Update on your Northwest and Delta miles

by Grant Martin on

As we barrel forward into 2009 and the processing merger between Delta and Northwest Airlines, small facets of the company are slowly being integrated. Just a few weeks ago, the first NW 747 was repainted in DL colors, and ever so gently the NW routes are starting to disappear.

Throughout the year, mileage accounts between the two airlines will also be integrated, with the joint rules pulling from both carriers current programs. Here are the basics:

  • Miles from each program are safe.
  • Partway through this year you’ll be able to transfer miles between each account at no cost. You won’t be able to transfer elite miles, but before year’s end they should be integrated. So miles on each airline will count towards 2010 status on the new, merged airline.
  • New award fees for non-platinum members will be instituted. Booking award tickets:
    • Outside of 21 days of travel = free
    • Between 8 and 20 days = $75
    • Between 4 and 7 = $100
    • Inside of 3 days = $150
  • A new award tier asking for more miles with “better availability” will be offered. You can check that out here, but effectively if you want better flexibility with your tickets you’ll now need to cough up 30-40% more miles.
  • All passengers will now be able to earn elite status with segments.

Are these changes for the best? Most passengers I’ve listened in on are unhappy with the new fees and award tiers, but I think they’re being a bit gloomy.

I concede that in 2009 it will be harder to spend your Skyteam miles, however, so if you’re thinking about booking a ticket this year, it’s never too early to start looking.

Got a question about your miles? Shoot us a note at editorATgadlingDOTcom and we’ll try to help out.

Delta flyers: Get double elite miles through June 30

by Grant Martin on

You’re probably tired of me yammering on about elite status and how useful it is and how I wear my collar popped every time I go through airport security. I apologize. But there are a lot of benefits to keeping loyalty in an airline that you just don’t realize until you’ve reached greener pastures.

If you think that you can’t get to the minimum 25,000 mile threshold to reach status and you fly on Delta Airlines though, this could be your lucky break: the Atlanta-based airline just started a promotion giving passengers double Medallion Qualifying Miles for any flights booked before April 30 and flown before June 30. Those are miles that specifically count towards your exalted status.

This means that if you only need to travel 12.5k miles in order to achieve elite status, which is a pretty fantastic deal. Even if you’ve got only a few trips planned before June 30, these miles will give you that extra boost to hopefully get up to 25k by the end of the year.

Clarification before you register though: this is for double Medallion Qualifying Miles, not Skymiles. So you won’t technically earn more miles with which you can fly places, proper. You’ll earn more miles with which you can accrue status. Follow? Think of them as points towards a goal that you can use to fly places. Kind of silly, I know, but all airlines do it. It’s a crafty way to divide earned and status-gaining miles so that you get the least amount of benefit. I can get to that in a later post of you guys want.

Register on Delta’s promo website and make sure you have your frequent flyer number attached to your reservation before you travel — otherwise you’ll have a hard time getting your miles — and double miles — credited retroactively.

Why elite status works

by Grant Martin on

I suppose I’ve been a little spoiled over the last few years, flying almost exclusively on one airline and all. After reaching a certain threshold of miles, I’ve been upgraded to first class on 90% of my domestic flights, while the other 10% I’ve spent in either a bulkhead or an exit row seat. It was a novelty at first, but after a dozen or so legs I’ve sort of become used to it.

In that light, I suppose its also good that I’m reminded of my benefits once in a while. On last minute work out in Orange County, I suddenly had to book a flight from New York City to Los Angeles leaving next Monday, the 17th. With such short notice, I wasn’t able to book a competitive flight on my preferred carrier and was forced to book on another, less optimum airline. My seat on the way to Los Angeles? 44B. Back of the plane, center seat. No free alcohol, meals or goodies for me this time.

And this is why people have allegiances to airlines. Many will gladly pay an extra twenty or a hundred bucks to fly on their preferred carrier because they know how they’re going to be treated, where they’re going to sit and what they’re going to get. It’s a crafty marketing strategy created by the travel industry that ropes poor bastards like myself in — and keeps us there.

If you’re interested in subscribing to elite status this year, be sure to check out Gadling’s Guide to Mileage Running.

Virgin Atlantic Flyers: Get free Silver status with your Amex

by Grant Martin on

You’ve probably heard me preach about the virtues of elite status when flying around the world: shorter security lines, first class upgrades, lounge membership and free drinks await those willing (or forced) to spend extra time in the skies.

It takes a fair amount of work to achieve status though — more time than the average bear has. Unless you can find a shortcut, that is. Luckily, we have American Express to sponsor that shortcut. They’ve teamed up with Virgin Atlantic to offer free Silver Status to anyone joining Virgin’s Flying club.

And what are the perks? Well for one you get an extra free 25% miles per flight. That means your typical transatlantic 3500 mile hop between New York and London will net you 4375 miles — 875 miles closer to a free ticket. You’ll also get complimentary single First Class upgrade vouchers for the Gatwick & Heathrow express trains. Full benefits can be found at Virgin Atlantic’s website here.

Another thing to keep in mind is that miles you earn on Virgin you can credit to other airlines. So just because you don’t have an account with them you can always open one up and funnel the miles to Continental or Delta. Check out the partner airlines under the “Flying Club Partners” link.

Ready to get started? Follow this link.

Gadling’s guide to mileage running — Elite status and frequent flyer tiers.

by Grant Martin on

Most people know that by subscribing to a frequent flyer program, one can accumulate miles over the duration of several flights, ultimately saving up for a free ticket or upgrade. What many people don’t know, however is that there are rewards for accumulating those miles fast enough – usually over the period of one calendar year. For example, if you earn 25k, 50k or 75k miles in a particular airline program over the course of the year, you’ll be rewarded with “perks” at each tier.

These perks come in a variety of different flavors, from preferred seating to quick routes through security lines to upgrades into first class. That’s right, often if an airline has space in first class and they know you’re an elite member they’ll upgrade you to the front of the jet, where (depending on your carrier and flight) you can enjoy free meals and bottomless drinks.

In addition to the perks, it’s also sometimes worth it to earn the miles that you make on your journey. Take this example: as a top tier member of Northwest Airlines, I get a 125% bonus on miles for every flight I take. So while a flight I might run between Detroit (DTW) and AMSterdam may normally earn 4k miles, I would earn 9k miles. And if I have a TOLedo-DTW-AMS-Barcelona(BCN) round trip flight (like I made last Wednesday), I would earn somewhere around 24k miles. Considering that a domestic economy award ticket costs only 25k miles to redeem, I’ve pretty much earned a free domestic ticket with my international journey.

Thus, booking inexpensive long haul flights can often pay off other perks pretty quickly – as long as the fare is cheap enough. You just need to calculate the price per mile (PPM) ratio. Usually if that’s in the 0.01 – 0.02$ or below range, you’re on the line of effective vs. ineffective. A great tool to do this is Farecompare, where you can sort destinations from your departure city by the PPM earned.

Continue reading to Elite status and frequent flyer tiers, page 2