Looking for all sorts of info since this group knows.

I don't fly much, maybe once or twice a year so flying is not something I know the little nuances about when booking tickets.

I have been on three safaris and had Gracy Travel do all of the paperwork. This post has nothing to do with Gracy as they have always been good to me even when I called Shawn at home at 2AM when we had an issue.

I am curious for those booking the tickets themselves.

Which websites do you go to the most? Which do you avoid?

Flying out of Salt Lake City, I use Delta 99% of the time so naturally I use my American Express Delta card all the time. Accruing points for who knows what reason for the future. Most likely Hawaii my wife says.

I hear people tell me they purchased their coach ticket and then used their miles to upgrade to business class. How is this done? Does it take tens of thousands of miles?

I have always flown from Salt Lake City to Atlanta to Joburg to the final destination. Is there a better option?

Any info you are willing to share with someone who does not fly often is appreciated.

Delta's web site offers the best rates for their flights. You can redeem FFM on line or via live operator. It is generally best to call if you are going to use miles especially if you want to use them to upgrade.

In regards to path, the Salt Lake City to ATL to JNB is probably the best (cheapest) way to get to Africa on Delta.

Since Delta does not offer much if any commissions/overrides for travel agents, it is easier to deal with them directly. So I bypass the travel agent so that I can pick the seat I want, etc, etc.

In regards to using miles, I gave up on Delta as they changed their awards programs too many times. I used to fly in business class from ATL to JNB for as little as 250,000. Then it was 500,000 and the last time I checked it was 750,000 miles. Too many other airlines offer much better FFM programs. Namely Qatar Air. So long Delta...

When I search for flights and prices I use ITA Matrix. Google flight will give you faster results, but Matrix give you will all the flights. You cannot book directly with Matrix, but the web site Book with Matrix, you can, it requires some work to cut and paste. If you want to look for "budget airlines" then Skyscanner is your choice.

After I have found my flights on Matrix I usually book the flight on that airlines web site, so if changes are necessary I can make them and not have to have a travel agent to make them as they "control" of my ticket.

quote:

Originally posted by Opus1:
Delta's web site offers the best rates for their flights. You can redeem FFM on line or via live operator. It is generally best to call if you are going to use miles especially if you want to use them to upgrade.

Since Delta does not offer much if any commissions/overrides for travel agents, it is easier to deal with them directly. So I bypass the travel agent so that I can pick the seat I want, etc, etc.

In regards to using miles, I gave up on Delta as they changed their awards programs too many times. I used to fly in business class from ATL to JNB for as little as 250,000. Then it was 500,000 and the last time I checked it was 750,000 miles. Too many other airlines offer much better FFM programs. Namely Qatar Air. So long Delta...

Spot on.