they are 23 out of 51.
Cover some basics like how to reach elite status and whybit matters or how delta branded credit card can help with points and or status.
Also cover bonus mile routes. When I first got involved with delta was when delta was offering big bonus miles for simple segments through places like my home airport STL. Since SW and AA are the primary carriers n STL all I had to do is look to slightly change my business travel schedule to get a ton of miles.
Tips for reporting problems on Delta flight to maximize “thank you” miles from customer service
I know you’ve discussed this in your MR posts, but I think it would be really helpful to go through exactly how to ensure that you are among the first volunteers on the list for VDB vouchers (and simultaneously cover the somewhat new restrictions on voucher use as well!). This was a topic that I never really knew about, but it’s saved me and my wife literally THOUSANDS of dollars over the last couple of years!
Help from Delta – Phone numbers and emails that really do work to help resolve a problem – for ticketing, awards, etc.
Some tips for getting elite status if we don’t travel a lot for work but do travel a lot to see family, friends, etc.?
Cover how to book with Delta’s partners. Can it be done online? If you book with a phone rep, will you be charged for it?
Keep up the good work!
How to use Delta miles on other partner airlines (such as KLM or Air France) for award tickets, and is it worth it? Should we transfer miles to that other airline and then buy the ticket (is that allowed?), or do you buy the ticket from Delta.com?
How to find or construct a DL MR? Still haven’t perfected this and rely on others
Margit mentioned this as well, and honestly I don’t care if I win, but my really stupid question is what is an upgrade anyway! Is is it just a better seat, free stuff, both? And yes, I can’t believe I don’t know this!
One suggestion I have for your Rookie Wed seeing as I would probably be considered one since I seem to only get to Mid Silver on Delta each year is a glossary of all the acronyms that are used. For example why would Silver Medallion be called FO instead of SM which would correspond to the other acronyms.
I know for one that it would help me out tons!
Thanks and great blog and site!!
Tom
Hi Rene,
No need to post this reply, just a heads up. There are two new Delta in-flight safety videos on YouTube. Pretty amusing right now, but probably not so much after you’ve seen them eight or ten times in the course of a couple of days on a mileage run.
See you in DTW again sometime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KZW20cEfdk&feature=plcp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4apfa1O2MWw&feature=channel&list=UL
I second what FEV said. It would be awesome to see a breakdown of the various award levels and classes. Also interesting to note how Delta prices partner award bookings.
For me personally, I’d never redeem miles for a domestic ticket so tend to end up on a lot of partner flights. It still boggles my mind how they price these out. They also tend to use KLM and AF a lot more than other partners in Europe… Just an observation.
Thank you, Rene!
What is a System Wide Upgrade (SWU), how does one get them, and how does one use them?
What is the deal with free Medallion Companion upgrades? I am told that when I (Gold) travel with my wife (no status), we will be both-or-neither upgraded, and our ranking will be her (very low) ranking. Is this correct? Should I have our itineraries split so that one of us (me!) will have a better chance of upgrade?
Have you ever written a piece about Medallion upgrades on international flights? I don’t understand how that works. I am a Gold Medallion member, but when I go to book JFK-BRU, for instance, the Delta site says “not eligible” for upgrade. Huh?
List the best places to find secret sales or up to date twitter deals that the regular person who doesn’t have twitter might not know
How do you best handle lost/damaged baggage with Delta? Is there a secret number/email address to call?
Best way to get checked in/through security at popular airports. i.e. detroit you can use the westin security entrance. $1 per bag tip at the skycap can save you 20 mins of waiting inside the airport.
i would love to know all the Delta slang.I had no idea what GATE LICE were!A dictionary if you will of terminology.
Article about “holding” a reservation and advantages for doing so. Definition of FO. Explanation that when you use your $99 companion ticket the confirmation does not state that you get a free bag checked with your Delta AMEX, states you have to pay, and this is not true.
Try using 2 different browsers to book award tickets when they only show one seat open.
I would love to see a basic how-to on upgrading with miles. Is it worth it, what’s the process, what booking classes are eligible, can you upgrade someone else with miles, how far out from flying should you request the upgrade, can you upgrade one leg and not another, etc. Delta provides very little info about this and the info is hard to find on Flyertalk.
Best way to deal with lost luggage…please
How about a step by step guide re: passengers’ rights and where to ask for compensation, from beginning of journey to end?
Ways to get airline status and upgrades without flying alot.
How about a rookie’s guide or tips to security and airport/airplane etiquette. I.e. suggestions from frequent travelers to rookies on how to make their travel experience smoother. E.g. place loose articles in luggage BEFORE getting to security scanners, online check in and prepaying for bag fees, tweeting with Delta for flight changes instead of waiting for agents, etc.
Best way to handle problems “onboard”.
Mileage runs are confusing…how can i find them…other than being notified by you and other websites?
List of upcoming DO’s (is this an acronym for something btw?).
Voluntary bump auction
Using the Delta App on your smartphone for more than checking in. Seat changes, sky club locations, gate during a connection, parking reminders, etc. Airport MAP (rookies…).
How about, “how to make your close connection and not miss it” for all the hubs?
On a ticket one purchased with routing A-B-C, and there is a slight schedule change (so minimal the Delta rep can’t find it), what are my options if I want to change A, but keep C? (don’t care about B). Can I change A? Every Delta rep I’ve called says no, but everyone keeps saying how the Mighty Schedule Change should help me with “routing”…. Do I just keep calling til I get a rep who cares?
repost: for us noobs and maybe a rookie wednesday topic, is it worth it to book a couple of RTs back and forth to maximize mileage to travel time (if all you need is one RT to make the next elite level) or is that just too exhausting? I know it’s possible considering you just came off of one, but when does even Rene start to call it quits?
All the points partners for which we can transfer points to Delta if we need to use up the points or are going to lose points.
Delta’s 24 Hour Risk-Free Cancellation Policy actually means:
If you purchased a ticket (Not with miles), regardless of what time of day you purchased it at, you have until the next calendar day at 11:59PM to cancel your ticket with no penalty. The time zone is the time zone you purchased the ticket in.
Tips for using the Delta CC for free luggage. We run into a problem traveling with the family, where I am the primary card holder, buy a family of 4 tickets, then split my reservation off so I can get upgraded, and they want to charge my wife & kids for baggage. So far they have always done an override at the counter – but it is still a hassle.
A breakdown of all the ways you can purchase a ticket, such as using an awards ticket, companion ticket, pay for miles, voucher, etc. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each and how does each affect your ability to earn miles and MQMs on the trip?
Tips for getting the opportunity to be bumped. How to prepare and how to get chosen.
Best way to rebook if your flight is canceled for weather. Also, I have a CC so I get a checked bag, but dad wants to use his miles to buy me a ticket. Do I still get a free checked bag? Thank you – I LOVE Rookie Wednesdays!!!
It would be great if you could cover the “best” ways to earn miles without using a miles or points earning credit card, flying, hotel stays or rental cars.
I like Broadway shows so could you go over getting and using miles with the Audience Rewards program?
How to be invited to special Delta events.
How about that mileage booster Delta always asks about. What do you think about that and when it might be useful.
How about the best spots to eat/pass the time in Delta hubs. My personal favorites are Sora at DTW for a MASSIVE udon bowl and unlimited green tea for $1. Servers are nice, service is quick, food is pretty darn good, and if they’re busy, you get to meet a new person by sharing a table. I also like the French Meadow near the mall in MSP. I like to sit at the bar and chat with the bartenders. ATL is still a mystery to me…