Using Miles - Delta vs AA - Why so different?
Dec 18th, 2009, 06:03 AM
#1
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Using Miles - Delta vs AA - Why so different?
I just compared using miles on a flight on Feb 17, returning Feb 26; JFK/FCO rt.
Delta is 60,000 miles/ticket with a stop on the return. It would be 75000 miles direct both ways.
AA is 40,000 miles/ticket direct both directions.
Why is Delta so much more? It's listed as "low" on their website.
Cyn
Delta is 60,000 miles/ticket with a stop on the return. It would be 75000 miles direct both ways.
AA is 40,000 miles/ticket direct both directions.
Why is Delta so much more? It's listed as "low" on their website.
Cyn
Dec 18th, 2009, 06:14 AM
#2
Many of us would argue that it's because AA's is the superior FF plan.
IIRC Delta has gone to a 3-tier redemption model that applies throughout the year, with any given flight able to be booked using miles in low, medium and high categories, with redemption amounts climbing accordingly.
AA uses a two-tier (Saver, Aanytime) system, with some markets having a low season as well. Your 40,000 mile ticket to Italy would be 60,000 if you were traveling in the spring/summer/autumn.
The best thing (IMO) going for the AA plan is that they recently went to an all-one-way booking system, i.e. you don't redeem 40,000 miles for a round trip, you redeem 2 x 20,000 miles for two one-way trips. This allows one-way flights (e.g. to pick up a cruise ship) or open-jaws, e.g. fly to Rome, home from Paris. There are some negatives too, but in general AA's system is more flexible.
IIRC Delta has gone to a 3-tier redemption model that applies throughout the year, with any given flight able to be booked using miles in low, medium and high categories, with redemption amounts climbing accordingly.
AA uses a two-tier (Saver, Aanytime) system, with some markets having a low season as well. Your 40,000 mile ticket to Italy would be 60,000 if you were traveling in the spring/summer/autumn.
The best thing (IMO) going for the AA plan is that they recently went to an all-one-way booking system, i.e. you don't redeem 40,000 miles for a round trip, you redeem 2 x 20,000 miles for two one-way trips. This allows one-way flights (e.g. to pick up a cruise ship) or open-jaws, e.g. fly to Rome, home from Paris. There are some negatives too, but in general AA's system is more flexible.
Dec 18th, 2009, 07:12 AM
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I've had MUCH better luck booking low mileage awards on AA versus DL. I've been able to redeem mileage on AA for just about every trip I've desired. My most recent redemption has been for an F award on CX and I could not believe how easy it was.
Dec 18th, 2009, 08:31 AM
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As Gardyloo mentioned, AA offers a seasonal mileage reduction in some cases. DL maintains the same mileage levels year round, so 60,000 is the lowest possible amount for JFK-FCO in economy. If you compared different markets, DL's mileage requirement may be lower than AA's. Redemption amounts aren't uniform from airline to airline.
Dec 19th, 2009, 06:15 AM
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I think in general you do tend to earn DL miles at a faster rate than AA.
Elite bonuses are the same with low tier earning 25% and mid/high tiers 100%. DL J earns a 50% class of service bonus whereas AA J earns 25% (AA has 3 class service whereas DL only has 2 class). Higher DL Y fares also earn a class of service bonus.
DL credit cards (except for the classic version) offer bonuses for hitting annual thresholds. OTOH AA cards were churnable up until recently whereas DL cards were not. Through the end of the year, DL cardholders earn double redeemable miles (actual flown miles, not spend miles which is a regular feature of the card) on DL/NW flights.
I think DL tends to have more/higher partner promos and higher buy/transfer miles bonuses.
Some of the markets where DL's redemption rates are lower than AA are domestic F at 45,000, Africa J at 120,000, I think India is also lower in both Y and J. I'm comparing low tiers which is all I ever redeem.
I like AA's new one way redemption though it was disappointing to lose free stopovers (in most cases) as that's a benefit I use often.
I find it hard to generalize about ease of redemption because it's highly variable depending on route and carrier and I tend to use my DL and AA miles for very different purposes.
Elite bonuses are the same with low tier earning 25% and mid/high tiers 100%. DL J earns a 50% class of service bonus whereas AA J earns 25% (AA has 3 class service whereas DL only has 2 class). Higher DL Y fares also earn a class of service bonus.
DL credit cards (except for the classic version) offer bonuses for hitting annual thresholds. OTOH AA cards were churnable up until recently whereas DL cards were not. Through the end of the year, DL cardholders earn double redeemable miles (actual flown miles, not spend miles which is a regular feature of the card) on DL/NW flights.
I think DL tends to have more/higher partner promos and higher buy/transfer miles bonuses.
Some of the markets where DL's redemption rates are lower than AA are domestic F at 45,000, Africa J at 120,000, I think India is also lower in both Y and J. I'm comparing low tiers which is all I ever redeem.
I like AA's new one way redemption though it was disappointing to lose free stopovers (in most cases) as that's a benefit I use often.
I find it hard to generalize about ease of redemption because it's highly variable depending on route and carrier and I tend to use my DL and AA miles for very different purposes.
Dec 19th, 2009, 06:31 AM
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<i>I think in general you do tend to earn DL miles at a faster rate than AA.</i>
I would agree. In particular, you get MUCH better earnings on partner airlines with the DL plan. This is especially true if you are elite, as you earn elite bonuses on all SkyTeam partners (plus a couple of others). A DL Elite, flying KLM in coach will earn 8x what an AA Elite will earn flying most BA coach fares, for example, as you earn 200% miles, rather than 25% with BA.
As for redemption, I think AA is a fair bit easier to redeem with, but I don't find DL that bad. What is awful with DL, though, is the online booking tool, which is very buggy. I know many of the tricks and put in the time, though, so always manage to find decent redemption options.
I would agree. In particular, you get MUCH better earnings on partner airlines with the DL plan. This is especially true if you are elite, as you earn elite bonuses on all SkyTeam partners (plus a couple of others). A DL Elite, flying KLM in coach will earn 8x what an AA Elite will earn flying most BA coach fares, for example, as you earn 200% miles, rather than 25% with BA.
As for redemption, I think AA is a fair bit easier to redeem with, but I don't find DL that bad. What is awful with DL, though, is the online booking tool, which is very buggy. I know many of the tricks and put in the time, though, so always manage to find decent redemption options.
Dec 20th, 2009, 09:25 AM
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I'm struggling with this right now. My miles are only earned using credit cards and I've accumulated a lot of miles on both Delta and AA.
That said, I'm trying to book a trip to Ireland (from sat) for this coming June. First class using "Anytime Miles" on AA is 100K miles. DL= 350K !!!!!! That, I just really don't understand.
Unfortunately for us, we're wanting to fly into Shannon and only DL will get us there. AA can get us to Dublin, but not Shannon.
fwiw, coach on AA is 60K and DL is ~150K...
That said, I'm trying to book a trip to Ireland (from sat) for this coming June. First class using "Anytime Miles" on AA is 100K miles. DL= 350K !!!!!! That, I just really don't understand.
Unfortunately for us, we're wanting to fly into Shannon and only DL will get us there. AA can get us to Dublin, but not Shannon.
fwiw, coach on AA is 60K and DL is ~150K...
