alliegator

I posted this on the Airlines board too, but figured more people read the US board, so forgive my out of place question.

Can anyone tell me if they have ever been able to use the 25K miles to Alaska in May or June?

My poor folks have been trying for 2 years to get there to take a cruise. They call as soon as Delta releases those dates and go through 10 different sets of dates, but all they ever get is that they would have to spend 50K miles each. My dad is retiring at the end of the year and they really want to go next Spring but my mom doesn't have enough to get a 50K ticket.

Does anyone have any advice I can give them? They are really bummed about this and extremely pissed at Delta.

Samsaf

Hi, alliegator. In late May/early June of 2001, our family of five used frequent flier miles and flew from Atlanta to Anchorage for a week and then back to Atlanta. Sometimes you can keep calling the airline (even after you've been told there is no availability) and something opens up.

Have your parents tried flying mid-week instead of on the weekend?

alliegator

I just found out they are trying to fly into Vancouver to catch the cruise. I think they were trying to get in midweek for that reason, but nothing was available for less then 50K miles.

Gardyloo

There are no Delta nonstops into Vancouver from anywhere east of Houston, and only four flights a day altogether. In cruise season the airline will be able to fill virtually every seat with revenue customers including cruiseline-arranged flights, and will hold very few seats indeed open for non-rev or FF miles users.

Seattle, on the other hand, has way more Delta flights, is way cheaper than YVR, and is an easy connection point to Vancouver via bus or scenic train ride.

I don't know where they're coming from, but I would strongly suggest they try Seattle rather than Vancouver for their mileage plan tickets. There are plenty of posts here and on the Alaska board at cruisecritic.com regarding ground transport between Seattle and Vancouver.

Sidepockets

Lots of luck on Alaska. In Nov 03, we checked flights to Alaska for June 04, checked available seats on all listed flights and no more than 3 seats taken on any flight, tried to reserve and was told all seats had been sold. Checked every month. I agree on Seattle. Hope they have a good trip.

alliegator

My dad said he tried today to get seats to Seattle, with 6 different scenarios he got nothing. They tried the partner airlines but couldnt work it out either. Are there any discount airlines on the west coast that fly into Vancouver. Maybe they can fly into another west coast city and get an elcheapo flight out.

rkkwan

Where are they flying from, and what are the exact dates? It really helps to be specific.

alliegator

They were trying to fly to Vancouver from Tampa on 5/21, then from Anchorage to Tpa on 6/1.

rkkwan

Without "Medallion" status with Delta, you'll find it extremely hard if not impossible to claim 25K miles awards to Alaska in the summer months, especially if you must go on particular dates. There may be more seats opening up much closer to the departure date, but that's unacceptable for cruising.

Since no low-fare airline flies to ANC, and no low-fare flies to both YVR and TPA, you will never get any good one-way fare there, or a TPA-ANC, YVR-TPA open-jaw ticket.

Therefore, the only realistic way is to get the air tickets from the cruise companies. I did a little search on a cruise-only website, and you should expect to pay about $650-700 for each person from TPA. You should consider that as part of the inherent cost of a Alaskan cruise. If the total cruise/air cost is too high for you, then you should look for alternative destinations.

rkkwan

I did a little more search on using FF miles on DL/NW/CO on the dates, and here are some results that may help you:

TPA-YVR 5/21
DL: Don't know as their stupid website doesn't do international travel
CO: Yes, with standard 12,500 miles (each way) award
NW: Wants 17,500 miles each way, not sure why, and has to go on 5/18.

So, you may still be able to have DL book you on CO for TPA-YVR.

ANC-TPA 6/1:
DL: Skychoice (i.e. 25,000 miles each way) only for 5/31-6/2.
CO: There are standard seats available (12,500 miles each way) on 6/2, but not 6/1. On 6/1, not even "elite' members can get the standard award.
NW: Only double-miles type awards +/- 3 days.

The results are with using each airline's own FF miles, and not with Skymiles (except on DL, of course). So, availability on NW/CO may vary if you're using Skymiles.

