Delta Glitch Blocking Air France/KLM Business Class Awards
It's no secret that I am a fan of Delta SkyMiles - in fact, next month I'm even debating fellow blogger Gary Leff on the value of SkyMiles. My position has long been "Yes, SkyMiles can be difficult to use, but that doesn't negate the fact that huge value can be extracted from them if you know how to use them." As a Delta flyer and American Express cardholder, I've enjoyed lucrative promotions that have enriched me with millions of SkyMiles which I've been able to use for international business class awards- and to some pretty cool places, like Mauritius and Seychelles.
For the past two weeks, though, Air France and KLM business class awards have not been bookable using SkyMiles - no matter what. I decided not to write about this when it first came to light because Delta acknowledged it was an IT issue and they are working on fixing it - fair enough.
However, I think they should be more proactive about offering alternatives for their customers. Instead of saying "tough luck, the computer is broken with no fix in sight," I think they should allow more options, especially for those who booked Air France flights and planned on using Systemwide Upgrades or miles to upgrade. Right now, upgrade space may finally become available, but Delta agents can't process them, which must be extremely frustrating for those who paid more for upgradeable fares or those who pledged loyalty to Delta to get systemwide upgrades only to be told they can't be used. I think Delta should be more proactive about switching people to Delta flights and opening up more upgrade availability and low-level business class space. Why should their best customers be the ones punished for the airline's technical error?
With the recent news that there are likely huge changes (read: devaluation) coming to SkyMiles and their current inability to proactively communicate and fix major holes in their frequent flyer program, SkyMiles is making it harder and harder for me to defend them next month.
[card card-name='Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express' card-id='22034414' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']
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| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
- Top rated mobile app