Hello there,
I am trying to get a Business Class award ticket with Skymiles from DXB to NYC area in November in J, around 85,000miles+ tax
All I get is, Aeroflot via Moscow, or Saudia, or MEA with two stops. There was an Virgin Atlantic option but seems to be gone now.
Why so limited options, why most flights leave around 2-3 am in the morning?
I might just forget about using Skymiles and go for another option, like TK J via IST for only 47,000 miles or EK or Etihad Economy non-stop.
Am I missing something?
Thanks.

You're trying to book a ticket using Delta miles originating in an airport Delta doesn't fly to, and complaining you have limited options. This is as bad as those "Will Ford ever restart Tri-Motor production" threads.

Delta doesn't fly to New York?

32andBelow wrote:

Delta doesn't fly to New York?

"From DXB, to NYC."

Yeah reading comprehension is kinda hard, I know.

RamblinMan wrote:

You're trying to book a ticket using Delta miles originating in an airport Delta doesn't fly to, and complaining you have limited options. This is as bad as those "Will Ford ever restart Tri-Motor production" threads.

While Delta doesn't fly to Dubai they do sell tickets to Dubai on flights with Delta flight numbers. If the OP can use cash to buy tickets to or from Dubai from Delta on Delta flights operated by KLM or Air France, he should be able to use miles to buy the the same tickets. There will never be unlimited award tickets on every flight, especially with short notice. But it sounds like the OP is flexible and he's looking at flights 10 months in advance. Has the value of the Skymiles FF program deteriorated that much?

IPFreely wrote:

While Delta doesn't fly to Dubai they do sell tickets to Dubai on flights with Delta flight numbers. If the OP can use cash to buy tickets to or from Dubai from Delta on Delta flights operated by KLM or Air France, he should be able to use miles to buy the the same tickets. There will never be unlimited award tickets on every flight, especially with short notice. But it sounds like the OP is flexible and he's looking at flights 10 months in advance. Has the value of the Skymiles FF program deteriorated that much?

I don't believe partner award availability is ever promised in any airline's program. AF is under no obligation to provide J-class inventory for another airline's award redemption.

Again, DL does not fly to DXB from any destination. The fact that there are any options at all for using skymiles ex-DXB is a huge perk.

RamblinMan wrote:

I don't believe partner award availability is ever promised in any airline's program. AF is under no obligation to provide J-class inventory for another airline's award redemption.

Again, DL does not fly to DXB from any destination. The fact that there are any options at all for using skymiles ex-DXB is a huge perk.

Interesting. I am not an active Skymiles member but I just checked the United website for award tickets from DXB to EWR in February, March, and April. Even though United, like Delta, does not fly to Dubai, I can get award tickets in both economy and business using United miles with flights operated by Lufthansa, Swiss, and Austrian. Like any award travel some flexibility is required -- award tickets in both classes are not available on all flights or on all days. But most days have flights with award tickets in economy or business or both. I would say Skymiles is a pretty poor FF program if you cannot use award miles on partner airlines.

IPFreely wrote:

I would say Skymiles is a pretty poor FF program if you cannot use award miles on partner airlines.

OP literally says

TK787 wrote:

Why so limited options, why most flights leave around 2-3 am in the morning?

Thanks everyone, I thought there would be better options. I waited for the first available date to book, 10 months in advance. I assumed that's what alliences are for even if DL can not afford to fly to DXB, its partners should help out. Oh well, TK to the rescue. I'll use those DL miles eventually, leftover from my SKYMILES membership days. Switched to TK miles and smiles 4 yrs ago and couldn't be happier.

Thanks everyone, I thought there would be better options. I waited for the first available date to book, 10 months in advance. I assumed that's what alliences are for even if DL can not afford to fly to DXB, its partners should help out. Oh well, TK to the rescue. I'll use those DL miles eventually, leftover from my SKYMILES membership days. Switched to TK miles and smiles 4 yrs ago and couldn't be happier.

TK787 wrote:

I assumed that's what alliences are for even if DL can not afford to fly to DXB, its partners should help out.

