Questions and Answers

Dear Lucky,

What’s the best way to check how to use my available miles under skyteam to eventually book my first first class ticket ?

I have very limited choice if i check under my regular airline and their flying blue application….

What would be the best use according you if i plan to use my miles for a trip Singapore-Lax soon and if i Would like to try a first class travel ?

Thanks a lot for your help !!

Dear OMAAT,

What Would be the best way to check for miles redemption for skyteam miles ?

I checked on flying blue which is my program but options are very limited and impossible to get option for stop over.
Do you see any other way ?

Otherwise, i look forward to experience my first first class trip ideally on SIN-LAX (or SFO / JFK).

Would you have any option to recommend to me, ideally using my skyteam miles to decrease the total cost ? But if so, it seems only airfrance worht the try.

Thanks in advance for your help

@[URL=’http://asklucky.onemileatatime.com/members/julianinhio-sg.743/’]julianinhio SG[/URL] — Sorry, which program do you have miles with? FlyingBlue?

[QUOTE=”Tiffany, post: 7019, member: 7″]@[URL=’http://asklucky.onemileatatime.com/members/julianinhio-sg.743/’]julianinhio SG[/URL] — Sorry, which program do you have miles with? FlyingBlue?[/QUOTE]

Hi Tiffany, yes my biggest miles account is on flying blue. thanks for your help

[USER=743]@julianinhio SG[/USER] — Got it, so:
[LIST]
[*]Unless you are a FlyingBlue elite, you can’t redeem miles for first class that I’m aware of, and even then it would be a “flex” award on Air France and an outrageous number of points
[*]If looking at business class, you’d need 200,000 miles for the roundtrip at the the saver level
[*]Flights on Korean Air or Delta will have the lowest fees, and you can have a stopover if you’d like, but you’d need to call.
[/LIST]
Does that help?

[QUOTE=”Tiffany, post: 7084, member: 7″][USER=743]@julianinhio SG[/USER] — Got it, so:
[LIST]
[*]Unless you are a FlyingBlue elite, you can’t redeem miles for first class that I’m aware of, and even then it would be a “flex” award on Air France and an outrageous number of points
[*]If looking at business class, you’d need 200,000 miles for the roundtrip at the the saver level
[*]Flights on Korean Air or Delta will have the lowest fees, and you can have a stopover if you’d like, but you’d need to call.
[/LIST]
Does that help?[/QUOTE]

Thanks Tiffany. It helps a lot.

I am an elite member so i can access to first class but it is really over-priced at 320 000 miles single way…

I will try to call Korean or Delta.Should i call their loyalty program hotline and ask for booking flight or should i still go trhough flying blue hotline ?

Have a great day ahead and thanks for your advices

[USER=743]@julianinhio SG[/USER] You will need to use the program that you have miles in. So if your miles are in FlyingBlue, you will have to call them to make reservations.

hope this tread is still active, with delta points what dept do i contact for the affiliate airlines they partner with? the delta miles desk does not care to work very hard to find seats……..trying to fly one way rtw in business

Your best bet is to use Delta’s online search tool. Search segment by segment, write down which routes have availability that you’re okay with flying and then call SkyMiles to book if you have trouble booking online. Do you have an itinerary in mind already? If you share some more details maybe we can make recommendations. How many SkyMiles are you working with? Do you have any other mileage or points currencies?

