Hey everyone,
OK, so you want to use your miles for a luxurious vacation to Hawaii, Europe or another exotic destination, right? I can’t blame you. However, many of your fellow SkyMiles members are now bidding their hard-earned miles to do physical labor in a foreign country.
SkyMiles members (and my Delta co-workers) are buzzing about the chance to be a part of the growing “voluntourism” trend and participate in the first-ever SkyMiles Global Good Auction.
The winning bidder and a guest will take off with Delta’s Force for Global Good and Habitat for Humanity in November on an around-the-world experience, which will include accommodations, airfare, a four-day build in Mumbai and sightseeing around India. Participants will join 40 Delta employees to build 100 homes, where more than 600 men, women and children will eventually reside.
So far, we’ve seen a great response! With less than four days of bidding left, 44 SkyMiles members have bid on the package, and the current bid is 110,000 miles. To top the off the altruism, the winning mileage bid will be donated to Habitat for Humanity.
So you still have time to check out the SkyMiles Auction for more details on the Habitat build and our other cool Auction packages (maybe a spa outing or golf getaway in Florida is more your speed?). Then, bid your miles and enjoy!
Jeff Robertson
Managing Director - SkyMiles
P.S. – We plan to add a new slate of Auction items once a quarter so be sure to check them out regularly and let us know what you think.
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September 28th, 2007 at 2:55 pm
This is a great idea, Jeff. Too bad anyone that won it had to be based in NYC, or they had to pay for their flights out there (perhaps base one from the west coast next time?). At under 120000 Skymiles, this was still a great value for a great cause.
September 29th, 2007 at 6:37 am
If only I had a) 120,000+ miles and b) was able to take off at any time from work, I would have totally done this! But hey, it takes certain kinds of people for these types of missions
I think the cause is awesome and the fact that Delta is doing something is great. Would be nice to have a little video of what the team did while in Mumbai online- and maybe announce then the next Delta Global Good initiative. Just hire me as a photographer for the next one
November 20th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
You guys need to add a Blog-Spot to talk about SKYMILES. I’m all for global good but lets get down to the knitty-gritty of using those skymiles.
November 20th, 2007 at 6:36 pm
Getting Business Class Award Tickets on Partner Airlines -
How easy is it to get 4 biz class tickets on AirFrance from MIA to CDG? I’ve been able to get 1 or 2 in the past. We’re planning a family event to celebrate a 50th Birthday. So we’d like to do it in style!
November 21st, 2007 at 9:45 pm
I think the main thing is doing it way in advance, and being very flexible in dates. I was able to get some pretty good dates for 2 using FF miles (I know, not 4) only about 5 months out for May when I was passing through on my way to Marrakesh. I flew through CDG going to GOT this summer on Business where I flew Delta one way and Air France the other. It reinforced my opinion from flying Delta business class previously as well. Air France give a better experience if you care about good food and service. Delta has better entertainment options. Me, I’ll take food and service every time.
I would think at the proverbial 330 days out, you’d have a good chance in all but the toughest travel season.
November 28th, 2007 at 10:23 am
thanks Brownbag!!
We’re looking to travel around thanksgiving in 2008
November 28th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
I have to take my hats off to the agents that help us get use our FF miles on international routes. You can see me previous comment. I booked SLC to Manila last month for May. Wow, tougher than I thought it would be. The flights out are comples enough. There’s even a milk run through five islands in Micronesia and the Marshall’s on the way back. But, after 2 1/2 hours on the phone, we got dates that worked and mostly business/first class segments (all the long ones are up front).
Every time I’ve used the agents for complex, or tough, arrangements, they’ve worked really hard to come through. Whether it’s unexpected gateway cities or the milk run through the South Pacific, they’ve done the job.
January 5th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
It would be really valuable if we could use SkyMiles to for upgrades on SkyTeam partners. I prefer not to ride in the back to destinations that Delta doesn’t serve. Any possibilities?