That is the benefit of alliances with FF programs, at least other ones like Star. Posts on this board have indicated the value of the Skymiles FF program has declined; it looks like it's even worse than I expected.

IPFreely wrote:

I would say Skymiles is a pretty poor FF program if you cannot use award miles on partner airlines.

Yes, it's definitely valid to make blanket statements like that based on partner airline awards for a single arbitrary city pair.

TK787 wrote:

Thanks everyone, I thought there would be better options. I waited for the first available date to book, 10 months in advance. I assumed that's what alliences are for even if DL can not afford to fly to DXB, its partners should help out. Oh well, TK to the rescue. I'll use those DL miles eventually, leftover from my SKYMILES membership days. Switched to TK miles and smiles 4 yrs ago and couldn't be happier.

-Partner awards don't always get loaded at the same time a carrier puts out it's schedule. It's possible you just need to be patient.
-That's not what alliances are for.
-DL doesn't fly to DXB because there's no demand for it, not because they can't afford it. (LOL as though DXB flights is something all us po' 'muricans should aspire to)
-Quite a few Europe flights leave DXB between midnight and 0400. But sure, blame Delta.

I just did a quick search for dates in May on Delta.com, and there are options on VS through LHR for 70k miles (in economy), departing DXB at 1105am. The return flight is the daylight TATL to LHR connecting to an overnight flight into DXB -- pretty nice schedule, IMO. Also options on AF through CDG. It's probably a matter of when reward inventory is loaded.
But if you can get J class on TK for just 47k, that's hard to beat.

redzeppelin wrote:

I just did a quick search for dates in May on Delta.com, and there are options on VS through LHR for 70k miles (in economy), departing DXB at 1105am. The return flight is the daylight TATL to LHR connecting to an overnight flight into DXB -- pretty nice schedule, IMO. Also options on AF through CDG. It's probably a matter of when reward inventory is loaded.
But if you can get J class on TK for just 47k, that's hard to beat.

Thanks. Maybe I should just wait and check back.

redzeppelin wrote:

I just did a quick search for dates in May on Delta.com, and there are options on VS through LHR for 70k miles (in economy), departing DXB at 1105am. The return flight is the daylight TATL to LHR connecting to an overnight flight into DXB -- pretty nice schedule, IMO. Also options on AF through CDG. It's probably a matter of when reward inventory is loaded.
But if you can get J class on TK for just 47k, that's hard to beat.

Couple of things:
-I missed my chance, I looked TK went up to 120,000 miles +$287.
-Why do most airlines charge widely varying taxes on top of miles? VS $350, AF $90.

Thanks for the heads up again, nice to see better schedules from Virgin and AF 3-4 months out. I just have to wait longer.

RamblinMan wrote:

32andBelow wrote:

Delta doesn't fly to New York?

"From DXB, to NYC."

Yeah reading comprehension is kinda hard, I know.

That was great!

TK787 wrote:

redzeppelin wrote:

-Why do most airlines charge widely varying taxes on top of miles? VS $350, AF $90.
.

LHR is super expensive in taxes I suppose that could have something to do with it.

Here's a Skymiles tip that you can blame Delta for: never, ever book an ex Europe ticket with a partner airline because- wait for it- Delta levies a hefty fuel surcharge even if the operating carrier doesn't.

Delta USED to fly to DXB from ATL. It didn't work out. All of those flights leave at 2 or 3 AM because of the time difference and the time it takes to travel those distances. Airports work very differently overseas as opposed to those in the United States where you won't see many flights leaving before 5 AM if any, and most red eye flights are out before 1 AM.

Hello all again,
Well, that TK fare came back and I had to grab it.
DXB-IST-JFK Business Class, both on 77W lie flat seats, leaving DXB 8:30am, 2:20 hrs layover at IST.
All that for 47,000 miles + $317.
DL's only option to fly J remains Aeroflot via SVO, first flight on a 737 and leaving DXB at 2am.
United had bette options but nothing comes close to TK's option.
Thanks for trying to help/