Months ago I called on Delta to rip the bandage off SkyMiles already. This week, they did, and that bandage was hiding some ugly stuff. Gary just posted some eye-popping mileage requirements for SkyMiles in the new “dynamic” world. His example was for west coast to Australia travel. Being the resident Atlantan on Boardingarea, I thought I’d do a little poking around for trips originating closer to home.
Yes, that’s 605,000 miles each or 1.21 million total for MrsMJ and I to fly our hometown airline from our hometown airport to Sydney next summer. Granted, I did find a few other options in the 400K each range, but the million mile award trip is new territory. Needless to say, we won’t be flying to Australia next summer, at least not on SkyMiles. In fairness, I don’t really want to go to Australia in June 2016, but as one of my old bosses used to say, “geez-a-frickin’.”
(ETA: As commenters Jason and Ron note below, I found some 350K inventory when I searched today. The itinerary I found above is now pricing at 1.1 million for two people)
On the Other Hand
I did find a handful of domestic coach itineraries at 7,500 and 10,000 miles each way. Anecdotal evidence is that there are plenty more markets out there with availability. While a lot of us would understandably say BFD, there is another side of the story. A greater number of U.S. airline customers want to redeem domestic coach tickets than those that want business class to Australia. This is a big reason why Southwest is the biggest domestic airline with a revenue based loyalty program that ranks highly from average travelers. That alone is why predictions of the end of time and the end of Delta thanks to changes in the mileage program are likely overblown. In short, the percentage of travelers who have really maximized these programs to the hilt is small…..smaller than you think….smaller than the most enthusiastic of us want it to be.
Last year I stated that the airlines had moved on and maybe we should too. Loyalty should be a two-way street, but it isn’t. Take the one-way loyalty program that benefits you and be loyal to yourself. Flexible currencies and cash are where I’m focused. For the handful of times a year MrsMJ and I fly somewhere together, I’ll buy a first class ticket (yes, more likely than not from Delta) with the money I’ve saved from refusing to chase the elusive airline rabbit any longer. Believe me, if I land in November just shy of the next status level, I’ll do what it takes to make it the rest of the way. Big credit card bonus with miles I have a proven use for, sure thing. But making a habit out of mileage running and making myself crazy over an airline mileage program just for the sake of it, no thanks. Done. Flame away.
-MJ, July 17, 2015
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I’m with Jason. I’m not sure if there was a website error when you got your numbers but I find multiple options with 350,000 miles. Please acknowledge that the situation is not nearly as bad as originally posted.
Ron,
I noted in the post that I did see some availability in the 400K range. However, I found some of the same 350K inventory you note today. I added a note to the post. FWIW, the itinerary I highlighted in my post is pricing at 1.1 million for two people today.
Would be sad if other airlines do follow. If the do would change my travel patterns alot. hone would be UA. I only focus in flying them because of the program. I spend enough to make 1k easily, much of it overseas travel. My flying would move to foreign airlines mostly.
@Levy,
I may be wrong about this, but I really think the day the million mile award trip becomes a “thing” is the day things really do change forever.
And Jason, there’s the other side of the coin.
I searched those same dates and there are many other flights that cost significantly fewer miles. In fact, it was as low as 350,000 miles, which is what UA would cost in miles. I checked AA.com and i could not get there on miles on that date, not even for 1 million miles or even 2 million miles. I checked southwest.com using More Rewards, and the flight on Delta was over 1 million points for just 1 person. The cheapest was 900,000 on Air Canada. Is 350,000 miles a bargain…no. But if you only want to pay 200,000 (pick your… Read more »
That sad thing for us is the death by a thousand paper cuts must be working or Delta could not continue the devaluation. The small opening that exists in partner awards can’t be far behind. I am an Atlanta captive too with 1.6M mqms. I extract a little value from the global upgrades, but imagine that can be closed quickly. I seriously doubt Delta will ever feel enough pain from this to relax anything especially if United follows. Welcome to our new world, made a little less small by better values reward flights.
Please don’t buy into Delta’s b.s. about the (NOT new) 7,500 and 10,000 mile awards. BFD, they are saving us 5,000 – 10,000 miles round trip on an award that you and I would never buy at 25,000 miles. Delta is giving us NOTHING and totally screwing us over.
If Delta wants to be like Southwest, I can treat them the same as I do Southwest, and NEVER fly on them. I don’t even consider buying tickets from Southwest, and may be doing the same with Delta sometime soon.