Delta SkyMiles to End Expiration?
 

Sumday LA Times mentioned that Delta is considering joining other airlines in removing mileage expiration as long as member uses a mileage partner to accrue miles during the year. Anyone aware of the status of this?

I'm confused by your post...and I apologize if you already know what I'm saying here.

DL miles expire after 36 months, only if you haven't flown in that period. If you haven't flown DL in 35 months, then take a flight in the 36th month, your miles are safe for another 3 years.

AA announced they were dropping expiration, then UA did the same. UA 'upped the ante' by saying any type of transaction, not only taking a flight (First Card purchase, booking an award ticket with miles, upgrading with miles, etc) starts the 36 month clock over.

What DL may be doing is responding to what UA did with 'any transaction'.

You may want to re-read the article. Something doesn't sound right...

[This message has been edited by shadow (edited 08-18-1999).]

Both AA and UA have the same deal -in either case a flight is not necessary (so UA did not up the ante - they matched AA, the only upmanship with UA was the chance to get back miles which had previously expired). In the case of Delta, a Delta flight is needed (partner flights do not count either).

Ironically for me, airlines like USAirways and Delta used to be on the top of list for getting partner miles, but now are at the bottom of the list (Alaska, American, Northwest and United have better expiration policies now). Its ironic because for partner miles, the airlines get money upfront (and this was supposedly a big impetus for AA to relax mileage expiration, since for them the partner miles are more than half of all miles awarded).

[This message has been edited by pgupta011 (edited 08-19-1999).]

Note that Delta Connection flights are good enough to prevent expiration of your SkyMiles. (In general, the only thing they can't be used for that real Delta flights can is getting United miles.)

On Delta - You actually now have the remainder of the year in which you took your flight + 36 months before expiration. I.e. miles expire on December 31st, so if you fly Jan 1, 2000 or Dec 31, 2000, your miles will expire December 31st, 2003.

That's really not a bad deal. I don't see any real need for Delta to change their policy, except for PR purposes. As I have stated elsewhere, I don't think it is unreasonable for a 'frequent flyer' to have to take at least one flight every 3 years.

[This message has been edited by james (edited 08-19-1999).]

james, not so. My Delta miles are due to expire mid year 2001(I took a flight mid year 1998). Correction I am wrong - rules must have been changed recently. My recent statement indicated that my miles were expiring 4/30/2001, but when I looked at my online statement it said that my miles expire 31 Dec 2001.

The definition of what is reasonable is quite fluid. What appears to be reasonable a while ago no longer seems reasonable, considering the competition. The point I make is that for partner miles (for which Delta gets money upfront), expiring miles is a BAD policy. Its not a big deal for me, I'll simply vote with my (other) airline card.

[This message has been edited by pgupta011 (edited 08-19-1999).]

James, I disagree with your assessment. I have family members that don't fly but who do accrue frequent flier miles. I like United's approach in that any activity keeps a members miles safe from expiration. Who's to say they have'nt worked just as hard as the flier's on this board to build up their account balances. My vote goes for no expiration date as long as there is account activity.

No expiration date would be fantastic, but I have to agree with James. One flight every 3 years is not unreasonable. After all this is for frequent flyer.

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MilesNut

Thank you all for your responses.

I believe the article said they were considering whether to copy the revised United policy regarding milage expiration.

I am interested since I have 15,000 Delta miles expiring 12/31/99 and want to know whether I should spend $$ to fly on Delta before then.

Thanks again

whough, under the new DL program, your miles should be good until 12/31/2002.

If you want to verify, call the DL 800 #.

The UA policy is better than the AA policy, because UA counts *redemption* as activity to reset your 36 month clock while AA does not count redemption.

Also, DL's policy is slightly more generous in terms of months in some cases because they only expire miles on one day (December 31), so whenever you fly, you have a minimum of 36 months until your miles expire (not 36 months).

BTW, does anyone know how UA and AA will be doing the 36 months? Will it be exactly 36 months to the day or the end of the month (so if you fly on June 2, your miles will expire at the end of June in 36 months), or will they go with the DL system of only expiring miles on December 31?

AA counts redemption too.

Earlier, I asked the same question about when miles would be expiring. I think that Bryan replied then that it would be 36 months (and not Dec of the year).

[This message has been edited by pgupta011 (edited 08-20-1999).]

Pg - I should have said that Delta's December 31st expiration date represented a recent rule change - sorry.

General45 - surely SkyMiles exists to serve Delta's commercial interest. It is there to encourage customer loyalty and enhance the airline's brand. It is not there to meet the needs of those who were active flyers 10 years ago and want to redeem their miles ad infinitum without generating revenue. The difference in the case of AA and UA was that they had expiring miles which could not be extended by flying, unlike Delta where the miles rolled on with a single paid flight every 3 years. In addition, the new policy can be considered (another) public relations masterstroke for AA.

[This message has been edited by james (edited 08-21-1999).]

Delta rewards it's flyers for flying with them. Companies reward their customers by offering them frequent flyer miles for buying their products. In each case, the flyer or the consumer purchasing products redeem their miles for a free reward. In this case, there is no difference between the flyer and the consumer. Delta does, and I emphasize does, receive revenue from each source. As long as airlines are going to offer frequent flyer miles as an incentive, why should non flyer miles be considered any different as long as their account remains active?

[This message has been edited by general45 (edited 08-22-1999).]