Would You Subscribe to Delta for Free Drinks & First Overhead Bin Selection?

Details are shown on Delta Air Lines first A220 in Atlanta, Georgia at Hartsfield Jackson International airport on Sunday October 28,2018. (Chris Rank/Rank Studios 2018)

Following a play from other carriers, Delta Air Lines is now offering flyers the first chance to get on the airplane and eight free drink tickets for a nominal fee. Named “SkyMiles Select,” this $59 per year option doesn’t include Comfort+ seats, but does get you a limited-edition bag tag and Main Cabin 1 boarding.

Regular flyers of Delta Air Lines who don’t like to wait in line can now pay $59 per year for guaranteed boarding in Main Cabin 1, as well as other smaller perks. The Atlanta-based airline quietly unveiled its subscription product, SkyMiles Select, targeted towards U.S.-based members who don’t hold elite status but would like some of the perks.

For the annual fee, flyers get access to overhead bin space with the early group boarding – which is after elite members, first and business class members, active-duty military, and those paying for “Sky Priority.” In the touted “$100 value” also offers 8 drink vouchers for any alcoholic beverage onboard and a “limited-edition bag tag” with an unspecified value amount.

There are some pros and cons to the new product, especially for those who purchase basic economy seats. The Main Cabin 1 boarding applies to all economy tickets, including basic economy – giving flyers who wouldn’t normally get overhead bin space the chance to stow their bags. And much like the credit card benefits, up to eight travel companions with the frequent flyer get Main Cabin 1 boarding if they are all on the same itinerary. On the downsides, flyers only get eight drink tickets; You can’t purchase more if you run out. The product is also available to residents of the United States.

Are FlyerTalkers interested in buying the subscription service? Some are quite curious about the program and consider the eight drink tickets worth the $59 annual fee.

“[I] was thinking the 8 drinks were worth it alone,” writes FlyerTalker proth. “Wondering if [The Platinum Card from American Express] would pick this up as reimbursable incidental charge.”

“Probably not so much about getting approved by [American Express] than the fact that lots of people don’t want another (or any) credit card,” opines gooselee. “Plus even the [Gold Delta SkyMiles American Express] carries a $99 annual fee.”

Others are not sure about the “$100 value” that is promised from the package. While the drink tickets offer a rough value of $72 (assuming a purchase of a $9 premium beverage), some are trying to find the additional $28 in value.

“There’s no benefit to this if you have any of the fee Delta AmEx cards,” notes FlyerTalker jebr. “The 20 percent rebate means that eight $9-priced drinks only cost $57.60, and Main Cabin 1 boarding is already included. That means that it costs $1.40 more for the brag tag versus buying the drinks outright on the Delta AmEx card.”

“I saw this and thought it might be similar to United’s Economy Plus subscription where you paid a flat amount for Economy Plus for a year,” writes FlyerTalk member Exiled in Express. “I was greatly disappointed in the actual details; drink vouchers average out to over $7 so there is not any real savings there.”

Would you purchase a Delta SkyMiles Select subscription for the early boarding and other benefits? Share your thoughts on the FlyerTalk forums today.