I have a new assistant. She just told me they want $16,000. I about died on the spot.

How BIG is your assistant? j/k

Spoke w/ Delta this morning about a flight to New Zealand. Was told it would have to be routed via Korea and then Australia where I'd have to get another airline from there.

All for $6k!! Oh, that was peasant class too.

Ide: Just fly Air New Zealand from LAX or SFO direct AUK. For $100 you can add a domestic NZ roundtrip from AUK but you have to book it in conjunction with an international reservation. Delta does not fly to NZ.

Come ride in the back with me and the Misses.

Plus 1 for Air New Zealand. They also have a few upgraded coach seats you can get for a few bucks more.

Dear Larry

Try heading down under and stop over for a few days.

Then a direct flight to RSA. A few to choose from.

Regards Mark

Larry We price Delta direct from Atl to Joe back months ago and it was 10 grand. We are flying Lus. through Germany BC adds 8 hours but
$4500.00 Germany BC lounges have showers.

16 grand WOW They need some competition

I checked into it for my trip over in August 2010. They wanted $8,600 round trip. I ended up using my miles instead.

Haven't flown Delta in years due to the expense and Delta's business class was inferior to other airlines' business class offerings (primarily international carriers) although the quality may have changed. Even using miles Delta has always required a lot more miles for the same sort of trip than other airlines.

For those of you who travel a lot and prefer the front rather than the back of the plane you might want to check out FirstClassFlyer.com. They have a number of good ideas and comparisons of different airlines' premium products (I have nothing to do with the website but I have subscribed to it for years).

Three of us are heading from Reno to Windhoek the week after next, flying Air New Zealand Los Angeles to London business class, British Air London to Windhoek (via Joberg) in first class. Total cost for three people about $7,500 and some frequent flyer miles.

August 29, 2011 Charleston, SC - Atlanta - Joberg

Roundtrip = $5886

Additional $1078 to add Joberg - Harare on SAA

Thank you Steve Turner.

I think the problem is that she called AMEX. I now have it for between $6,000 and $7,000.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
I think the problem is that she called AMEX. I now have it for between $6,000 and $7,000.

Larry - That's exactly the problem. I know you have the big boy card, but even on my platinum account the "great travel deals" with AMEX are a total joke! They were also running the buy one biz class ticket, get the 2nd one "free". Problem was, the 1st ticket was over $14,000.00, and that was several years ago. I don't even bother to call them anymore.

Aaron is correct. Trying to book AmEx results in top tier rates, and yes, the 2fer in BC is charged at the highest BC single rate. I've only used the 2fer once, back in 2003, when it proved valuable.

The AmEx rewards/miles program is the best, ever since Diner's Club sold out.

Two of us used AmEx reward miles for our Delta BC tickets in September, and yes, it did take a lot of miles! My JNB-Harare-JNB ticket on SAA was bought using AmEx miles on Continental to purchase the SAA ticket. WHEW!

quote:

Originally posted by LionHunter:
Aaron is correct. Trying to book AmEx results in top tier rates, and yes, the 2fer in BC is charged at the highest BC single rate. I've only used the 2fer once, back in 2003, when it proved valuable.

The AmEx rewards/miles program is the best, ever since Diner's Club sold out.

Two of us used AmEx reward miles for our Delta BC tickets in September, and yes, it did take a lot of miles! My JNB-Harare-JNB ticket on SAA was bought using AmEx miles on Continental to purchase the SAA ticket. WHEW!

Mike - You're right, the reward miles program isn't too bad! But just using the AMEX travel agency/card benefits, is a waste of time and MONEY!!

quote:

Originally posted by opus72:
August 29, 2011 Charleston, SC - Atlanta - Joberg

Roundtrip = $5886

Additional $1078 to add Joberg - Harare on SAA

Thank you Steve Turner.

We used steve too but like I said in June 10 grand for the direct flight. $5800 for the direct flight is worth is, although I don't care for the seats in Delta's BC even though they do go flat. Direct BC is nice and a two hour time saver.
Just got Steve's travel package. Guys I have used several differnet travel agents. Most complete package of information I ever got. TRUST ME STEVE'S SERVICE IS WELL WORTH THE MONEY! I WILL NEVER LOOK ELSEWHERE AGAIN.

I just got back and I also used Steve's Services. We flew Shreveport -Atlanta-Joberg- Vic Falls. BC tickets were about 6500 per person.

The flights went off without a hitch and I thought the Delta BC was top shelf. The attendents greeted me by name, the food was good, and the beds were in cubicle that was angled for more room and privacy than in the older seats. ( We were in one of their newly comissioned jets )

Just tell Steve where you want to go and he does the detail work. I am convinced he will work just as hard to get you the best price available. I am using his service again next month.

BA first and business is hard to beat! Usta get upgrades all the time because I lived on BA constantly back and forth to Africa and the UK. Loved it.

Seems like everything is costing more! I just booked our tickets (Billings, MT - Salt Lake City-
Atlanta-Joburg-Kasane, Namibia) for next April,2012. 2x1 elephant
hunt with Karl Stumpfe. I used miles to upgrade our "coach" tickets to First/Business class.
Even with using miles they were $4300 each. I realize upgradeable coach
tickets are more but this seems awfully high?

However, hopefully the safari will justify the $$
Jim

Fuel prices have skyrocketed.

I just booked mine for September/October. I got the last available seat in business class.

How many FF miles is required these days on Delta?
Coach?
Business?

Havent looked in a few years.

250k for business class. Just booked it today for travel on Jul 8th

I actually just priced these flights yesterday since im headed there for work soon.
These are all Delta from ATL to JNB

Coach/Economy $1300-$3000
Business Class $8000-$9000
First Class $13,000-$17,000

I didn't think they had first class anymore. Is this something new?

Booked our two Business Elite cubicles from Atlanta to Joberg. On Delta. $5500 each roundtrip. I will never ride coach again. Did I say NEVER?

First class from LAX to ATL and same on trip home. Never again coach. Screaming babies. Smelly idiots. Mouth breathers. No thank you.

Leave in 27 days. Can't wait for the enjoyable ride and the great hunting !!!! Wheels up out of Atlanta-- 2 Ambien. 3 hours to read and wake up and we're there!!

Just my 2 cents.

Trophyman

Trophy,

you are going to be in for a rude awakening. Lots of people that can upgrade to business have babies, sleep apnea and smell bad. Ask me how I know. Only way to avoid all that is a NetJet card or maintain your own jet.

I hear ya on the jet.
Trust me I know. $2200 per hour with pilot. But the maintenance is unbelieveable !!!!!

Business Elite is the greatest.

Randy

Am I Rip van Winkle or something? Last April I flew from Boise to Jo-berg, round trip economy class for $1235 USD. American to DIA, and SAA from there to RSA. Returned the same route.

Wow...!

Rich

April is off-season.

My son and I are leaving next week for RSA. We are flying though Frankfurt for the lay-over so we can rest in a hotel. Our flight over is AUS-DFW-FRANK-JOBERG-BLOEMFONTEIN; back it's EAST LONDON-JOBERG-FRANK-DFW-AUS

It was $3K each all in for coach.

We're doing AUS-ATL-JNB on 7/10 For $1800+$160 R/T in the economy comfort section.

Larry,

You are correct, delta does not have a first class section on the a/c serving S. Africa.

Adrian