Delta Eliminates Award Redemption Fees for Frequent Flyers

Members no longer pay fees for award tickets redeemed within 20 days of departure; change is latest in a series of improvements for SkyMiles members this year

News provided by

Delta Air Lines

Jun 03, 2010, 09:30 ET

ATLANTA, June 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) is eliminating award ticket redemption fees for SkyMiles frequent flyer members. Effective immediately, members will no longer pay fees of up to $150 for award tickets redeemed within 20 days of departure.

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Before this change, the fee to book an award ticket for travel within three days was $150 per ticket; for travel within four to seven days the fee was $100; and for travel within eight to 20 days the fee was $75. Award tickets booked 21 days or more before departure continue to have no redemption fee.

"We want members to be able to redeem their miles – whether it's for a last-minute trip or a vacation of a lifetime – and eliminating this fee for our loyal travelers makes doing so significantly easier," said Jeff Robertson, Delta's vice president – SkyMiles. "We are actively listening to customers' concerns about the SkyMiles program and are responding."

Last year, frequent flyers redeemed more than 230 billion miles in the SkyMiles program for more than 11 million award redemptions. In 2009, 8.5 percent of revenue miles flown on Delta were for award travel, among the best of U.S. network airlines according to data filed in airlines' 10-K annual reports. Delta offers more ways to redeem frequent flyer miles than any other airline – including airline tickets, mileage upgrades, car rentals, hotel stays, Delta Sky Club memberships, merchandise and more than 30 types of gift cards.

Today's announcement is the latest in a series of changes Delta is making to improve the frequent flyer experience, including:

Introducing a Diamond Medallion tier in March and the industry's first rollover Medallion Qualification Miles for 2010.
Launching a "first checked bag free" benefit – up to a $50 savings per person on a round-trip ticket – for customers with a Consumer or Business Gold, Platinum, or Reserve Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express which began June 1.
Increasing the allocation of preferred Economy seats to ensure the most frequent travelers are guaranteed the best seats on all Delta and Delta Connection flights by August 2010.
Allowing Delta's most loyal customers – Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallions – flying on domestic award redemptions to be eligible for complimentary upgrades by September 2010.
Re-engineering the online award calendar at delta.com to make it easier to find and redeem award seats. These changes began in May and will be completed by November 2010.

Delta also has changed award ticket redeposit and reissue fees to make them consistent with fees for non-award tickets. These fees, which have increased from $100 to $150, will continue to be waived for SkyMiles Diamond and Platinum Medallion members.

More information on redeeming miles for an award ticket is available at delta.com/awardtravel. For a complete list of Delta's upcoming SkyMiles changes, visit delta.com/whatsahead.

About Delta

Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year. With its unsurpassed global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 368 destinations in 66 countries on six continents. Delta employs more than 70,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. A founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance, Delta participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France KLM. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 13,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. The airline's service includes the SkyMiles frequent flier program, the world's largest airline loyalty program; the award-winning BusinessElite service; and more than 45 Delta Sky Clubs in airports worldwide. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes, check bags and review flight status at delta.com.

Terms and Conditions

Basic Cardmembers (not Additional Cardmembers) with the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card, Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card, Delta Reserve Credit Card, Gold Delta SkyMiles Business Credit Card, Platinum Delta SkyMiles Business Credit Card and Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card are eligible to receive the first checked bag fee waiver on Delta and Delta Connection carrier tickets. Waiver is only of normal first checked bag fee for a bag that is not overweight and not oversize under Delta's applicable rules. Additional checked bags will be subject to the applicable baggage fees as outlined by Delta's rules and the purchased fare. The first checked bag fee waiver will be applied to all passengers traveling in the reservation containing the Basic Cardmember's SkyMiles number (up to nine waivers). If more than nine passengers are within the same reservation the waiver will only be applied to eligible passengers. The first checked bag fee waiver will only be applied on flight segments which originate on a Delta or Delta connection carrier operated flight. Codeshare flights are not eligible. New Cardmembers and Cardmembers upgrading from another Delta SkyMiles Credit Card product will be eligible for the checked baggage fee waiver benefit after receiving their card from American Express. Offer terms and conditions subject to change. Additional restrictions may apply.

Taxes and fees for Award Travel are the responsibility of the passenger and must be paid at the time the ticket is booked. Award travel seats and upgrade seats are limited and may not be available on all flights or in all markets. Alliance partner airline benefits subject to change and subject to the terms and conditions of each partner. SkyMiles partners, offers, and benefits subject to change. Offers void where prohibited by law. Other restrictions may apply. All SkyMiles program rules apply to SkyMiles program membership, miles, offers, mile accrual, mile redemption and travel benefits. To review the rules, please visit Membership Guide & Program Rules. © 2010 Delta Air Lines, Inc.

SOURCE Delta Air Lines