Award Fees: Effective 6/2, they be changin'
Jun 2, 2010, 1:11 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,572
Award Fees: Effective 6/2, they be changin'
Surprised this hasn't been posted here but some interesting stuff...
The following award fee changes will be in effect on June 2nd.
The following award fee changes will be in effect on June 2nd.
- The SkyMiles Award Ticket redemption fee will be eliminated for all members regardless of travel date. That is good news for last minute travelers.
- Award redeposit and reissue fee will be waived for Platinum Medallion members.
- There is no longer a limit of two waivers per year!
- The award redeposit and reissue fee will increase from $100 to $150
o This will align the reissue fee for award tickets with the reissue fee for revenue tickets
o The $100 reissue fee will continue to apply for award tickets purchased on/before June 1
o The $150 redeposit fee applies beginning June 2nd regardless of the date of the original ticket purchase
Jun 2, 2010, 1:46 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: MSP
Programs: Fallen Plats, ex-WN CP, DYKWIW; still a Hilton Diamond & Club Cholula™ R.I.P. Super Plats
Posts: 25,415
Apparently their revenue model (fleece them & they will come) didn't work out.
This is almost a year & a half too late. Fix low-award availability & cut the mumbo jumbo about a revenue-based program & we'll start to reconsider. Meanwhile, we're quite happy with CO/UA & WN.
This is almost a year & a half too late. Fix low-award availability & cut the mumbo jumbo about a revenue-based program & we'll start to reconsider. Meanwhile, we're quite happy with CO/UA & WN.
Jun 2, 2010, 1:56 am
#4
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Silver
Posts: 1,155
Looks great, although not too sure how long this will last. DL used to change its mind frequently. Not long ago the close-in redemption fee was removed, only to be added back a couple days later.
And the mileage earning fare class on KLM has been changed back and forth a million times.
Since I haven't received an email notification for this change, I'm not optimistic.
And the mileage earning fare class on KLM has been changed back and forth a million times.
Since I haven't received an email notification for this change, I'm not optimistic.
Jun 2, 2010, 1:57 am
#5
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
I'm not sure their revenue model (of fleece them and they will come) has been given up entirely by DL management. Perhaps if the likes of the award tickets priced at 25k miles for a domestic coach roundtrip show signs of not being a highly endangered species, then that will mark a whole change in DL management attitude.
Last edited by GUWonder; Jun 2, 2010 at 4:30 am
Jun 2, 2010, 2:07 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist & Ambassador: China
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: DL DM/MM, UA 1K, AA Exp, HH Dia, WOH Glob, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold, NA EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 17,423
Any confirmation on this? If so, this is great news, esp the PE waiver going back to unlimited. Apparently DL realized their unfriendly rules?
Again, want confirmation on this, SMI?
Again, want confirmation on this, SMI?
Jun 2, 2010, 3:42 am
#8
Join Date: May 2010
Programs: Delta DM, SPG Plat.
Posts: 38
I'm not SMI, but it's confirmed. Just checked out the website and it's all on there under the "About Skymiles" section.
Jun 2, 2010, 4:25 am
#9
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Jun 2, 2010, 4:41 am
#10
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: BZN
Programs: AA:LT Platinum DL:LT Gold UA:1P MAR:LT Titanium
Posts: 8,291
Not for those of us who have been patient. I've been redeeming dozens of low/saver awards annually, even through the transition period, and enjoying the many DL perks for upper elites that trump other programs along the way. I suspect the remaining weaknesses - the buggy calendar and related difficulties in finding low/saver availability (for elites, it's still quite good... it's just that the calendar doesn't display it readily) will be fixed/improved this summer. I'll bet they will even improve inventory for all levels and throw in some other enhancements as well (like getting rid of the silly restriction prohibiting medallion award inventory being booked for others unless the medallion member is traveling with them).
Jun 2, 2010, 6:06 am
#11
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: IND
Programs: DL DM, UA & AA Peeon, Hilton/Starwood Gold
Posts: 875
Wow. Kudos to DL for figuring it out, perhaps for some people a bit too late, but for me I'd say its better late than never. Not to be a downer, but the ironic thing here is that I've not redeemed a ticket with the new DL (last redemption was three biz seats to Africa at 105k and three seats to Middle East at 80k with NWA) and I wonder if they've been able to tell that PMs are not booking tickets with the kind of frequency they had been. For me, now that I know I can book something at 40k and at least have a seat that I can cancel at anytime means I may be more likely to use those miles than continue letting them sit unused.
Clearly they made a value calculation somewhere and for a rare time, the FF him/herself came out on top...
Clearly they made a value calculation somewhere and for a rare time, the FF him/herself came out on top...
Jun 2, 2010, 6:08 am
#12
Join Date: May 2005
Location: FLL
Programs: DL ♦M MM|HH♦|Marr Slvr|CO UA AA US|Pri Cub Plat|SPG|Avis 1st|Htz 5*
Posts: 5,044
Why would the following appear under the heading "What you can expect by Fall 2010"...
June 1 is two seasons away from Fall... and yesterday. How much closer to "now" can you get?
A new first bag free waiver benefit for all Delta SkyMiles Gold, Platinum and Reserve Cardmembers from American Express goes into effect on June 1, 2010.
... and not in the section headed "What is happening now" ???June 1 is two seasons away from Fall... and yesterday. How much closer to "now" can you get?
Looks like it is in the right direction!