Delta Retooling SkyMiles Rewards Structure

July 31st, 2008 · No Comments · Subscribe to this feed

In an industry as competitive as the one Delta competes in, airlines have no choice but to do everything necessary to cut costs and/or increase revenue-per-passenger. It comes to no surprise that Delta today announced they are retooling their popular SkyMiles rewards structure to counter rising fuel costs. Basically, this means that rewards tickets are no longer free but are subject to a $25 fuel surcharge for flights within the U.S. and Canada and a $50 fuel surcharge for flights from the U.S. or Canada to any other international destination.

An Expected Development

I can’t say I’m surprised by this move, nor can I say I particularly blame them. A $50 surcharge (plus federal fees and taxes) is still a small price to pay for a seat on an international flight. As a Delta SkyMiles member, I would obviously prefer no surcharge at all, but I appreciate the difficult operating environment all airlines are facing right now. In my opinion, things can only get worse from here as the dollar continues to fall and fuel prices continue to rise. I plan on using up all my rewards miles as soon as possible and suggest you do the same. After all, a $50 charge today is a lot better than a $100 charge or worse two years from now.

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