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Are Delta Skymiles worth anything any more?
The ire of Delta Skymiles members continues to grow stronger and more vocal. To summarize, many loyal Delta passengers are miffed at the recent poor value of the airline's frequent flyer miles, or Skymiles. It's true that on the surface the airline claims to offer mileage redemptions for the same price as their competitors -- but when one actually goes to search for available tickets, those cheap seats are almost nowhere to be found.
The Cranky Flier sums up the problems pretty well over at his blog, where he simply states:
One can see from the rocking comment section beneath the post that there is unanimous agreement from the ranks. Want more insight? Head over to the Delta thread on Flyertalk where frustrated passengers have been venting for months.One thing I've found... is that Delta SkyMiles are really not easy to burn and when you do, they end up costing a lot more than on other airlines in terms of miles and dollars. As a loyalty program, SkyMiles is hard for me to love as a non-elite.
For Delta's part they acknowledge the difficulties with their award calendar but don't seem really interested in finding immediate solutions. Blaming IT integration issues, they hope to have things ironed out by summer.
And until then? Diversify your mileage portfolio.
RELATED: Where did all the bargain fares to Europe go?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Mark Pawlak Mar 18th 2010 12:25PM
It appears that the teamsters support for British Airways strike action is now bolstered by an Entente Cordiale. Allies once more, or enemies in the eyes of travellers? At least Delta's customers can guarantee getting off the ground...http://tinyurl.com/y8mxrc5
julie Mar 19th 2010 2:18PM
My problem with them is that they way over-estimate the flight times so many times you end up arriving at your destination so early your ride hasn't even left the house. This is how they are able to claim a better "on-time" percentage. And the boarding pass you print out online often is now is just a seating card and you have to wait to get a seat assignment at the airport. I flew 3 weeks ago and I had a seat assigned the day before but my son did not. Needless to say we weren't even sitting together even though our reservations were made together well in advance! Yesterday, I had to get a seat assignment at the gate and at first the woman told me that I wouldn't get a seat until they started to board and at that time I could exchange the unassigned pass for a seat assignment as I got on the plane! That is pure nonsense. They then started to slowly call passengers up for seats right before we began to board. I don't know what their goal is with this crap but it is not good procedure.
CAVS Mar 19th 2010 3:31PM
Are you really that dense? It's a GOOD thing that they overinflate flight times. That way you are less likely to miss your connections/ arrival times because flights that are delay prone (at airports like Newark and Philadelphia) already have a buffer factored in based on past history of delays (mostly air traffic control related). Would you rather have unrealistic flight times on your scheule and be late everywhere? WOW!! Very hard to please people these days!!
Lynn Frame Mar 20th 2010 5:54PM
Delta lost me two years ago. I cashed in miles for a business seat to Denmark. The leg from Tulsa to Atlanta was NOT included! I had to buy a coach seat to get to ATL in order to use my "free" ticket. Their excuse was that Delta Connection was not Delta Airlines in spite of the fact that seats on Connection accrue miles with Delta.
AAdvantage is not much better. Almost impossible to get a 25K reward any more.
Jim Mar 19th 2010 2:24PM
I had two 'free' frequent flyer awards on Delta and tried to fly to a warm location durning the winter. After an hour of trying, the agent finall told me that Delta's fequent flyer mailes won't get me anywhere warm. She then asked if I wanted to go to Alaska, honest, durning the winter. I gave the tickets to a relative for a short non warm weather location. What a rip off.
Steve Mar 19th 2010 2:35PM
US Air isn't any better, I just tried to use the miles and found it was just cheaper to buy the ticket as they wanted 60k miles for the R/T supposedly it was on premium days. But the ticket was only $358 if paid for. US Air Get your shi_ together or cancel the frequent flier program. A/A seems to be pretty good with their program.
