ALERT: AMAZING MR DELTA DEAL ✈ PHX-AUS $144 ALL-IN 5630 MQM just 2.6 CPM

February 12, 2013

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EDIT: Deal is still live with many open dates at of 10:PM EST today. Need help? Read THIS rookie post!

I don’t know how CokeandTaco from FlyerTalk does what he does, but oh my! Check this one out HERE at FlyerTalk!

“PHX-DTW-AUS-DTW-PHX $144ai (5630mi ~2.6cpm)”

There are many days (use ITA-Matrix to search) and ways this can work so be sure to tinker and see what you can build!

I have just booked two of these; 1 full day run and then an overnight and back the next day! I will add 10k MQM for under $300 plus I had a $50 ETV. As a PM I will earn over 20k RDM’s so I just burned some Skymiles to reposition to PHX and back! I have a feeling I will make DM this year. Ah well 🙂

Remember – don’t call – just book. Book lots. Then sit back can see what you can do. You have 24hrs to cancel with Delta if you don’t like what you have done 😉

PS – I sent a text alert hope you got it!

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42 comments

Mike February 12, 2013 at 10:01

Would love to do this but PHX is too far from NYC for me. 🙂
Grant February 12, 2013 at 10:02

Looks good. Have fun Rene!
Delta Points February 12, 2013 at 10:04

@Mike – I will reposition for this. I will earn enough Skymiles from the ticket to cover my FREE SKYMILES ticket to get there – think about it! 😉 – Rene
@Grant – txs – should be great!
Ryan Fitz February 12, 2013 at 10:14

Do you have any sample dates?
Delta Points February 12, 2013 at 10:19

@Ryan – jump on FlyerTalk to see the talk about this run. Many dates all year!
Ryan Fitz February 12, 2013 at 10:37

Thank you!
JP2 February 12, 2013 at 10:45

I did AUS-DTW-PHX-DTW-AUS in April and Aug. Saw some dates all the way into Nov.
Steve G February 12, 2013 at 11:16

Got the text alert. Thanks!
CraIg February 12, 2013 at 11:50

I booked two trips back to back 10/29-30 on one Delta record and got 9925 MQM’s for $259.20 ALLIN .0261cpm and also got a total of 22,332 total Sky Miles. Thanks for the alert. PHX, DTW, AUS, ATL, PHX, ATL, AUS, MSP, PHX.
Matt February 12, 2013 at 12:34

Can you fit a cvg in there….
Delta Points February 12, 2013 at 12:38

@Matt – looks like ATL, DTW, MSP & MEM are the connecting city’s for this one going the std Delta.com route but maybe if you search leg by leg you can find it! Advise if you find a great route please.
Jason D February 12, 2013 at 13:25

Just booked Pit to CLT through ATL for $112 AI.

March 15-19. Not quite Phoenix but still great price either way.

Thanks for the heads up on this! Love the blog!
VC February 12, 2013 at 13:48

How would you reposition from NYC?
Delta Points February 12, 2013 at 13:55

@VC – Just like I did from South Bend (well Grand Rapids to get the best FF seats) use Skymiles as you will if you are GM+ earn 20k for 2 days of flying. To me, loosing 5k Skymiles to reposition is worth it!
amusing February 12, 2013 at 13:56

Can someone help me understand how you are earning so many MQMs?
VC February 12, 2013 at 14:06

Can you elaborate on how you’re doing that? I’m a lowly Silver.. does that matter?
Delta Points February 12, 2013 at 14:16

@VC – you will only earn 25% bonus Skymiles as a FO ( Silver Medallion). GM+ earn 100% bonus Skymiles. At “T” fare class we all earn only 1x MQM’s.
@Amusing – Simple, fly from PHX DTW AUS DTW PHX = 5640 MQM (other city’s will earn lower or higher MQM’s and maybe price)!
VC February 12, 2013 at 14:17

I just booked JFK-PHX-DTW-AUS-DTW-PHX-DTW-LGA 9/20-9/22 for $423. 4.25 cpm. Any better way to do this?
Wesley P. February 12, 2013 at 14:17

I booked two of these back to back for late April (the overnight options) going PHX>DTW>AUS>DTW>PHX. Any words of caution/pro tips about booking two separate tickets here?