Hi [USER=1935]@leelaurino[/USER], and welcome! Delta doesn’t really have RTW awards anymore, so follow the advice [USER=29]@David W[/USER] gave to search individual segments. If you get stuck, we’re here!

this may be boring for you to read, after 18 months i am about to give up!

thanks to both of you, i had a RTW ticket just before delta closed the program end of 2014 (had no idea they were discontinuing rtw until i returned from an extended trip out of the country) scrambled for a route rtw. days before the deadline.
delta made changes constantly to my route via emails
decided to redeposit my miles, pay the fee and start over and take 2 or 3 segments of this trip

NOW i want to use my points to fly business or even higher for, of course the lowest miles…………………and i need HELP

i have already checked EACH segment and found some business seats on Delta

what i need help with is how to find seats on the affiliate airlines

OR i would just pay someone to book the segments…………..i have several company names but have no feedback on their skills

proposed trip for fall 2016: a combination of sailing and flying
if the flight is LONGER than 6 hrs i want business class
often it is better to pay the $300 +- airfare between countries for short flights instead of using 70k points.

i only have 350 delta pts, 55k saffire points

My current plan:

fly one way: from Australia to japan
japan to Europe with a stop in Dubai
(i can also start in Japan and fly to Australia with at 3 day stop in Hong Kong. Visas take too long and i can stay only 72 hrs on this segment)
Hong Kong on to Australia)

the trip continues early in 2017 with China and India so I need to conserve my points. Shall plan this during Dec when I get back from part one.

Suggestions on how to find seats on Delta affiliates?
Is there a list of the BEST business class seats by airline available?

your help is greatly appreciated

[USER=1935]@leelaurino[/USER] there are plenty of award booking services available online including right here (if you go to the top of the page and click on award help, you will be able to find info). I think you’d want to contact a couple and find one that you are comfortable working with and is responsive.

Delta’s program doesnt allow for stopovers of any kind so those will be all separate award flights. I searched on Delta’s website and found the following results:

SYD-ICN-NRT 65k Delta miles plus $100AUD in taxes, Korean Air business class
SYD-SGN-NRT 65k Delta miles plus $85AUD in taxes, Vietnam Airlines business class

NRT-SVO-DXB 70k Delta miles plus 9970JPY in taxes, Aeroflot business class

DXB-CDG is 42.5k Delta miles plus 230-840AED in taxes with a variety of airlines to choose from, in business class and all contain one or two connections.

NRT-TPE-HKG with a connection is 30k Delta Miles plus 3000RMB in taxes, on China Airlines business class

HKG-SYD is bookable with 65k Delta miles plus 500HKD in business. Flying China Eastern routes you thru Shanghai, Korean Air will route thru Seoul Incheon.

All of this is searchable and bookable (theoretically) via Delta’s website online. If you [I]do[/I] select an award booking service reach out to [USER=7]@Tiffany[/USER]!

david, thank you for taking the time for all this research
1. did you find this info on the Delta booking page?
2. i shall have to take a look at the multiple stop airlines to conserve miles for my next segment

since this will be my last BIG adventure i chose comfort over speed……..i cant work when i arrive after sitting as a pretzel for 6+ hrs……

i have just printed the list of services offered and shall contact tiffany when i am ready.

preserving miles is the same as spending wisely , i want to be sure my objective is met: comfort and safety

[QUOTE=”Gaurav, post: 17185, member: 79″][USER=1935]@leelaurino[/USER] there are plenty of award booking services available online including right here (if you go to the top of the page and click on award help, you will be able to find info). I think you’d want to contact a couple and find one that you are comfortable working with and is responsive.[/QUOTE]
thank you for the suggestion

selecting a company is far more difficult than who sounds good online, once i spend these miles i never have the opportunity to take this trip again

[QUOTE=”David W, post: 17187, member: 29″]Delta’s program doesnt allow for stopovers of any kind so those will be all separate award flights. I searched on Delta’s website and found the following results:

SYD-ICN-NRT 65k Delta miles plus $100AUD in taxes, Korean Air business class
SYD-SGN-NRT 65k Delta miles plus $85AUD in taxes, Vietnam Airlines business class

NRT-SVO-DXB 70k Delta miles plus 9970JPY in taxes, Aeroflot business class

DXB-CDG is 42.5k Delta miles plus 230-840AED in taxes with a variety of airlines to choose from, in business class and all contain one or two connections.