BEN Mar 19th 2010 2:37PM
NO THANKS I LIKE TO STAY ALIVE THAT IS WHY I ONLY FLY ON USAIRWAYS THEY HIRE PILOTS LIKE SULLY
Michael Mar 19th 2010 3:49PM
What has really been lost but a name. The former America West management have been running the show at the new US Airways since the merger. They have made plenty of mistakes over the past few years Res migration,Holiday scheduling issues with not enough flight crews to work the ambitious schedule ultimately causing cancellations and disgruntled passengers just to name a few.
philip Mar 19th 2010 2:47PM
Delta's calendar is a good tool..but recently NO cheap seats are shown..everything is medium fare regardless of timing ANOTHER Delta BS deal...integration wit hNW has taken MUCHtoo long aftergetting approva lfromthe FEd ...get it together Delta..BTW..US SCARE? I avoid them al lthe time. Scully wasGREAT but how about the Cancelled flights all lasrtweek due to SICK passengers and Crew? that same USAir plane has bee n canceled "cleaned" and STILL makes people sick onbaord.USAir still cannot make us fee lsick over the loss of americaWest
Peggy Mar 19th 2010 2:56PM
My husband had tons of miles with NOrthwest (now Delta) that were going to expire. He said I could use the miles to go to London with my daughter & a friend, maybe thinking we wouldn't be able to find a flight. I had NO problem booking all three coach tickets off season, but the additional fees did add up to almost $200 cash per ticket. Still got to go & had a great time. Even when Delta had overbooked the flight over, they did not bump us, so I think we made out OK.
Ole Guy Mar 19th 2010 3:30PM
I've been a "freqy flier" with Delta for only a few years. In previous years, I flew them perhaps a time or two per year, if that. Despite my current 4 to 6 flights a month, the last time I flew on points, they soaked me for what was THEIR internal lack of communication. I fly them whenever my company puts me on one of their airplanes. If it's on my dime, I'd rather fly in a cargo plane. When I talked to the people responsible...well, it's like the comment by Mr Martin..."They don't seem interested in finding solutions". The heck of it is...some years ago, following one of those once-or-twice-a-year flights, I had a complaint which, at the end of the day, wound up costing me. As I recall, the indifferent "take-it-or-leave-it" reply which I received then was pretty much the same more-recent reply.
Ron Hermann Mar 19th 2010 3:38PM
..Never had a problem using my miles with Delta..just book plenty of time in advance......15 years with them ,2 free trips each year and never refused a seat+upgrades..Love Delta..
j Mar 19th 2010 4:14PM
Delta has a very poor ff system with the Am. Expess
Ole Guy Mar 19th 2010 4:41PM
Good for you, Ron. Mine was a last-minute, family emergency (non-life threatening, but, nonetheless, rather important as opposed to fun-and-games travel). I tried to appeal to the "family orientation", in terms of my several-times-a-month patronage. They wouldn't budge...quite generous with the kind verbiage, but, in the end, a go-to-hell attitude.
Jack Mar 19th 2010 3:18PM
The only thing I have ever been able to do with my miles is use them for free magazine subscriptions. I get about 15 different magazines a month through the magazines for miles on the Delta page. The problem is, now they have cut back even on those and offer crappy mags. Now you get a choice between "Cigar afficondo" and "Pottery Today". Think Im exagerating, look your self.
ickyicky Mar 19th 2010 3:23PM
I gave up on Delta after the same experience, no flights and as well, for my plans, the requirement for travel was way over other airlines. Delta sucks anyway.
sandy Mar 19th 2010 3:39PM
Forget reward tickets...delta's paid for tickets are hardly worth the effort. We bought our tickets 8months in advance of travel,paid a pretty penny knowing we would be traveling during "primetime" springbreak dates. When trying to select our seats one month before we were set to leave, we were told to contact a service rep. We were told the flight was cancelled and the soonest they could get us out was 3days later...when you plan for a vacation, with work calendars and coordinating with other relatives, this was ridiculous. Not only were there other available flights on the day that we were originally supposed to travel (only first class and business class were available and we were not allowed to use our ffpoints to upgrade), but I found this to be an outright lie, when I later talked to a third representative who said one of our party could fly because there was one seat left on our original flight. Delta needs to get it's act together or they will be going out of business. I know I will do my darndest not to fly them in the future.
david Mar 20th 2010 11:33PM
That is fraud and criminal. Why didn't you file a complaint with the FTC and FAA?
Rox Mar 19th 2010 3:29PM
I personally have given up on all of the airlines, including their so-called mileage rewards programs. In over 20 years have been allowed to use miles once!
They all suck, except for Southwest who still rewards miles and DOES NOT CHARGE MORE THAN AIR FARE FOR SUITCASE!
Lex Mar 19th 2010 3:30PM
Well, I tried to use mine and couldn't get the flight I needed because they didn't honor skymiles on that flight....I flew with a different carrier. Then I get a statement from Skymiles and I no longer have any miles with them...don't know where they went !!!! I guess It's no great loss, because they were pretty much worthless to begin with !!!