Using Velocity to book Delta - can you see everything that is available?

[gilldo]

We're looking to travel in the US/Canada next year and I'm trying to get a handle on availability for Delta flights via Velocity Rewards. One of the routes we're looking at is Anchorage to Calgary (via Seattle probably).

I'm a Gold VRR member, and I seem to be able to see the odd flight on the odd day across their calendar. In some cases, when you click on a flight in the monthly calendar listed as available, it suddenly turns to unavailable.

When I try the Delta site with the 'Using Miles' option, I get a much greater range of flight options available during the same period - multiple options on the same day, with at least one that I would consider 'cheap' enough to not be considered an 'AnyTime' award.

Is this a case of me having to pick up the phone and call the Velocity assistance line and pointing them at specific rewards that happen to be available, or is it just a case that Delta aren't big on letting their partners have access to all their reward options?

 

[CPMaverick]

IME what you see on the website is what is available.

I have found examples of DL showing a 'low' award but it is not made available to VA. Multiple calls to VA and what they see is the same as the website. When I checked FlyingBlue (AF/KLM), DL was also not making those flights available to them.

So, you might check AF/KLM to verify that the flight is not available to partners, but in general even if DL shows a low award, it might not be available to VA.

(My example was SCL-ATL, DL showed 45k flight awards for 4 consecutive days, but only 3 of those days were on VA. Even though the DL award price, fees, and even the flight numbers were identical. I ended up booking using DL miles as I frustratingly needed that ONE of 4 days that wasn't popping up for VA!)

 

[theblank]

I'm a Gold VRR member, and I seem to be able to see the odd flight on the odd day across their calendar. In some cases, when you click on a flight in the monthly calendar listed as available, it suddenly turns to unavailable.

my experience is that with VA redemption bookings on Delta, is that availability seems to flip flop around. Just keep checking every day and eventually it might come up. and you really have to book early, inside a month seems to be less availability, inside of 2 weeks buggar all

in any case, I often end up booking Southwest instead, due to two free bags with them, and better connections for me, ends up way cheaper overall.

 

[Inlander]

I just booked direct with Delta app .First Class (USA Domestic business). Did MSY-ATL-ORD for 220 USD 2 weeks out. Doing ATL- SAT soon for around same money soon. Get the SC's and points within a couple of days- far better than stuffing around trying to find rewards there. Its surprising how cheap domestic USA flying can be if you avoid the obvious peaks like Thanksgiving summer holiday memorial Day rushes, Friday evenings etc

 

[CPMaverick]

US travel can be very cheap on routes with competition, and very expensive on monopoly routes. I agree it is a good idea to check cash prices (and DL First Class can be a great way to earn SC). But I don't agree that in general off-peak prices are always dirt cheap. Especially one-way prices.