Debra

I'm planning a trip to Italy in May 2005 and trying to get award travel with my Skymiles. This apparently means I can't use one of Delta's partner airlines, which is a bummer b/c they (i.e., Air France & Alitalia) serve more Italian cities.

Anyway, I want to visit Florence (2 days), Rome (3 days), and the Amalfi Coast (4 days, w/one of those days at Pompeii). Apparently I can fly into/out of either Milan or Rome, then make my way by train or another airline to Florence and Naples. I'd really like to avoid backtracking, if possible.

Can you think of other options? Given these limitations, what do you recommend? Thanks in advance, you all are so helpful.

j2r4s

I attempted to use my skymiles as well. If you call Delta to make reservations, they are booking you on Airfrance or Aitalia. You are just purchasing it through Delta.

I am not sure if this helped - but good luck planning. I just returned from two weeks in Italy and had the most amazing time - I would also recommend a tour of tuscany or staying in Sienna!

Judy

We just booked with Air France to Greece using Delta Miles. Go to www.skyteam.com, find what you want, call Delta and ask for their partner desk.

Linda431

Also try this website: http://www.flyertalk.com/milesfr_bc.shtml

The Delta forum is quite active and has some very knowledgable people who know how to work the system. Also a few Delta employees hang out & offer advise from time to time.

jd_dallas

I just booked the first half of a trip to Italy using Delta miles and am holding that reservation until the day arrives when I can book the return. When I asked about alternatives, I was assured that I had the option of using Air France to Paris, then connecting to an Italian city on Air France. I elected instead to fly Delta, which has non-stops to Rome and Milan from Atlanta, Cincinatti and JFK. I think the key is to get in early.

Debra

Thanks for all the replies! I'm trying to use my miles to upgrade to Business Class (for the first, and probably only, time) and Delta said neither Air France nor Alitalia will allow me to upgrade on one of their flights... something about it not being in their partner contracts. I may decide it's worth it to get free Coach tickets with the miles instead, which I understand Air France and Alitalia WILL allow me to do.

I'll certainly check out the flyertalk website. Thanks again!

jabez

You should be able to get business with all of Delta's partners using points, if available.
First class (something Delta doesn't have) may be harder and cost you more.
The earliest you can book is the midnight at the BEGINNING of the day that is exactly 331 days in advance. This may bring a problem, since you can't get the return flight date until 331 days from your return date.You can "reserve" (no redemption purchase yet)the front end and either reserve a "fake" return date, wait the extra time or request an open return.
I am a regular at FlyerTalk and agree that you should go to their Delta forum and ask very frequent Delta travelers. I booked Air France business with Delta points last year.I started the process out 331 days looking for 4 Business class seats. With a little flexibilty I I got ATL-Paris-(only coach leg)Florence /Florence-Paris (one week stay)-ATL on Air France.All were June (peak)flights.

wanderer

I know what you are going through. We also are trying to book BOS to Italy using frequent flyer miles.

First, we were told not to fly into Rome - too busy and big, and that Milan was a better bet. Milan was also suggested because there is a direct flight from BOS to Milan - OK by me. From there (or from Rome), we would pick up Alitalia (one of their partners) to fly to Naples, as Capri/Amalfi Coast was our destination.

We changed plans, and decided instead to spend a week in Venice. We knew that there was a direct flight from NY to Venice, so figured we'd just fly to NY and on to Venice.

No such luck. We have to fly to Paris, then on to Venice on the way in, and then, listen to this, we have to fly home Venice to Paris, to NY - Laguardia, and then somehow get to Kennedy to catch the flight to Boston.

I like you, booked my inboudn flight, and had to wait to book my outbound flight. I called the first day - in the AM @10am that the flights were avaialble, and told they only had 1 seat for frequent flyer miles. When I questioned this, the rep told me that people must have called at midnight to book all the other available seats.

I don't buy it. Somehow I think the frequent flyers get a bad deal with no choice and outrageous connections to get to their desitnation. I personally think it is their way of discouraging use of these awards, and am disappointed in the airline.

mgfit

I also thought you could use FF miles on Northwest too as they do code share. Try that....they offer many flights to Italy. We went last year into Venice and out of Milan over Memorial Day using free tickets. This year, we are headed back flying in/out of Rome with FF tickets over Labor Day. We accumlated the miles on NW and are using NW, but it was pretty easy to book (we booked in February I think). I do know they code share with Delta though. Worth a try.

rkkwan

I think everybody should be clear by now. You can use DL Skymiles to claim award to Europe on DL, AF, NW, CO, AZ (Alitalia) & OK (Czech CSA). What you CANNOT do is buy a economy class ticket on those airlines and use Skymiles to upgrade, which is what Debra was thinking about doing. This has long been the normal proceduce with most FF programs of the world.

Wanderer - I think you mean you're flying back into JFK, but needs to catch your flight to Boston at LaGuardia. The problem is that DL has only a handful of flights JFK-BOS, and only on regional jets, while LGA-BOS has hourly shuttle service (at :30 of each hour). So, if the JFK-BOS flights are full, they have to route you through LGA.

Presocia

I, too, am in the process of booking a flight to Italy in May 2005 using my Delta FF miles. My final destination is Palermo, Sicily. I have been successful in booking my flight to and from Rome via Cincinnati (with Portland, OR, as my starting point).

However, each time I've called during the past two weeks I've been told that Alitalia hasn't posted their schedules for that time period yet. So, I continue to get an extention on my reservation. Hopefully, I'll hear something different when I call again by 21 July. If not, I figure at least I got to and from Rome for free, and can pick up a cheap flight to Sicily if need be.

wanderer

rkkwan -

Interesting. I was never told by the Delta people I could use NW or CO (is this Continental?)

They told me their only partners were AF and AZ.