If something happens on the first run (Delayed on return into DTW and miss connection back to PHX), what would the protocol be?
Delta Points February 12, 2013 at 14:20

@VC – it works and is not a bad CPM from NYC. The only way to get lower is use FF points (DL or other) or an ETV to pay for it to get it lower! 🙂
.
http://fly.qux.us/smcalc/dist.php?route=JFK-PHX-DTW-AUS-DTW-PHX-DTW-LGA&start_mqm=0&start_rdm=0&default_fare=T&elite=silver&default_carrier=DL
Delta Points February 12, 2013 at 14:22

@Wesley – Be sure if there are issues you contact DL right away. I did many back to backs in NOV and when bumped made sure they were aware I needed to move the next day, one day forward, and the GA did this no problem for me. But again, make sure you let them know if you take a bump or have other issues. @DeltaAsssist can be your new best friend!
Kathy (Will Run For Miles) February 12, 2013 at 14:37

I just booked IN DEC rt
Doug February 12, 2013 at 14:45

I’m new to this and just trying to understand. When I put in PHX to AUS RT, I don’t see these low fares everyone mentions. What am I doing wrong?
Delta Points February 12, 2013 at 15:00

@Doug – look at other dates! You can use search 3+ or 3- on DL.com or use ITAMATRIX to search.
Steve G February 12, 2013 at 15:27

Guess I was to late. Using the calendar at ITA-Matrix the cheapest fare from PHX – DTW (1st leg) is $220 between Feb and Dec 2013. Didn’t bother with the rest of the legs.
Delta Points February 12, 2013 at 15:42

@steve – search rt – I still see many dates.
Swizard210 February 12, 2013 at 15:54

Hi I’m quite new to MRs. I’m trying to book this online but can’t figure how to get that price. Do I book under “multi city”? And what dates and what times are your flights since it priced me at about $283 for it.
Delta Points February 12, 2013 at 15:56

@Swizard210 – use matrix to find dates that work then just go to DL.com and use the std round trip search. That is what I do. – Rene
Andrew February 12, 2013 at 19:53

I’m going to guess this is a [challenge] to AA and US.
Paul February 12, 2013 at 20:02

This appears to be dead 🙁
I got here just too late.
SF February 12, 2013 at 20:06

Looks like DL pulled fare tonight
MarkJ February 12, 2013 at 21:04

I happen to have a meeting in Phoenix in April. I just checked an hour ago and couldn’t find PHX-AUS available but I did find PHX-SAT available on a same day turn for $143 on April 23nd. I booked it…it will be my first mileage run ever.
Delta Points February 12, 2013 at 21:09

@MarkJ – fun! And I hope you get a $400 bump too! 😉 Rene (and 1st class after the rebook)! 🙂
ewelling February 13, 2013 at 13:21

How did you get this fare? I’ve tried on Delta.com for multiple dates and cannot get the same fare.
Delta Points February 13, 2013 at 13:25

@ewelling – it looks like Delta has now pulled the deal. Time for the next one! 🙂
Ray February 13, 2013 at 13:46

This is my first MR, too, and I couldn’t find an economical way to reposition from ATL to PHX, so I burned 40k SkyMiles on an Award ticket (I seldom use SkyMiles, so I’m not too worried about losing these).

Please check my logic:
PHX>ATL>AUS>MSP>PHX = 4710 MQMs @ $143.60 = $0.030/MQM
ATL>PHX, best I could do = 3174 MQMs @ $369.80 = $0.12/MQM
These form a blended rate of $0.065/MQM, which I think negates the overwhelming value of the initial run, hence the use of SkyMiles.

It looks like PHX has few amenities in Terminal 3 (no SkyClub anywhere), so I burned some HHonors points (again, seldom used) to catch a few hours of sleep off-site. Rookie mistake?

Thanks in advance.
Delta Points February 13, 2013 at 13:52

@Ray – uh, confused. I think you you paid for the run. Then, then for reposition you used “pay with miles” or just used Skymiles for the ticket to get to PHX? So why the cost? I will stay one night before my run and one night after my run so I will stay at SPG hotels as I have many SPG points. All else looks good from what you have. Enjoy your FUN RUN!
Ray February 13, 2013 at 14:07

Sorry, I wasn’t clear. The only cost was $5.00 to use SkyMiles. Before pulling that trigger, though, I considered paying for the repositioning, taking advantage of the considerable ATL-PHX MQMs. But including that in the overall math pushed the blended rate to 6.5CPM, which just didn’t seem low enough to justify the $370 repositioning cost. Do you have a CPM threshold over which you’ll use SkyMiles rather than pay out of pocket (leaving out year-end desperation runs)?
Delta Points February 13, 2013 at 14:10

@Ray – sure, I want it as low as I can. Plus, since the run will earn me as a PM 20k RDM’s, I have no problem spending 25k for a FF ticket to get reposition. Now if I get a bump before then, and get and ETV, I will put the miles back and then use the ETV to buy a ticket to PHX.
Tim H February 13, 2013 at 16:13

Thanks for providing me with my 3 mileage run of the year(already racked up 29K MQM’s)!!
Tim H February 13, 2013 at 16:17

EDIT: Sorry, meant to type 49K….. Earlier this year I did SFO-JFK-NRT-SIN-NRT-JFK-SFO! That earned me a little over 40K MQM’s :D! I’m really trying hard to hit DM status again this year!

Renés Points

A travel blog from a Delta Air Lines elite flyer at Boardingarea.com