NRT-TPE-HKG with a connection is 30k Delta Miles plus 3000RMB in taxes, on China Airlines business class

HKG-SYD is bookable with 65k Delta miles plus 500HKD in business. Flying China Eastern routes you thru Shanghai, Korean Air will route thru Seoul Incheon.

All of this is searchable and bookable (theoretically) via Delta’s website online. If you [I]do[/I] select an award booking service reach out to [USER=7]@Tiffany[/USER]![/QUOTE]

any suggestion to compare airline comfort? something such as seat guru but for best service etc per airline?

[QUOTE=”Tiffany, post: 17166, member: 7″]Hi [USER=1935]@leelaurino[/USER], and welcome! Delta doesn’t really have RTW awards anymore, so follow the advice [USER=29]@David W[/USER] gave to search individual segments. If you get stuck, we’re here![/QUOTE]

i just received most of the answers i was seeking, still need to confirm if i have to call partner airlines to book with delta, the unfriendly phone rep (she may just be tired or bored) would not answer clearly.

on a different point, i am reviewing the booking services offered here, who can answer future questions on this?

i am able to book my own flights but i travel for my blogs and cant spend the time necessary since all the ground contacts at every city must be confirmed.
i only have august to finalize all the plans, am on the road till then, thank you

routes, availability and pricing i found was all via searching delta.com, choosing to price with miles in business class. all flights that show up there [I]not[/I] operated by delta are at saver level awards, meaning lowest number of miles required for that route, plus taxes and fees.

multistop itineraries wouldnt necessarily save you miles. it’s all about the origin and destination. delta wont allow you to include a stopover of any kind. SYD-ICN-NRT costs 65k, no stopovers but if you wanted to stop in HK, as you suggested, its 30k for NRT-HKG and another 65k for HKG-SYD. That’s 30k more miles for stopping in HKG. You could use the Sapphire points to transfer to United to book flights.

in terms of comfort, you can find reviews of the airlines on here or on flyertalk.

[QUOTE=”David W, post: 17196, member: 29″]routes, availability and pricing i found was all via searching delta.com, choosing to price with miles in business class. all flights that show up there [I]not[/I] operated by delta are at saver level awards, meaning lowest number of miles required for that route, plus taxes and fees.

multistop itineraries wouldnt necessarily save you miles. it’s all about the origin and destination. delta wont allow you to include a stopover of any kind. SYD-ICN-NRT costs 65k, no stopovers but if you wanted to stop in HK, as you suggested, its 30k for NRT-HKG and another 65k for HKG-SYD. That’s 30k more miles for stopping in HKG. You could use the Sapphire points to transfer to United to book flights.

in terms of comfort, you can find reviews of the airlines on here or on flyertalk.[/QUOTE]

thank you again David for giving me the information I need.
i had only been searching non stops on longer flights but shall rethink this

already have a spread sheet of flight costs and now will post in miles cost………..

thinking of sailing to Japan (cheaper than a business class flight) and using points to fly on to OZ……………..first just have to confirm that is the better route than Oz to Japan since there seem to be a number of flights out of Japan

now i understand why this is a full time job!

shall pick a new credit card for this trip and may start to replenish some of my miles

[USER=1935]@leelaurino[/USER] — If you have Delta miles, you’ll always call Delta to book. You’ll only deal with the partner airlines for seat assignments and day-of check in.

If you want us to book this for you — we charge more for complex RTW trips like this, but we can certainly help. Happy to provide advice as to which credit cards make the most sense for your future travels as well — just submit a request on the website and we’ll go from there.

Caveat: We are more expensive than some of the other operations out there, so if price is your greatest concern you may want to keep shopping services. I won’t be offended 😉

thank you Tiffany, can i find the service fee for credit card advice?

as i break down each segment of this 3 month trip I can buy services for the flights in that segment.

and you get what you pay for if in the end i have a top end seat for a 10 to 12 hr flight

[USER=1935]@leelaurino[/USER] — My pleasure! You can find all our fees at pointspros.com.