But based on that data, there's little chance you can get 25,000-mile award on DL/NW. Your best bet is to have the Skymiles desk check CO carefully. 5/21 TPA-YVR shouldn't be a problem, and delay the return ANC-TPA to 6/2. You may be able to get those...

Gardyloo

Okay, now that we know they're trying for an open-jaw to Anchorage on DL, the problem comes into view.

Delta has precisely one flight daily from Anchorage that connects to the southeast, a redeye to Salt Lake that leaves at 12:30 in the morning. That means that the chances of a "Skysaver" (25K mi) award, especially on a Sunday night (Monday morning technically) after all the cruise ships have docked in Seward or Whittier that morning, will be somewhere between nil and subzero. Elite-level members of the Delta program will get first dibs on what will be a tiny number of seats available in the first place, and even the full-rev seats will likely be full. People plan cruise vacations so early nowadays that things like planes and hotels book up solid way, way in advance.

Delta's overall schedule to Alaska is very meagre; I doubt if they will allow mileage plan travel on their (limited) "codeshare" partners with Alaska routes, like NW or Continental, so while you may be able to see more flights to/from Alaska on Expedia or Travelocity, those won't be eligible flights for coupon fliers.

I frankly think their options are rather limited. One, use extra miles for one of DL's 50K mi tickets; two, buy extra miles through DL's FF program (at $.0275 per mile, thus $275 for 10,000 miles, only a good deal if they're only a few miles short of 50K); three, buy a (cash) ticket on another airline with more/cheaper service to Alaska, such as America West or American (which codeshares with Alaska Airlines); or, four, think about using miles on a Seattle round-trip, then buy a one-way ticket from ANC to Seattle after the cruise. The latter is probably the cheapest alternative, at under $250 each on Continental or United. Or, of course, they could take a round-trip Inside Passage cruise from Seattle or Vancouver, but that would not get them to Anchorage, Denali, all that. But no airfare beyond the trip to the coast.

I know it's complex enough to make one dizzy. This is what many FF programs have come to - all talk, no seats.

Gardyloo

I noticed that rkkwan did the research that I didn't bother with. Good job on the partner availability.

If they want to try the coupon route on another airline, shoot for mid-week or later southbound travel, after the disembarkers from the weekend-arrival cruise ships have had time to filter through the system. Same goes with the southern end of the route - everybody wants to arrive a day or two before they sail. If you can arrive five days before the weekend sailings, you might have better luck.

alliegator

Thanks everyone for your insight. I gave my dad the CO website and they seem to have better choices than Delta. I told him to give the agents exact flight numbers to check on. They might be able to push the return day back a couple days.

I think it was going to cost $350+ to purchase the extra miles for my mom, which I think is what they will end up doing. It's not so much as the money, as the principle that Delta seat availablity is screwy. I get the impression from my dad they will use the miles then discontinue service with Delta. This isn't the first time they have had problems with redeeming miles with Delta.

rkkwan

Delta has been pissing off all their customers left and right in the past couple of years, including their best "elite" FF members. No wonder why they're on the brink of bankruptcy. CO's Onepass program is almost as bad.

UA/US has been pretty good, but a lot of their FF members wonder if either or both airlines will be around in a couple of years' time.

AA's treating its FF members pretty well, but even they admit that sometimes they don't have a single "standard award" available on a flight.

The keys to using FF miles are: 1) have elite status, and 2) be very flexible with travel plans. Some people like my parents satisfy both criteria, and have no trouble earning and using CO miles. But I don't, so I'm bothering with FF miles at all, and has been actively cashing out all my miles whenever possible these days. I am so glad that my sister and her fiance are able to use 50K of my Skymiles on a upcoming trip. Great relief.

jor

I have not read all of the above posts but I traveled to Alaska on 25K two years ago with Delta. How about flying into Seattle and depart from Bellingham for a cruise of South East Alaska. I don't understand why they want 50K per person for Alaska anyway.

South East Alaska is the most beautiful area of Alaska for a cruise.

alliegator

I tried to donate miles to my folks but on Delta you can't do that. I'm starting to cash in my miles as well, because it's to the point where you can't ever use them.

Delta wants 50K miles in order to get any seat on a plane on any flight. It's a jip!